"The metamorphosis from man into beast is not an easy one"
October 31, 2024 11:17 AM   Subscribe

Special effects legend Rick Baker has had a storied career in cinema, dating all the way back to his first (and the first) Academy Award for Best Makeup for his work in the 1981 John Landis-directed cult horror-comedy classic An American Werewolf in London. And though the film had plenty of clever effects work, no scene was a better showcase of his talents than the brilliant, brutal, and bizarrely hilarious transformation sequence. Unlike the simple dissolves of earlier creature features (or the unconvincing CGI of later fare), Baker augmented subtle makeup with an inventive series of practical effects, from reversible hair to a false body-puppet to a collection of ingenious mechanical "change-o" parts layered in lifelike urethane elastomer. And though Baker has since retired from the biz, his work on the film inspired generations of homages and tributes built on old-school practical effects, including BBC TV shows, haunted houses, custom animations, LEGO recreations, and an absurd "demake" parody (starring none other than Landis's son, Max!).
posted by Rhaomi (5 comments total) 11 users marked this as a favorite
 
Max Landis—accused of rape and assault. Nothing to be proud of.
posted by Ideefixe at 11:55 AM on October 31, 2024 [2 favorites]


Really making the subtext text there, I suppose...
posted by Rhaomi at 12:14 PM on October 31, 2024


Oooff.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 4:05 PM on October 31, 2024


Rick Baker is still alive, in case anyone else was wondering.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 8:39 PM on October 31, 2024


Baker's work on AWiL is pretty fantastic. I have a soft spot for practical creature effects.
posted by chromecow at 10:42 PM on October 31, 2024 [1 favorite]


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