Computer-generated graphics (CG) have revolutionized what filmmakers can do these days. It seems the only limit is your imagination (and budget), because there are no practical challenges you need to overcome.
Yet before CG was a thing, or at least advanced enough to play a major role in a movie, we had films that defied the imagination and brought places, people, and creatures to life using nothing but practical artistry. If you feel there’s something missing with glossy, modern CG, then any one of these films will work as a strong palate cleanser.
This list is in no particular order. Every movie here is a banger in its own right, as the kids like to say.
1982
Runtime
1 hour 49 minutes
If there is such a thing as a perfect movie, then John Carpenter’sThe Thingis pretty close to it. The story, the pacing, the acting, it all comes together. A remake of 1951’sThe Thing From Another World, this movie’s greatest strength is its creature effects.
The titular Thing is a beast of infinite horrors, and the imaginative ways Rob Bottin and his team designed and animated the alien in its various forms have never been surpassed. The modern prequel to this film tried to replicate the presence of the creatures in the 1982 film using CG, and failed miserably.
1968
2 hours 29 minutes
2001: A Space Odysseycame out the year before the Moon landings, and I guess people must have thought the visual effects were out of this world, because a long-standing conspiracy theory is that the landings were faked with the help of Stanley Kubrick. Of course, this is entirely possible, but Kubrick being Kubrick, he probably insisted they film on location.
All joked aside, this movie holds up perfectly more than half a century later. The use of detailed models, multiple exposures of the same film to optically composite elements, and ingenious tricks to fake zero gravity or create the trippy visions seen by the protagonist near the end of the film represent a long list of technical solutions that lesser creators would have given up on.
It’s also perhapsthequintessential cautionary story about the dangers of artificial intelligence, which is amazing considering that when this film came out the most powerful computer in the world was nothing more than a glorified pocket calculator.
2001: A Space Odyssey
A movie so good, it convinced people that Kubrick helped fake the moon landings.
1977
2 hours 1 minute
Of course, there probably isn’t a person in the world who hasn’t heard ofStar Wars, but despite how massive the franchise has become, we can still appreciate the monumental visual effects achievement the first film was at the time.
This is the beginning of Industrial Light and Magic. It’s the first time such dynamic space battles were made possible thanks to brilliant camera and miniature work. The dirty and lived-in look of the world was also a big break from what space and sci-fi movies looked like before. Not a frame of this film goes by without some amazing practical artistry on display.
It might seem a little quaint now, but it’s still entirely possible to forget that you’re looking at special effects, and just immerse yourself in this world. Now, technically there are some computer graphics in this movie. Specifically, the wireframe 3D graphics you see on some computer displays in the movie, but the actual visual effects are all practical.
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
The original Star Wars film still holds up after all these years—and after all George’s fiddling.
1 hour 57 minutes
Blade Runnereffectively established what a cyberpunk film should look like on screen. The work was done with miniatures, and amazing in-camera effects (such as the flames coming from industrial chimneys.
This film is dripping with atmosphere and style from every pore, and the world feels real and grounded, despite being cobbled together from miniatures and sound stages.
Interestingly, after visiting the set ofBlade Runnerfor a few days, Ed Neumeier was inspired by what he saw to createRobocop(as per our friends atCollider), another film you’ll find further down this list.
Blade Runner
One of the most important films in history, from the visual language, to the acting, to the deeply philosophical story. Also Pris does some sick flips.
1981
1 hours 37 minutes
As a movie, I personally prefer the later sequel, butAn American Werewolf in Londonstill has the greatest werewolf transformation scene in history. Sure you could go look up just this one pivotal scene on YouTube, but it’s within the context of the movie as a whole where it has the greatest impact.
Rich Baker and his team are firing on all cylinders for the entire run of this film, and while the effects are sparing, when you see the creatures (or the undead victims) you’re able to’t help but admire the twisted minds that spend thousands of hours painstakingly inserting every stand of fur or line of detail just to scare you for a few minutes.
An American Werewolf in London
This classic horror film still has, hands-down, the best on-screen werewolf transformation of all time.
1979
The visual language and design ofAlienhas become both iconic and timeless. The look and feel of Alien comes from two main artists. Ron Cobb’s designs are largely responsible for the technology we see, such as the human spaceships and ship interiors, while H.R. Giger was responsible for the alien and its organic accessories, like the eggs and the facehugger.
The gritty, realistic depiction of space truckers picking up a load they should have declined still looks amazing, and even the modern films have strived to preserve the look of this universe rather than misguided attempts at “updating” it.
Alien
The original space horror that set a major franchise in motion.
1 hour 35 minutes
While Jim Henson is mainly known for his family-friendly Muppets, he wasn’t averse to more mature fare.The Dark Crystalisn’t suitable for younger viewers, but it is a wonderful, beautifully-crafted dark fantasy tale. The conflict between the alien, but gentle Gelflings and the horrible vulture-like Skeksis play out in the form of puppetry on hand-crafted stages, but you’ll quickly forget that you’re watching a puppet show and believe that these characters are real.
The Dark Crystal
Jim Henson and Frank Oz catch lightning in a bottle with one of the greatest dark fantasy films every made—with puppets!
1987
1 hour 42 minutes
Robocopis one of my favorite movies of all time, and I can literally spend hours talking about the themes, the satire, the cinematography, and all the behind-the-scenes shenanigans, but the visual effects alone would make it stand out from the crowd.
That iridescent plastic suit is completely believable as a heavy metal cyborg body. The facial makeup on Peter Weller completely convince you that this isn’t a human you’re looking at. Everything related to Robocop himself is visually flawless. I certainly think it looks better than the suit in the remake!
Apart from Robo’s fabulous effects, the blood and gore is next-level (though take the R-rating seriously!) and Phil Tippet’s stop-motion work with the ED-209 is top-tier to this day. The only black mark here are Dick Jones' weirdly long arms in the final sequence of the film, but we don’t talk about that.
Robocop
The greatest sci-fi satire ever made, and still a great story at its core. Watch this now or there will be…trouble.
1984
1 hour 47 minutes
The Terminatoris one of those rare indie movies (yes it was self-financed) that punches so far above its weight most people think of it as a big studio blockbuster. However, this film had almost no money, and often needed to be shot in ways that are legally dubious,thanks to a lack of permits.
Despite this, Stan Winston’s and his team manages to create a groundbreaking mix of rear projection composition, miniatures, puppets, prosthetics, and stop-motion for what’s really just a slasher film with a smart premise.
It’s also interesting thatThe TerminatorandTerminator 2: Judgement Dayneatly lay on either side of the CG and non-CG divide, as the second film was the first truly major box office success that relied heavily on computer effects for the T-1000.
I recently re-watchedThe Terminatorin the cinema, and it absolutely holds up and is not one inch less tense than it was the day it released.
The Terminator
A time-travel slasher film that skyrocketed the careers of several superstars and launched a franchise that, like a Terminator, just won’t die.
I wish this list could be so much longer. It would let me add more films likeThe Wizard of OzorConan the Barbarian. The 20th century is filled with wonderful movies that use practical artistry and in-camera optical effects to craft unforgettable worlds and characters. Ones with weight and substance that are more believable than much of the early CG effects we saw in the 90s and 2000s.
Today, filmmakers are using the best of both worlds, combining practical and CG effects to truly elevate what’s possible in films likeBlade Runner 2049andDune. For someone who loves movie effects, that’s good news all around!
