The Best Practical Effect EVAR

What's Adam Savage's favorite in-camera practical effect from a movie? What special-effect gag still blows Adam away? What does Adam think is the best movie or TV makeup job, and does he think there is space for independent FX makers in today's film industry? In this live stream excerpt Adam answers these questions from Tested members Seth Huckstead, Ian Rigby, Dori Ownbey and Kenny Tait, whom we thank for their support. What's your favorite practical effect?
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How Lethal Was Blendo REALLY? kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZpqXlZ6Yatxlgsk Join this channel to support Tested and get access to perks, like asking Adam questions during live streams: kzbin.info/door/iDJtJKMICpb9B1qf7qjEOAjoin

[@Zeaiclies]

Is there not a nod to "Blendo" in Revenge of the Sith opening shot, a kitchen sink goes flying out from a Space Cruiser. 😂

[@LOADSX156]

Would you consider doing the foil ball challenge again?

[@ArtCOOL777]

Adam, Happy Moon Day and Armstrong Landing on the Moon. Taking new steps))) ❤

[@DonariaRegia]

To fully appreciate the evolution of CGI, in the early 1980's creations on the level of "Money For Nothing" cost $50k per second of animation, so ten seconds was a half million dollars, one minute and forty seconds was five million dollars!

[@DyenamicFilms]

When I first watched John Carpenter's The Thing in the early 80's (when it first came on HBO), right when the head pulls itself down off the table, then sprouts legs and starts walking away, I said to myself (seriously not joking) "you got to be kidding me" right before the character did. I remember I laughed when he repeated it. I was already interested in movie special FX and makeup by that time and these types of effects were still relatively new back then. For me, it was perhaps a reaction to not only what the "thing" was doing, but also to the effect itself. Blew my mind. I never saw anything like it. Still amazing.

[@awandererfromys1680]

_Little Shop of Horrors._ Rick Moranis acting at half speed with a fullsize Audrey II puppet, all that choreography, is just mindblowing. I don't know if it counts but still. Such a fun movie as well.

[@zaphod100]

If you haven’t seen the directors cut, I highly recommend it

[@halfvader8015]

@@zaphod100 They were right to change it, but it's so cool and that (original) ending works brilliantly in the stage version where Audrey takes over the whole theatre!

[@ChickenCoop82]

Little Shop of Horrors is my favorite movie of all time (not what I’d consider the _best_ movie of all time, but my personal favorite), and personally I think the one thing that holds the original ending back is how long the Don’t Feed the Plants segment goes on for, if that was trimmed down from the 8 minutes it is to maybe like 5 minutes I think it would’ve worked a lot better I like both endings but the original ending will always be the better one to me

[@tyleryoung9123]

I'm in my mid-30s and somehow didn't watch The Thing until about 3 years ago, and I was blown away by how good that movie is. Truly a masterpiece and I'm glad Adam has such a love for it.

[@ithinkihadeight]

I'm in my 40s and only saw it for the first time about 2 weeks ago.

[@nak3dxsnake]

Its so damn good. The prequel might've been too but due to meddling ended up being aight. The John Carpenter one is just something really special and still holds up if you let your imagination get the best of you.

[@Bob-b7x6v]

ROB BOTTIN!

[@mister_veee7143]

Everyone tells me the self-repair scene in The Terminator when he's removing his damaged eye looks terrible but I love that effect. I saw that movie when I was 7 and it blew me away. It was the coolest thing I'd ever seen.

[@lethargicsloth4913]

Same and approximately same! 28 now and I rewatched it approximately 8 years ago but still enjoyed the effects. Can't say the same for Godzilla 2000's water emergence CGI...

[@charlietheunicorn5383]

The movie that blew me away was Metropolis from 1927. The effects and creative use of camera "tricks" really sold this future world.... made at the dawn of cinema nearly 100 years ago now.

[@saiyansomething73]

Adam Savage just made my day. First he talks glowingly about Brazil, one of my all time favorite movies. Then he gives props to the best practical effects movie ever, The Thing. Rob Bottin was on fire back then and that dog scene was truly spectacular. Once it started transforming, it didn't stop until Childs hits it with the flamethrower. Hideous and mesmerizing at the same time.

[@MrSnaztastic]

A scene also aided by none other than special guest artist Stan Winston, but gotta give it up to Bottin's crazy design ideas like the flower claw made up of tongues sprouting dog teeth.

[@rmann1584]

I had a moment of stunned silence when, after showing my daughter Raiders of the Lost Ark, I asked her what she thought, and she said "It was kinda boring"

[@hanslain9729]

Lowering your expectations going in to situations like this helps. 😁

[@chaichantheshiba5902]

It’s true old movies seem boring from the new blockbusters that have come after

[@EastyyBlogspot]

Is adoption an option ? 😅

[@rmann1584]

@@EastyyBlogspot Luckily we were able to agree to disagree and now she lives in Minnesota :)

[@hanslain9729]

@@chaichantheshiba5902 A movie being boring is subjective. These days many people are adjusted to scrolling hours a day and getting constant dopapine hits so sitting through something that doesn't hit like that, may be difficult.

[@pwnski]

Showing your kids your favourite films - I showed my kid Iron Giant when they were about 2 1/2 and they loved it, and continue to. A couple of weeks back (about two years on from their first viewing) they told me "I understand why it makes you sad but it's a happy sad..." 😭

[@austins.2495]

Ok

[@austins.2495]

I guarantee you homie, no one thinks that crap is as adorable as you. Because they’re your kid. Thanks for sharing though I guess idk

[@mavenous22]

Just watched Iron Giant with my son for the first time an hour ago...he loved it. The spinning car, and the flying scene were his favourite parts.

[@iFlyGood]

@@austins.2495 bro shut up. someone had an emotional moment and you show up to push your lack of empathy on others? Get a therapist homie because alot of people found this heart warming.

[@pwnski]

@@austins.2495 did writing that make you feel a little bit better? Did it exorcise some of your bad childhood memories?

[@luddite6239]

Space Precinct was one of many Gerry Anderson productions, and that's a name that definitely deserves credit for his model work; Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, plus the live action shows UFO and Space 1999 all showcased his expertise and imagination with miniatures.

[@curseyoujordanshow]

When it comes to in-camera effects, the all-time greatest has to be _2001: A Space Odyssey._ The movie is awe-inspiring enough on its own, but it reaches another level of mind-blowing when you realize everything you're seeing on screen was exactly what the camera saw.

[@philopharynx7910]

Brazil is an absolute masterpiece. The effects, bouncing between ridiculous and far too real, the comedy, the pain. Especially when you know the battle between Gilliam and Sheinberg to be able to show it as he wanted it.

[@hyperverbal]

I was a young kid remembering Brazil and wanting to see that more than Batman over again.

[@UnitedStatesGovt]

I'll have to rewatch Brazil. It's a wild film.

[@ursaminorjim]

Genuinely gasped when you said *_Brazil_* came out a couple years after *_Batman._* But then I knew there was NO POSSIBLE WAY you hadn't meant to say "before."

[@Fyrmer]

Showing your favorite movies to kids isn't just for parents, as I can attest. I've had the honor of introducing _Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal_ and _E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial_ to my two nephews a few years back. My younger nephew cried during the scene where E.T. was dying.

[@MichaelTotin]

Some of my favorite practicals; 1. The tremor breaking into the survivalists' gun room in Tremors. A beautiful back and forth between miniature and live action. Near perfect. 2. The killing of Lestat in Interview with a Vampire. The slitting of his neck after drinking dead blood and the draining of his body. So fantastic. 3. The full flying car scene in the beginning of Blade Runner. 4. The uncut flying into the estate in the opening scene of Citizen Kane. 5. The blowing up of John Ratzenbergers head in the opening of Outland.

[@ZGryphon]

"Broke into the wrong god damn rec room, didn't you, you bastard!"

[@bluplacebo]

"Brazil" is one of my top three movies of all time. I have watched it probably 30 times and I still find something new every time. It and "Time Bandits" have an amazing density of detail and imagination by Terry Gilliam and his crew. I truly love those movies. I worked at a movie theater and drive-in theater in my teens through college and had the privilege to see some classic movies before they actually opened, at midnight screenings to "make sure there weren't any problems with the print". Die Hard, Batman, Batman Returns, Terminator 2, Jurassic Park, Pulp Fiction. It was fantastic to see them without having any idea what to expect. That said, I also saw the endings of many, many movies before I saw the rest of the movies before I saw the full movie and spoilers really don't bother me. It's not about what happens in the end, it's how it happens that matters and the journey to get there.

[@benjaminmiddaugh2729]

My philosophy is (mostly), if the story can't stand up to me knowing what's going on before I watch/read it, the story isn't told well enough. I know that there are possible exceptions, but it's served me well so far in my encounters with storytelling.

[@kurtdewittphoto]

How do you feel about Baron Munchausen?

[@GnappyAssassin]

"There's this moment when everything stops-" Ad break. Just hilarious

[@briandeschene8424]

Exact same thing happened to us at that moment. Our reaction: “Really KZbin?!”

[@norgeek]

@@briandeschene8424 pretty sure creators can manually set where ad breaks should happen, seems like it would be intentionally done

[@magicrat74]

I think so too, and I can't help but wondering why they put them at the spots where we are the most like to skip ads and get back to the show

[@cliffordkirk907]

That iconic chestburster scene in Alien was the best. The authenticity in the actors reaction came from them not knowing it was going to happen. They were told a creature would emerge from John Hurt's character - No further details were shared.

[@jasyynnoe8392]

You talked about Alien, but I was hoping for AlienS. The queen puppet is my favorite practical effect. A 9 foot animatronic with 2 puppeteers inside, 4 more outside, and a crane permanently attached to its back (which is kept off-screen through framing)? Yes please, that's what I'm here for.

[@jeffsaxton2051]

Not to nit-pick, but Burton's 'Batman' was 1989, Gilliam's 'Brazil' was 1985 ....

[@TomVCunningham]

I think he just mixed up the release years in that sentence. He states the correct release year, 1985, later on.

[@uncmonky0]

Came here to say this

[@stephencornish1877]

But doesn't state the release year of TBs Batman​@@TomVCunningham

[@sporkulon]

@@stephencornish1877 Yea but he said it came before Brazil. Eh, everyone has brainfarts.

[@ceno10101]

I also scratched my head when he said that.

[@faville]

That shot of DeNiro’s character zip-lining has always stood out to me from the first time I saw it in the late 80s. It looks so unique and cool and always makes me ask “man, how did they make it look like that!” It is movies like Brazil and Time Bandits (the camera scroll going over Evil’s castle, whew!) that made me disappointed to see Gilliam dip into digital weirdness like in Dr. Parnassus, but maybe it’s time for a rewatch.

[@dathat555]

My favorite is Citizen Caine. Most do not realize that film used many then novel in-camera effects. Orson Wells invented several never before used effects, in-camera and post-process, partly because he was new to the medium and did not know what "couldn't be done."

[@Squant]

The only good thing about that movie. Boring plot, unlikable characters, terrible pacing, but it gets a lot of respect for pioneering and perfecting new techniques. You might as well just read the Wikipedia entry and avoid watching it entirely.

[@halfvader8015]

@@Squant You win the edgelord olympics!!

[@LogicalNiko]

I think best makeup for TV, I generally think Star Trek TNG and DS9, Farscape, Babylon 5, and the walking dead. While those characters are not always blow you away amazing I think something has to be said for consistency across different actors and day-in-day out complexity. TV has a unique challenge when you are running for years and years of shooting to not make mistakes and deliver consistent skin tones and placements of prosthesis. As well as having to be faced with new actors and different characters on a potentially weekly basis. That is extremely difficult to get right.

[@pklassen]

The baby in ERASERHEAD. That's my vote for best single in-camera effect.

[@dottiegillespie8067]

Your right. It's so disturbing. That still effects me.

[@pgreenawalt]

Time Bandits is an all time favorite of mine.

[@briandeschene8424]

Yes. Yes. Yes.

[@thir13enthman]

I was wondering if Adam has ever met Terry Gilliam. It seems like a wonderful meeting of the minds and oh to be a fly on the wall for that.

[@VicMorrowsGhost]

I heard a story about the spider head scene from the Thing. There's a reaction shot of the guys seeing the spider head and one guy says, "You gotta be fuckn' kidding" Apparently they didn't tell them what was going to happen and just filmed them reacting to the puppet spider head and that was ad-libbed.

[@Studeb]

Gotta love Adam's knowledge and passion for this field, it rubs off, and I'm already a similar person

[@citpeks2000]

Hey, I was 10 years old the first time I saw The Thing and I turned out fine! And let's not forget the chest crack/head spider scene culminates with David Clennon's perfectly delivered "You've gotta be kidding me."

[@briandeschene8424]

I literally had those words go through my mind a split second before he uttered them: “You gotta be kidding me.” And I wrote it without an exclamation mark which is as I thought it and how it was said in the movie. Great movie watching moment of my life.

[@ericsteel173]

I think the final scene of 1993’s “Much Ado About Nothing” is an excellent example of amazing practical effects. It is complex 2 minute unbroken sequence with one camera, hundreds of cast members and done in one take.

[@magiclantern66]

Totally agree with your opinions on the movies you mentioned. Brazil is fantastic. Gilliam has such a unique visual style that works perfectly for the future/retro setting. I'd often wondered about those flying sequences, so thanks for explaining that. What I love about Dracula, is that it's set 100 years previously, and Coppola is using techniques from early cinema to evoke the period. There's some CGI, but the best, and scariest, scene for me, is after Dracula has transformed into a wolf. You get this POV shot of him running up some steps, and the frame-rate keeps changing. An awesome "'camera trick".

[@emessar]

I love that you giving some love for Brazil. It was my favorite movie for 25 years (until Scott Pilgrim vs the World came out). One note ... Brazil (1985) was actually 4 years before Tim Burton's Batman (1989).

[@haydenduvall162]

Love it. Parenting isn't all sunshine and lollipops, but these kinds of moments are priceless.

[@vidulakopli]

I was never too interested in most of the movies you talked about, but hearing you talk about special effects and how it all works was really awesome! I don’t think I’ve seen that anywhere, especially with your passion. I can see why you look at those movies differently than the casual viewer.

[@schoonzuinig]

My son, 19 yo now, has been fed many kinds of movies, music and art alike. My goal was to let him experience a lot to learn to enjoy a variety of creativity. We still watch quite some movies together. I asked him whether he does this for pity of his father or because he likes it too. He loves it he told me, though when he watches a movie with his friends he notices that he's clearly harder to bribe with CGI effects.

[@Squant]

Unless of course, he doesn't know he's looking at CGI effects. Then he loves it without bias.

[@schoonzuinig]

@@Squant that's correct, obviously. But being bribed is in general noticeable, making it bigger than the story. Compare Lord of the Rings to the Hobbit, or Fury Road to Furiosa. It's a kind of hyperrealism that doesn't make it more true or engaging.

[@flyingo]

I find it interesting that just about all of us that were film projectionists ultimately went into film and film related occupations. Animation is perhaps the purest form of filmmaking, in my opinion.

[@SteveIgnat]

Adam, long before you started talking about it, I was thinking about that very scene in The Thing. It terrified me in a way that I wanted to know how they did it. And as I am 54 now, you explained it, and it made perfect sense to me with all of my practical knowledge being a prototype engineer.

[@jeanmalo7173]

Alien is my all-time favorite sci-fi / hoirror movie...followed closely by the thing...stay safe Adam...and thanks for the autographed picture!

[@questionnumber1619]

Alien is a superior film in my opinion and my "favorite" Sci-fi horror and The Thing is close second... BUT, I enjoy watching The Thing more often than Alien. I watch Alien once or twice a year and The Thing twice as often.

[@bobbressi5414]

Who would have thought Terry Gilliam would become such a great film maker off his days as an animater and skit performer with Monty Python?

[@mr.zafner8295]

Dude I'm a 50-year-old man and I just watched Back to the Future with my 9-year-old nephew and it was such an awesome experience I can't even tell you Like, my favorite feature of a movie you can't get on a DVD extra is to be in the theater on opening night of a huge widely anticipated movie, like say the Star Wars prequels or something, a new Star Trek movie, and this was just as great and I can't believe I never thought of it before. What a great thing it was. He had literally never heard of it before and he had such a great time we watched the second two movies on the following two nights Watching classic awesome movies with little kids is super fun

[@Somnogenesis]

I love this, beautifully described and I'm glad you both got so much out of it!

[@The_ElectricMonk]

Brazil has been on my top 5 since I saw it when I was in highschool. The aesthetics of that movie are just incredible.

[@zoffinger]

I just watched the trailer for Brazil and heard the plumber say, 'There's your problem' and I was like, 'A HA!'

[@strawhousepig]

I remember my older brother got to see The Thing and him telling me all the gruesome details. He must've done a pretty good job because when I saw it everything was how I imagined it. Not that anyone asked, but for me the best practical effect is from Laverne & Shirley, because it's also my favorite sight gag. I've only seen it once and it was obviously a long time ago, so the details might be a little off. The girls are in the locker room at the brewery and in walk Lenny & Squiggy wearing bath robes, fresh from the showers or maybe a sauna. Lenny who has his towel hooked over his finger holds it out to Laverne who grabs it at the mid point, and as Lenny pulls his hand away the towel remains completely upright instead of falling over as you'd expect. Absolutely brilliant.

[@roryoutdoors5431]

The Abyss has some super famous and ground breaking cgi, but I love the practical parts - the underwater vehicles, the base, the SHIP! Not huge on James Cameron but he does incredible stuff 🐟🫧

[@Elwaves2925]

Yeah, that CGI was the test bed for what he wanted to do in T2, as I'm sure you know. I'm a big fan of Cameron's earlier work but he lost his way once he got stuck on Avatar and it's repeats IMI. The first was an amazing technical achievement but not much more. What I've seen of the second one didn't impress me at all and so far, it's the only movie of his I haven't seen.

[@irrelevantpanda]

Entirely correct about the joy of showing your kids one of "your" movies and it hitting. It's incredible. I've had some bad misses, but how they reacted to Who Framed Roger Rabbit I will hold in my heart for as long as it beats

[@DKNguyen3.1415]

That movie kick ass. Wish there were more movies like that.

[@leelindsay5618]

Your Mtv sound effect instantly projected that image that you referenced to my brain. Well done. 😅

[@christrek1027]

The cargo ship in the desert from Close Encounters, totally convincing.

[@ukgameshowcentral1965]

I remember recording the Thing on VCR as a kid and LOVING it. Scared the crap out of me and glad I was I was watching on a Saturday afternoon. But it's SO GOOD!

[@wtimmins]

The Thing is my all time favorite movie of all time, not just for practical FX. Man. STILL holds up.

[@dullorb]

After lurking for years, I had to subscribe when you mentioned 'Brazil.' Best Christmas movie ever.

[@bishop9757]

love that you know of Space Precinct! Loved it as a kid (found all episodes on youtube last year), shame it only got a short run.

[@thelefthandofcreation1617]

Perfect usage of "hella", Adam - you continue to make the Bay Area proud to have you!

[@RB-bd5tz]

I showed my teen boys the original "Top Gun" - their response? "So cheesy, Dad!" I showed them "Rocky IV" - their response? "Propaganda." Actually ... they're right!

[@MrJHDK]

They missed a trick in that Top Gun was military recruitment propaganda too 😅

[@Drakith90]

The amazing uh.. thing.. about The Thing effects is even the bad ones work because it's so well shot. The blood test for instance if you really focus on it you can see Kurt's hand holding the dish is super fake but.. it's such a tense scene you aren't focused on it. I think I was like 6 when I first saw The Thing. Stayed up late and saw it on basic cable in the 90s. Think that's a bit too young. Spent years thinking The Thing, the Xenomorph, and the Predator were all living under my bed in some Axis of Child Traumatization.

[@benbishop1131]

Somehow I never saw Brazil. Gotta see it now! I love the effects of Batman Returns. I'm a huge fan of both Matte Paintings, clever composites and especially miniature! The Thing is Rob Bottin at his absolute best, incredible effects.

[@Elwaves2925]

Brazil is definitely worth a watch, even if you don't end up liking it. It has much to say about how bureaucracy works but does it with a dark sense of humour. It's highly likely you'll recognise parts of it as they've been used elsewhere and parodied quite a bit.

[@drumzone5]

The scene in Poltergeist where one character peels his face off bit by bit with the maggots still gets me every time!!!!!

[@KannikCat]

I think of what the FX team for Everything Everywhere All at Once accomplished as a six-person group, and I very much am excited for what independent FX makers can bring to the modern film industry!

[@appalachianunderground8474]

Happy Saturday 🎉🤙🏻🇺🇸, watching Adam is a great start to what’s shaping up to be a rainy weekend in Alabama 🅰️

[@SodiumWage]

Philip Kaufman's 1983 film, The Right Stuff has my favorite practical effects. The sense of speed and danger captured in the sound barrier scenes are still just as thrilling today as they were over 40 years ago. The blending of stock / archival footage with the what the crew shot is as seamless as Forrest Gump over a decade later, and the space scenes are just as convincing as what Stanley Kubrick had in 2001: A Space Odyssey. The Right Stuff stands besides Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy as a masterclass on practical effects.

[@TravelingStacker]

Good morning Tested team.

[@tested]

Morning!

[@CommadoreGothnogDragonheart]

I showed my kids The Thing at around the same age, and got a similar response. It was absolutely wonderful. On a side note, if you want the full effect of the first reveal, never watch The Thing with a Norwegian. I enjoy watching reactions to The Thing on KZbin, and one particular reactor happened to speak Norwegian, so during the scene at the beginning when the helicopter arrives at Outpost 31 and the guy with the rifle starts yelling at them, the reactor asked: "What does he mean 'It's not a real dog'?" :)

[@Hawkeye9165]

lmao, I'm so pleased Adam said "The Thing" regarding the question on special effects gag.... As I heard the question I immediately thought The Thing where Norris' head slowly separates from his body. :o)

[@ScandinavianCoward]

We need a special episode where Adam and Jonathan Pryce discuss Brazil and the 3 Body Problem!

[@jbrisby]

When I think of "two different executions of a very similar kind of vision" I think of two autobiographies: "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed, and "Digging Up Mother" by Doug Stanhope. Read them back to back; it would make a great subject for a book club discussion.

[@Mike-dl2og]

I can relate to showing kids the Thing. My daughter was blown away when I showed her & now shows it to her friends to freak them out!

[@palkokity8235]

Adam covered most of the best. I am amazed that he did not mention 2001 or 2010 especially considering that it predates most of what is mentioned by 2-3 decades. The 80s were the best for horror/syfy for what was starting to happen with effects: The Thing, Alien(s), Hellraiser, and The Fly are all classics. Really, there is a huge list of cheesy but good movies from the 80s. For effects and imagery, it is hard to beat Coppola's Dracula though. So amazing. The Dark Crystal, though, forever has a special place in my heart. Sure, you can see the (mat?) lines of things getting composited together but the creativity and puppeteering is amazing.

[@3twelveworkshop312]

The “once you’ve grown up on spirited away”. comment had me rolling because it’s so true… absolute proof of the genius of Miyazaki…

[@thoughtengine]

Trouble is, I'd seen The Thing, Predator, Terminator etc. long before I ever saw Spirited Away...

[@AndrewCCleverley]

My dad would let us watch all sorts when we were young. Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Puppet Master, Critters. There's just something magical about 80s horrors. The Thing is one of the few films that genuinely scared me. I also remember being terrified of Predator when I went to bed, because I didn't understand it saw heat; I just thought it shot red things and I had red bedsheets.

[@GC13]

Now I want a video where Adam explains the differences between each version of Brazil.

[@Tetra_76]

The Thing is SO good. That scene with the dogs is incredible, it's almost overwhelmingly horrific and disgusting, to the point that you can't take your eyes off of it. I especially like how the guy with the flamethrower can't help but look in absolute awe as the Thing keeps mutating, before he comes back to his senses and burns it. Incredible how much that movie still holds up, one of my absolute favorites.

[@frankgulla2335]

Thank you, Adam, these insights into your world.

[@mikedytham9996]

I showed my daughter "Highlander" and "The Crossroads" - she loved them both.

[@MattHaleUK]

I talk about the pacing of Alien quite a lot. It's perfect. The first act is establishing them as boring space truckers with employment grievances. The second act has a similar pace. You're right there with them. Discovering as you go. The third act crescendos with the self destruct and immediately the protagonist is back to comfort again. BUT THEN... I cannot find fault with it.

[@x1984x]

If someone sat next to you at a bus stop and started describing the plot to The Thing you'd be like "I gotta get outta here..." 🤣🤣🤣

[@Bob-b7x6v]

The Chestburster Scene was epic, the Spaceballs spoof was hilarious.

[@jeromethiel4323]

I think the best physical effect ever was in "The Thing." When the doctor is trying to use the paddles, and the chest opens and bites his arms off. Amazing. Was actually done by a double amputee, and the arms were prosthetics, and they were actually bitten off (the prosthetics) to film the scene. Still sends chills up the spine.

[@DKNguyen3.1415]

That's the effect I have the most issue with it the movie because I could just not buy into the chest shattering like glass like that.

[@DKNguyen3.1415]

I rewatched it and funny how memory works but I guess the way the chest suddenly vanishes combined with the presence of triangles (teeth) registered in my brain as the way something brittle suddenly gives way and shatters into shards.

[@jeromethiel4323]

@@DKNguyen3.1415 I always saw it as opening suddenly, like a mouth with teeth. Which then chomped the arms off. But it's been a while since i have seen the movie too. And you are 100% correct in that memory plays tricks on you. ^-^

[@mmmichelin1]

I wasn’t sick of the “tosses to membership” until you started asking me if I was sick of them.

[@Epic501]

Only saw Brazil recently and it's immediately one of my favourite films

[@thork6974]

I nominate the truck on the suspension bridge swaying over the raging river in SORCERER. Watching it, all you can think is "they're gonna die" and yet it was entirely a controlled effect, including the torrent of water.

[@ruffus910]

"You could show me 15 seconds of Brazil and I can tell you what cut it is" sounds like a myth that needs busting.

[@hanslain9729]

John Wick was that movie for me. I waited a while to show my kids because it is an intense movie but when they were 12 and 14 we watched it. After the dog was killed, my younger son said he didn't want to watch the movie. I pleaded with him and told him give it 5 minutes and I promise you will enjoy it. He was frustrated that a dog died. That movie takes a hard turn in showing who John Wick has the potential to be... The ass whooping scene that happens at his house after his dog dies... my kids were psyched calling it out like they were watching a fortnite game. Headshot body shot yada yada yada. That scene as payback was satisfying for them to watch. They really enjoyed that movie. Cinderella Man with another that my younger son very much enjoyed. Both those movies are in my top 10 list.

[@user-zp4ge3yp2o]

My favourite detail about the dog scene is when Clark sees the ahape in the darkness and there's a shot of the tentacles slithering through the open door, which he kicks closed onto then. They curl up and retract in pain and it's really convincing.

[@hyperverbal]

I'm proud of my son Henry for doing stuff like this too❤

[@cresswga]

The clouds in Brazil were actually a smoke machine that they wafted around. The reason the camera was over cranked was so that the clouds would look natural when played back regular speed.

[@DataRew]

What an amazing series of great filmographic takes!

[@miyahollands6136]

my best "in-camera" shot would have to be a scene in Aliens. yes, there's a ton of in-camera effects going on throughout the film, including mirrors, miniatures, lighting, shots being played in reverse, etc. but, the effect that stands out. as the best, would have to be the effect of misdirection towards the end. the scene, where Ripley has opened the outer loading bay hatch, and Newt is being sucked towards the opening. Bishop reaches out to save her. But in doing so, the fake torso lifts up to reveal the real body in a hole in the floor. it's the best because, even though it fails as an effect, no one sees it due to your focus is on Newt. this failed effect wasn't even seen on the big screen either, and still holds up today - unless you read this post and then rewatch this scene, without allowing the misdirection to influence your viewing experience. then you'll see the effect that was prominent on the screen all this time! P.S. the original chest burster scene from Alien was a total surprise for all but one of the cast - but not the crew. they were told that he was going to choke on this food only and nothing about what the scene was really about. hence the surprised looks

[@beermonger1]

My mother took me and my three year old brother to see Jaws in the summer of '75 at the Westhampton theater. Mom freaked out and ran off to the lobby before Chrissie Watkins even reached the buoy. Much like Crissie, mom was nowhere near a screen for the next 2hrs and 6min either. Is leaving a six year old in charge of a three year old, in front of a movie like that, in a town that basically looked like Amity, and at a matinée no less, considered 'getting it right'? I mean technically it hit me differently than it hit her ...

[@Eremon1]

The Thing is a classic. It's strange, however, as I didn't really care for it when I was a kid. But as an adult I can really appreciate the efforts put into that film. Also classic Kurt Russel, just after his Disney days and Snake Plissken portrayal. Good times.

[@daleseibert9454]

Brazil is one of my favorites. I really like your videos!

[@clayfoster8234]

The thing is a criminally underappreciated film.

[@Jackalgirl]

Me and the Next Generation, watching "Alien", at night. Kid: "...can we finish watching this tomorrow? It's too...moist."

[@oldbearbrian]

I wish I had been able to show my son more movies that would bring joy to him; as is, he rarely liked sitting for a movie. At least I've seen him opening up some; during a recent visit to help him with projects on his new house purchase, he was enjoying Deadpool.

[@ArtCOOL777]

Well, for people with a photography background like me, everything is immediately clear and within 50 seconds of viewing pictures of style and post-production. All movies are great

[@Elwaves2925]

Central Services might be my favourite fictional company. They've stuck with me for some reason and I even printed their logo on a t-shirt a long while back. I hope Adam has a set of their overalls somewhere. It would be cool to see him in them one day but not mention or reference the overalls once.

[@Number_055]

On the topic of getting started on your own effects, Door Monster has a great VFX breakdown playlist that shows tricks that they've used over the years to create passable effects (mostly digital, but some practical) with really no budget. They're probably the brokest sketch channel on youtube and that's saying something, yet they still manage good looking SFX.

[@osirisatot19]

I agree about how The Thing has the best practical effects put to film; just incredible.

[@randycarter2001]

A couple of the shots in "Independence Day" were actually done on a PC. The trick is to get noticed by people who need the services you can provide in SFX.

[@keithjasperson9152]

I see the Dino head in the back there. What happened to the raptor costume build? It was ongoing, then just disappeared.

[@booper634]

brazil is one of if not my favorite movies. such a beautiful and beautifully done movie, every frame could stand as its own image in a gallery. i remember my mom showing it to me, very fond memory. another favorite practically done movie is 2001 a space odyssey. time bandits is also up there for me :)

[@kurtdewittphoto]

Kinda surprised about picking Brazil over Baron Munchausen. The whole movie is like those dream sequences in Brazil.