Harryhausen: The Lost Movies

Most people recognize the artistic greatness of Ray Harryhausen through his magnificent stop motion animation work. This peek behind the curtain offers us glimpses into Ray's life so it serves as a pseudo-biography but more importantly it delivers up the wonderful and intuitive imagination of the man himself! But the work is really as its subtitle says: the lost movies. Ray had many ideas and opportunities but of course due to the restraints of time, budget, and especially time he wasn't able to accomplish nearly all that he would like and so script and movie ideas had to be discarded or left behind. Gathered here are some of his and his contemporary's thoughts on these ideas with sketches, mock models, and such teasing the fans with what could have been. And it's fascinating stuff and deepens the respect of Ray's artistry, especially IMO of his sketch work. What a fantastic artist!

I had the pleasure of getting to know the late Ray Harryhausen, a very gifted artist and unassuming human being. For many of us who had been fans following his career, we would thrill to the little bits and pieces of information about planned-but-unrealized film projects he had hoped to bring to the screen. Here, in one volume, is an in-depth look at those "things that might have been." Not just a passing reference to them in the midst of an overall review of Ray's career, but a focused examination of those abandoned plans. Surprisingly, there is even a project or two listed here that has never been mentioned to the public before. And even diehard Harryhausen fans will see images that have never been shared or published until this volume. In short, author and filmmaker John Walsh has managed to bring Ray's many admirers something that will be new to them...quite a task, and quite a treat!

Any fan of Ray Harryhausen and his movies would most likely love to have this book. It covers the movies made and not made at the story behind them. So many that were never made which is too bad because they seem so worth seeing had they been brought to the screen. Loads of artwork and behind the scenes photos, many of which have never been seen by the public before.

A really cool book that looks at concepts unfinished and unused by Ray Harryhausen during his long and productive career as a stop motion special effects artist and film maker. I grew up with Harryhausen's films, and it was always a treat to see them aired on TV, or, rarely yet, to see them in the theatre.The book actually touches on some films that were completed and released, and gives some insights into how it was they came about, and how they prevented other projects from being produced.All in all it's more of an art book with the occasional essay or paragraph describing the imagery that you're viewing, than anything else. You won't get too many deep thoughtful comments from anyone writing for this book, but you will see Harryhausen's unused ideas. If you're a Harryhausen fan or enthusiast, then check out this book.

'Harryhausen: The Lost Movies' explores the many unrealised projects undertaken by the master of special effects.Delving into the archive which was left by the great man for posterity, some incredible lost treasures have been shared here. Author John Walsh has set out this book in a chronological fashion, exploring the films that Ray was never able to make, alongside famous films that he was offered or asked to work upon. There is an in-depth exploration of Harryhausen's creative talents, and it's incredible to see the amount of work which went into projects such as 'War of the Worlds' or 'Force of the Trojans'. Most of the artwork here has been newly uncovered for this book, and the publication's landscape format is perfect, with a classy layout that does justice to the wonders contained within.This book is a must for fans of Ray Harryhausen's work, or of classic cinema in general.

While it may appeal to new fans, I'm afraid that this book will come as a major disappointment for anyone who's already bought two or three of the many Harryhausen books that have now been published. The text is generally quite brief and too much space is dedicated to shows that Ray simply turned down offers to work on but was never actively involved in, such as the Giant Claw and The Empire Strikes Back. The biggest faults, however, are visual. For an art book that's not particularly large to begin with, far too much space on the pages is left blank while the images of Ray's original are often reduced to tiny images floating in a sea of white, reducing the visuals that should be the books main drawing car to the size of matchboxes. Had this book been released as a set of collectors' trading cards, the results would often have been superior. Even worse, many of the images are not even graced with descriptive text telling us what the image is or who actually drew it! This is especially annoying given that there is a lot of non-Harryhausen art sprinkled in. To be fair, there are a few pieces of art and photos that I don't recall ever seeing before, but, as a whole, this book simply fails to deliver.

The book is like a tour through his museum with John Walsh as tour guide explaining it all. His first feature length film, "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms", was released the year I was born, but the first film I remember seeing on the big screen was "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad". Enclosed within this book are ideas for films that were never realized, scenes from his famous films that didn't make the final cut, as well as films Ray was asked to work on but turned down. I just got this, and I've been through it more than once. I cannot sing praises for this book loud enough.

I wanted this book from the day it was first announced. Over the years, I have seen various articles pop up from time to time mentioning a few of the projects that Ray Harryhausen never got to produce. This book has complied these and so many more that I had no idea that even existed. The accompanying photos are great to see Ray's artwork and designs that would have graced these productions! A truly wonderful book!

I received this book today and was delighted with it. It is lavishly illustrated (the incredible pencil illustrations are detailed and large) and extremely informative. There are some concept covers from other artists here, based on Harryhausen's work (namely 'The War of the Worlds' project idea) and the intriguing vision it would have portrayed. The author has produced a fine piece of work, based on mainly Ray's film ideas that didn't quite pan-out, but of which is a historical record of a man who was quite simply a genius. The cover is beautifully presented and the book itself is attractive. It's also nice to know that it is sensibly sectioned, regarding proposed and produced films. Superb ... and congratulations to John Walsh for an insightful history. Purchase the book - it's a beauty.

I co host on a UK monster podcast called Kaiju Curry House. Recently I invited Mr John Walsh to appear as a guest for an episode. He spoke extensively about Ray Harryhausen as a personal friend of his and how John has committed his career to continuing this fine legacy.This book was recommended to me by John and it over delivers in every regard. It is an absolute steal at just £20 and is set to sell out. Please do your bit by supporting the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation and purchasing a copy. The depth of information is exquisite. You won't be disappointed. Most of all I know that buying my copy will mean that I have played a small but crucial part in the movement needed to keep Harryhausen magic alive forever.

I have been watching Ray Harryhausen movies since I was a kid. 'Earth vs The Flying Saucers', Mysterious Island, through to the Jason and The Argonauts/Sinbad etc. Even today, his work is more realistic than much of the cheaply made CGI work on television shows and some major films. I even had the privilege of seeing some of the models at an exhibition over 30 years ago. They are stunningly detailed close up and have recently been restored for an Exhibition (I recommend the Titan of Cinema book which accompanies it). But onto this book: it is the third Harryhausen book in my collection now and is a worthy addition. Ray was a great artist/visionary as well as an animator and seeing his work displayed in this way is always a joy. Some of this has never been seen before, so thank you to the author, John Walsh, for keeping the memory alive and supporting the Harryhausen Foundation.

If you know a fan of stop motion animation, film making, or science fiction - chances are they have heard of the legendary Ray Harryhausen.Ray, in many ways was ahead of his time in the areas of special effects and film making, so much so that long after he retired, the great directors and film artists will openly admit to trying to capture some of the charm, personality, and thrill of his creations.This book covers the many films and project that Ray was affiliated with that were ultimately never produced, or, at least during his lifetime. It is a fantastic behind-the-scenes journey that follows his career, his art and his imagination right up until the end. It is also written by the fantastic Mr. John Walsh, who is himself a film maker, writer and trustee of the Ray and Diane Harryhausen foundation. Mr. Walsh does a great job of making sure that the fun, interesting details, projects and art are given their proper due in this book and no amount of effort was spared in creating it.I heartily recommend this book as a gift. Or, if you are fan, I would immediately label it as an essential purchase. You cannot go wrong with it either way.

This is an excellent book, covering Ray Harryhausen's films (although not in as much depth as other works such as 'An Animated Life'), this one covers in more depth films and concepts that Ray was unable to bring to the screen. Ray's films still stand up today and his creations seem to have more life and character than today's CGI monstrosities. Out of the 'lost' films it is a shame that 'Force of the Trojans' never came to fruition and I also think that if Ray had managed to do a remake of 'King Kong' (the movie that inspired him to become an animator in the first place) then it could have been a sight to behold (although I doubt it would have eclipsed the original version - even Peter Jackson couldn't quite manage that). All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable read, some great pictures and a wonderful tribute to a true genius of cinema.