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Dennis Muren makes no difference between building
monsters or vehicles: in fact he did introduce the massive use of Computer
Graphic Images. To say the truth, Muren has been the first to achieve notable results, but he was not exactly the beginner. In 1983 was released Walt disney’s “Tron”, which even took place into a computer… obviously it was filled with digital imagery, and also if it was clear that images were artificial, for that particular story they were simply perfect… In 1984 was released Nick Castle’s “Starfighter”, which used digital images instead of spaceships miniatures. The result was interesting, but images really look too artificial, and this solution was not used again for a long time. But experiments went on. Disney productions again used computer for animations in the cartoon movie “The little mermaid” in 1989. In the same year, in James Cameron’s “The abyss” a strange flood of water |
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appeared, animated by Dennis Muren with computer’s help. But the turning point was “Terminator 2”, too directed by Cameron: while Stan Winston operated the “T-800/Schwarzenegger”, Muren created the incredible “T-1000” which could change its shape, pass under closed doors, become a sort of “blob” and more else. Then the CGI opportunities became clear, and “Jurassic park” was made. Miniatures of the dinosaurs were built, but for a new purpose: to take images from them by any angle using the computer, in order to have a tri-dimensional image. A serie of reference points had been taken, allowing the image to do any kind of movement. And there began the |
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the new era of science fiction cinema. But this was not necessarily an improvement: in fact, the ability to obtain any kind of image or effect looks to have killed the fantasy and imagination of writers and directors. It looks as if nobody has urge to write interesting and charming stories, as if special effects could make a good film by themselves. The new “Star Wars” trilogy, for exemple, is quite disappointing if compared with the classic one, more rough but, on the other hand, mopre entertaining. Maybe Peter Jackson has made a more clever use of the new technology: he picked up good stories like “The lord of the rings” or “King Kong”, surely not original but |
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always good anyway. Filmography 1977: Star Wars 1978: Battlestar Galactica (TV) 1982: E.T. 1983: Return of the Jedi 1984: Indiana Jones and the temple of doom 1985: Young Sherlock Holmes (Piramide di paura) 1987: Innerspace (Salto nel buio) 1988: Willow 1989: Ghostbusters II |
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1989: The Abyss 1991: Terminator 2 1993: Jurassic Park 1995: Casper 1996: Mission Impossible 1997: The lost world 1999: The phantom menace 2001: Artificial intelligence AI 2002: Attack of the clones 2003: Hulk 2005: War of the worlds |
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