Before CGI, we had to use a little imagination! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for incredible practical effects from pre-2000s films that are still impressive today.
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00 "Keep absolutely still. This vision is based on movement."
00:04 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for incredible practical effects
00:09 from pre-2000s films that are still impressive today.
00:13 [Music]
00:22 Number 10. The Jog. 2001 A Space Odyssey.
00:26 "We are all, by any practical definition of the words, foolproof and incapable of error."
00:32 Stanley Kubrick's seminal film proves it doesn't take fancy CGI to make a truly convincing sci-fi
00:37 movie. The famous but simple scene where one of the astronauts jogs around the outer part
00:42 of the ship's centrifuge was done by staging the camera in a large rotating set.
00:53 The result is a convincing illusion where the camera seems to follow and stay ahead of the
00:57 runner. Kubrick had to get creative in his use of practical effects to simulate both weightlessness
01:02 and artificial gravity, and the result is a space epic that's still extremely impressive today.
01:08 "Open the pod bay doors, Hal."
01:09 "I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that."
01:15 Number 9. Fountain of Blood. A Nightmare on Elm Street.
01:18 "Whatever you do, don't fall asleep."
01:23 This scene was a bloody nightmare, all right. This classic slasher film directed by Wes Craven
01:28 contains tons of truly gruesome killings. For Glenn's death, however, something extra was needed.
01:34 "Imagine it's like a lottery drum. There's a platform with guys waiting at the top.
01:39 The drum turns and when it hits the mark, boom, and that's the bet."
01:43 When Glenn falls asleep, he's sucked through a hole in his bed,
01:46 and a geyser of blood then spews out. To make it happen, Craven built the set on a gimbal.
01:51 Once he flipped it upside down, the crew dumped hundreds of gallons of red-dyed water through
01:56 the hole. The effect wasn't without its dangers. The water reportedly caused the set to spin
02:02 unexpectedly and made a huge mess. At least they got a truly iconic shot out of it.
02:06 "What the hell did that lieutenant?"
02:08 "I don't know. It was a coroner got to say. He's been a giant puking since he saw it."
02:15 Number 8. Melting Head - Raiders of the Lost Ark
02:18 "Marion, don't look at it. Shut your eyes, Marion. Don't look at it no matter what happens."
02:24 Speaking of nightmare fuel, the first Indiana Jones film definitely has its share.
02:29 Seeing Nazis die on screen via divine wrath is always a thrill.
02:33 But one gruesome death deserves special attention for its practicality.
02:37 First, Steven Spielberg's special effects team made a rubbery mold of actor Ronald Lacey's head.
02:42 "The shot required Ronnie Lacey to have a facial cast and that's,
02:47 I've had that done myself and it's no fun."
02:50 From this mold, they carved a skull from stone and covered it in layers of gelatin,
02:55 which they then melted using propane heaters and a heat gun. Once achieved,
02:59 the melting mold was overlapped with footage of Lacey screaming. The 1981 film Scanner similarly
03:05 used gelatin molds over a fake skull in their famous exploding head scene.
03:09 Now that is truly creative filmmaking and all without CGI.
03:14 "And I was amazed especially at the melting head. I thought that was one of the most
03:19 amazing effects I'd ever seen."
03:20 Number 7. The Final Fly - The Fly
03:24 "I'm becoming Brundle Fly. Don't you think that's worth a Nobel Prize or two?"
03:29 Even decades later, this transformation scene is still stomach churning. After a slow deterioration
03:35 resulting from a botched experiment, Seth Brundle finally transforms into a gruesome
03:40 human-fly hybrid. To achieve the effect, the makeup and special effects team went to town
03:45 on Jeff Goldblum, using prosthetics for his growing deformities.
03:49 "I'm saying I'm an insect who dreamt he was a man and loved it. But now the dream is over."
03:58 A final stage of The Fly is actually a series of puppets maneuvered by cables and rods.
04:04 A puppet was also used in The Fly's death when he's fused with the telepod.
04:08 The team won a well-deserved Academy Award for Best Makeup for their efforts
04:12 to turn Brundle into the Brundle Fly.
04:14 "My teeth have begun to fall out.
04:15 The medicine cabinet is now the Brundle Museum of Natural History. You want to see what else is in it?"
04:23 Number 6. The White House - Independence Day
04:26 "Time's up."
04:28 The explosion of the White House in Roland Emmerich's film is still as shocking as it
04:32 was in 1996. A large plaster model of the building was constructed for the shot,
04:37 which was decorated with dollhouse furniture inside to ensure that the debris looked realistic.
04:42 Once done, the team put 40 explosives around the model.
04:46 "This model probably cost in excess of $50,000. I get one shot at it."
04:50 The actual detonation was over in just under a second,
04:54 but Emmerich used a high-tech camera to capture it in gorgeous slo-mo.
04:58 The director has since made a career out of destroying major landmarks on film.
05:02 But none have quite the impact of that Independence Day scene.
05:05 Number 5. Mirror Shot - Terminator 2 - Judgment Day
05:16 "You learn stuff that you haven't been programmed with, so you can be,
05:20 you know, more human and not such a dork all the time."
05:26 Making Arnold Schwarzenegger's head peelable is no small feat.
05:30 And to this day, the scene where Sarah Connor takes out the T-800's microchip in front of a
05:35 mirror still looks remarkably convincing. The mirror is actually a window, with Arnie
05:40 sitting behind it facing the camera, while Linda Hamilton works on a dummy head.
05:44 "Doesn't want you to do too much thinking, huh?"
05:46 "No."
05:47 "Can we reset the switch?"
05:51 Hamilton's twin sister Leslie was brought on to play Connor's reflection,
05:55 and the two had to mirror each other's movements exactly.
05:58 It was an extremely clever piece of special effects trickery that left viewers totally baffled.
06:03 "No, no!"
06:04 "Out of my way, John."
06:07 "Don't kill him."
06:08 Number 4. The Shuftan Process - Metropolis
06:24 You know you've made it as a visual effects artist when a whole process gets named after you.
06:29 Created by cinematographer Eugen Shuftan, the most iconic use of it was in the classic
06:34 German film Metropolis. The Shuftan process involves using plate glass and mirrors to
06:38 create the illusion that miniature models are actually full-sized sets. It even enables the
06:43 filmmakers to make it look like people are moving inside the miniatures. By the mid-20th century,
06:49 the process was replaced by blue screens and other types of special effects.
06:53 But when it comes to small effects that can achieve big results, few can best the Shuftan process.
06:59 Number 3. Transformation - An American Werewolf in London
07:10 This scene alone took an entire week to shoot. After protagonist David gets attacked by a
07:23 wolf, he begins to have strange dreams. And if you've seen the title of the movie,
07:28 you know what comes next. Director John Landis put months of preparation into
07:32 David's transformation into the titular beast. "Aladdin! God! Run!"
07:40 The film's crew created multiple different prosthetic heads and limbs to use at different
07:44 stages of the metamorphosis. The hair growth was filmed in reverse, with the crew trimming
07:49 it between shots and running the footage backward to make it look like it was growing.
07:52 Landis also employed stop-motion animation and even animatronic devices.
07:57 All these combined techniques make the scene incredibly visceral and convincing.
08:01 Number 2. The T-Rex - Jurassic Park
08:08 Even decades later, Spielberg's iconic sci-fi masterpiece still astounds audiences with its
08:17 realistic special effects. The film relies heavily on practical effects, with only six minutes of
08:22 CGI making it into the final cut. The dinosaurs were created almost entirely using detailed,
08:28 full-scale animatronics, including the massive T-Rex.
08:31 No wonder the kids look so convincingly terrified. They're reacting to an actual
08:43 life-size dinosaur, not a green screen. As for the T-Rex's bone-rattling roar,
08:48 the film used recorded vocals of a tiger, alligator, and even a baby elephant.
08:53 The result is a staggeringly realistic dinosaur.
08:56 Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about
09:05 our latest videos. You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
09:10 If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
09:15 Number 1. Baby Xenomorph - Alien
09:19 Of course, we must talk about the most realistically gruesome scene of all.
09:33 The Xenomorph is one of the most recognizable and terrifying movie monsters thanks to the
09:38 excellent design talents of H.R. Giger. He, along with the rest of the design team,
09:42 made the creatures come to life.
09:44 Giger designed the chestburster puppet himself, although his original idea went through some
10:00 revision before it was implemented. Similar puppetry was also employed in the Thing for
10:05 the Peeling Dog effect. While the actors in Alien knew about the puppet, they had no clue
10:10 about the fake blood squibs, hence their real-life alarm. Thanks to Giger's expertise,
10:15 the scene became one of the most memorable in cinematic history.
10:18 Which practical effect still has you oohing and aahing? Let us know in the comments down below.
10:31 "Boy, do I hate being right all the time."
10:33 "Oh God."
10:39 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 10
10:47 practical effects in horror movies.
10:49 "Hi! It's me, Chucky. What do you think?"
10:54 For this list, we'll be looking at the best, most believable, or iconic examples of practical
10:59 effects found within horror movies. Do you have a personal favourite? Let us know in the comments.
11:05 It's well-known movie lore at this point that Steven Spielberg and crew had one heck of a time
11:14 getting the shark, affectionately named Bruce, to operate correctly on the set of Jaws.
11:20 "This shark will swallow you whole. Shaking, tenderizing, down you go."
11:28 The issues were so severe, in fact, that Spielberg was forced to hold back on showing the final
11:34 special effects, which succeeded in building up the tension towards a final reveal.
11:39 And to be honest, we actually think Bruce looks pretty good.
11:43 "That's a 20-footer." "25. Three-ton-ton."
11:48 Worries about the shark looking fake certainly seemed to melt away during scenes such as the
11:53 first on-screen appearance, or the harrowing demise of Quint late in the film. Jaws is
11:58 considered an all-time classic for a reason, and one of those reasons is certainly cinema's
12:05 favourite shark. "You yell shark,
12:07 we've got a panic on our hands on the 4th of July."
12:12 Number 9. Digestion Death - The Blob
12:15 There are few horror remakes from the 1980s that have held up as well as 1988's The Blob.
12:21 "The thing on that man's hand killed him and then it killed Paul. And whatever it is,
12:28 it's getting bigger." In fact, many fans of the genre point to this entry as perhaps the
12:34 finest example of the titular creature on screen. It's difficult to argue this point
12:39 when the gross special effects are on display, such as the graphic digestion of Paul early
12:45 on in the film. "I'm with a patient." "There's a man dying in here, hurry!"
12:51 "Excuse me a moment." The violence of his death is so brutal and realistic that it
12:58 becomes difficult to even associate this version with the 1950s counterpart. At the same time,
13:04 the willingness of director Chuck Russell and crew to absolutely go for it with this level of gross
13:10 alien slime consumption has made The Blob the stuff of horror legend. "I did see her dead,
13:17 it killed Paul." "Sure. How about it, Herb? Can we take her home now?"
13:22 "Yeah, you may as well, Tom. And make sure she gets a good sleep, huh?"
13:26 Number 8. Chucky - Child's Play The production of 1988's Child's Play is
13:32 another example where restraint and tension actually led to the final effect being all
13:37 the more impressive. The movie takes a while in building things up to the point where Chucky
13:42 actually moves, speaks, and comes alive while in the presence of an adult.
13:46 Up until that point, the potential for it all to actually be just the figment of a child's
13:58 imagination is plausible. "Now you don't really think that Chucky is alive, do you?"
14:02 However, once we watch Chucky's scurrying feet, see those dangerous hands, and hear that iconic
14:08 voice from Brad Dourif, it's official. A full-fledged horror icon is born. Seriously,
14:14 the puppeteering and animatronics on display are top notch.
14:19 Number 7. The Shunting - Society You may be asking yourself,
14:24 "What the heck is a shunting?" To which we'd reply, "You're gonna be sorry you asked."
14:29 "After the first shunting, we'll have that special treat we've been hearing so much about."
14:35 That's because this infamous sequence from the 1989 body horror flick
14:40 Society is the stuff from which perverse nightmares are born.
14:43 Special effects guru Screaming Mad George achieves here some sort of absorptive body melding,
14:50 as high society aliens suck out nutrients from their victim in perhaps the grossest way possible.
14:57 [Screaming]
15:02 There's an almost gleeful humour to the scene, as classical music accompanies a symphony of
15:08 slurping noises, all while George's sticky special effects work their magic. Don't say we didn't warn
15:15 you. "You know, you really deserve what's gonna happen to you, you know." "What's gonna happen?"
15:20 "You're gonna make a wonderful contribution to society."
15:24 Number 6. Henrietta Nobile - Evil Dead 2
15:27 The first instalment of Sam Raimi's Evil Dead franchise boasts some serious special effects,
15:33 particularly when taking into account the director's limited budget.
15:36 "Why have you disturbed our sleep? Awakened us from our ancient slumber?"
15:43 That said, there's a marked improvement with the sequel, as evidenced by this fantastic bit
15:48 of work from special effects designer Tom Sullivan. The director's brother,
15:52 Ted Raimi, assisted in the production in bringing Henrietta Nobile to life,
15:57 playing the woman with heavy makeup as her deadite form becomes more progressed.
16:02 Elsewhere, actor Lou Hancock plays Henrietta in her first deadite form,
16:07 although we admit to being partial to the creature going full gooseneck,
16:12 as it were, showcasing first-hand Sullivan's imaginative creations.
16:16 "We're gonna make a wonderful contribution to society."
16:26 Number 5. Glenn's Death - A Nightmare on Elm Street
16:29 The world of special effects is full of questions like, "How did they do that?"
16:40 The A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise has been front and centre for a number of such questions,
16:46 such as the time when the third instalment shoves poor Jennifer into a television.
16:50 "This is it, Jennifer. You're big break in TV."
16:56 Perhaps even more impressive, however, is the iconic bed scene from the first film,
17:02 where a young man gets sucked into his mattress, never to return.
17:06 That is, unless you're counting the geyser of blood that shoots out onto the ceiling,
17:10 in which case Glenn Lance most definitely returned to make an impression.
17:14 Just not the impression he likely intended.
17:18 "There's a coroner got to say, he's been the jolly pukin' since he saw it."
17:21 Number 4. Chestburster - Alien
17:25 Directors will often try a number of different approaches with actors,
17:28 all in order to achieve that one perfect take.
17:31 "I don't wanna talk about what I say, though. I'm eating this."
17:34 "What's the matter? The food ain't that bad, baby."
17:39 Ridley Scott tried something with the iconic chestburster scene from the first Alien film,
17:44 in that he didn't actually tell the cast what specifically to expect.
17:49 As a result, the reaction of actors like Veronica Cartwright are very real, and very effective,
17:55 as the whole cast got to view this tiny xenomorph burst out of poor John Hurt's chest.
18:01 "I gotta have something to eat before we go back to the store. I need some of this."
18:04 "Yeah, one more meal before bedtime, I'm buying."
18:09 "Hey, that's a break."
18:10 It's grim, goopy, and never fails to grab our attention each and every time.
18:15 As for Cartwright, maybe she would have liked the "Spaceballs" variation a wee bit better.
18:21 "Hello, my baby! Hello, my honey! Hello, my ragtime gal!"
18:25 Number 3. Brundlefly - The Fly
18:28 The cinema of body horror maestro David Cronenberg is littered with examples of special effects
18:34 brilliance. "Help me. Help me to be human."
18:38 One of these is the head explosion against which all others are measured, from 1981's Scanners.
18:45 Elsewhere, the amazing makeup effects used on Jeff Goldblum in Cronenberg's remake of The Fly
18:51 stand as some of the finest ever achieved. "I'm saying...
18:54 I'll hurt you this day."
19:00 Goldblum appears practically unrecognisable as Seth Brundle messily devolves into Brundlefly.
19:07 He gains super strength, sure, but soon pieces of him are starting to fall off,
19:12 and that acidy spit sure doesn't look too pleasant.
19:16 Finally, the transformation is complete, and The Fly's grotesque final form is revealed.
19:23 "I'm afraid!" "Don't be afraid!"
19:24 "No. Be afraid. Be very afraid."
19:29 Number 2. Transformation Sequence - An American Werewolf in London
19:33 We just mentioned how Cronenberg perfected the subtle art of head explosions with Scanners,
19:38 but what about werewolf transformations?
19:41 "I'm afraid!"
19:47 Cinema is populated by excellent examples, from Universal's original Beast to Joe Dante's
19:53 impressive werewolves in The Howling. But, and this is a very big but, all of them need to take
20:00 a knee and bow their collective heads to the alpha of this wolf pack, an American werewolf in London.
20:07 "Help me! Please! Help me!"
20:14 Director John Landis and special effects legend Rick Baker constructed a transformation sequence
20:20 that not only looks scary, but looks painful. It convincingly depicts the horror of physically
20:27 transforming from man to wolf in bone-stretching detail. It's simply the best to ever do it.
20:35 The Goat of Wolves, if you will.
20:38 Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get
20:49 notified about our latest videos. You have the option to be notified for
20:53 occasional videos or all of them. If you're on your phone, make sure you
20:57 go into your settings and switch on notifications.
21:00 It's difficult narrowing down one specific special effects moment
21:08 from John Carpenter's 1982 masterpiece, The Thing.
21:12 "I don't know what the hell's in there, but it's weird and pissed off, whatever it is."
21:16 This remake of The Thing from Another World remains
21:19 leagues away from its 1950s predecessor in terms of special effects,
21:24 thanks to a couple of certified legends Rob Bottin and Stan Winston.
21:29 The entire team created cinema magic with nightmare imagery, such as the dog thing
21:34 early on in the film, as well as the disgusting sequence where an
21:38 assimilated Norris is defibrillated, with harrowing results.
21:48 The Thing may have flopped during its initial run, but today it's thankfully
21:52 been adorned with all of its proper genre accolades.
21:56 It may just be the finest example of practical effects ever laid on film.
22:01 "When this thing attacked our dogs, it tried to digest them, absorb them."
22:06 Did you enjoy this video? Check out these other clips from WatchMojo,
22:10 and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
22:18 [Music]