The Abyss (1989)
The Effect: Oil rig designer Lindsay Brigman (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) comes face-to-tentacle with an alien pseudopod.
Why So Impressive: A breakthrough in computer-generated imagery, as Cameron decided to push the boundaries of digital technology rather than using more traditional animation techniques.
Geek Fact: It took six months to produce only 75 seconds of CGI footage, which pushed back the film’s original release date.
Titanic (1997)
The Effect: Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet) hang on as the RMS Titanic breaks into two.
Why So Impressive: State-of-the-art practical effects (a tilting set) merge with digital stuntmen, water and smoke.
Geek Fact: Some things are unfakeable. 19,000,000 litres of real water was used during the shoot.
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (2008)
The Effect: Benjamin Button is born an old man and ‘ages’ in reverse until he’s a baby. Yet he always looks like Brad Pitt.
Why So Impressive: David Fincher used a groundbreaking camera known as ‘Contour’ that tracked his facial movements in three dimensions for convincing digital superimposition of his features.
Geek Fact: The FX team estimates that as much as 52 minutes of the film isn’t really Brad but his digital Doppelganger.
Alien (1979)
The Effect: Kane (John Hurt) is enjoying his dinner when he starts to get stomach cramps. And then… splat!
Why So Impressive: To be fair, all of H.R. Giger’s alien designs are a superbly co-ordinated xenomorph life cycle, but it’s the invasive, otherworldly arrival of the chestburster that wins out.
Geek Fact: H.R. Giger based the design on a Francis Bacon painting, Three Studies For Figures At The Base Of A Crucifixion .
Tron (1982)
The Effect: Flynn (Jeff Bridges) is forced to participate in gladiatorial Light Cycle matches inside a computer mainframe.
Why So Impressive: Steven Lisberger saw a digital future, and brought together computer animation pioneers with conceptual artists like Syd Mead and Jean Giraud to create it.
Geek Fact: Each disc used to store data only had 330MB of memory, a fraction of an iPhone today.
Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)
The Effect: The Ark of the Covenant is opened, and SS agent Toht (Ronald Lacey) melts to death.
Why So Impressive: One of the most horrific effects ever seen in a PG film, you could do it in your bedroom with a gelatine and plaster model and a heat lamp.
Geek Fact: In reality, the melting takes a while, so the effect needs the time-lapse effect of an under-cranked camera.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)
The Effect: Hollywood humans interact with the animated inhabitants of Toon Town.
Why So Impressive: An old technique – see Mary Poppins – makes a modern makeover, as computer techniques enabled 'toons to have convincing shadows.
Geek Fact: Charles Fleischer, the voice of Roger Rabbit, donned a man-sized bunny outfit on set to get into character.
Inception (2010)
The Effect: Inside Robert Fischer’s (Cillian Murphy) dream to plant inception, Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) gets in a tangle with Fischer’s militarised subconscious in a spinning hotel corridor.
Why So Impressive: ‘Effects’ are debatable. This was mostly achieved in-camera using a huge set that could rotate 360 degrees.
Geek Fact: Nolan got carried away by the possibilities of the scene, extending the planned 12m long set to a longer 30m.
Blade Runner (1982)
The Effect: Flying cars – known as spinners – cross the skyline of Los Angeles, 2019.
Why So Impressive: Based on Ridley Scott’s memories of the industrial North-East and “Hong Kong on a bad day,” the neon inferno creation by Syd Mead pushed contemporary design into a plausible future.
Geek Fact: The story’s author Philip K. Dick died before release, but was impressed by a twenty-minute special effects reel shown to him during pre-production.
An American Werewolf In London (1981)
The Effect: It’s a full moon, and David (David Naughton) finally realises the significance of that wolf bite he received on the Yorkshire Moors.
Why So Impressive: Rick Baker went to painstaking efforts to figure out, anatomically, how a man might become a werewolf. John Landis rewarded him by shooting the scene in bright light.
Geek Fact: AMPAS was so impressed they invented a new Oscar category – Outstanding Achievement in Make-Up – just for Baker.
There's a new Mummy movie on the way from the director of Evil Dead Rise and I just want to know if Blumhouse has called Brendan Fraser yet
Marvel Rivals made Jeff the Land Shark so stinkin' adorable that the MCU is bringing him on as an official hero: "We're all Jeff fans around here. Man is he fun to play"
