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Top 50 VFX Movies
The Visual Effects Society publishes its list of top 50 most influential visual effects movies of all time
A few weeks ago, myself and the other 1500 members of the Visual Effects Society voted on a survey to determine the 50 most influential movies from a visual effects point of view. Each of us was asked to pick our favorite 50 from a list of 400 visual effects driven movies, from Mary, Queen of Scots filmed in 1895 to the latest crop of 2006 including Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and a few others.
We’re thrilled to present VES 50. These films have had a significant, lasting impact on the practice and appreciation of visual effects as an integral, artistic element of cinematic expression and the storytelling process. We are equally thrilled about the programs that follow this theme and the industry’s living legends we have participating in them. - Eric Roth, VES Executive Director.
I don't think that it will come as a big surprise to learn that the original Star Wars (1977) came in first position, since this is the film that made so many of us want to create visual effects in the first place.
Interestingly enough, the original King Kong (1933) rather than its recent remake came in 7th place, but even more telling is the fact that there are two films in 3rd position, 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Matrix. The complete Top 50 list actually contains 58 feature films, and the fact that we couldn't somehow cut it down to 50 might explain something about the VFX industry. See the full list after the break.
THE VES 50 (Bold indicates a tie score)
1. Star Wars (1977)
2. Blade Runner (1982)
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
3. The Matrix (1999)
5. Jurassic Park (1993)
6. Tron (1982)
7. King Kong (1933)
8. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
9. Alien (1979)
10. The Abyss (1989)
11. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
12. Metropolis (1927)
13. A Trip to the Moon (1902)
14. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
15. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
16. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
17. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
18. Titanic (1997)
19. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
20. Jason and the Argonauts (1963)
20. E.T. the Extraterrestrial (1982)
22. Toy Story (1995)
23. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
24. The Ten Commandments (1956)
25. The War of the Worlds (1953)
25. Forrest Gump (1994)
25. Citizen Kane (1941)
25 The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad (1958)
25. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
30. The Terminator (1984)
31. Aliens (1986)
32. Mary Poppins (1964)
33. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
34. Forbidden Planet (1956) 35. Babe (1995)
36. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
36. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
38. King Kong (2005)
39. Planet of the Apes (1968)
40. Fantastic Voyage (1966)
41. Jaws (1975)
41. Ghostbusters (1984)
43. Sin City (2005)
44. Superman: The Movie (1978)
45. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
46. The Lost World (1925)
46. Return of the Jedi (1983)
48. What Dreams May Come (1998)
49. An American Werewolf in London (1981)
50. Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1958)
50. The Fifth Element (1997)
One thing to keep in mind is that we are talking about visual effects (VFX) which means manipulations of the image, first in camera (George Melies' From The Earth To The Moon being an early example ) then later using optical printers then digital techniques. This is different from special effects SFX, which the field of practical effects happening on stage, aka Blowing Shit Up.
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