FINAL GIRL explores the slasher flicks of the '70s and '80s...and all the other horror movies I feel like talking about, too. This is life on the EDGE, so beware yon spoilers!

Jun 16, 2008

RIP Stan Winston

What a total shock: FX guru Stan Winston died yesterday as a result of multiple myeloma. I had no idea that he was ill, never mind that he'd been battling it for seven years. I had the pleasure of meeting him last August during the Skinwalkers press junket and he was exactly as any fan would hope him to be: jovial and talkative. It was obvious even from spending a short amount of time with him that he was not only a true movie lover, but also someone who clearly loved what he did with his life. He was enthusiastic about continuing to work in practical FX, he was jazzed about his latest work, and if it weren't for the damn publicists hurrying him up he probably would have yakked all night.

His accomplishments in film are incredibly impressive, his contributions to the horror and sci fi genres are nothing short of astonishing, and he's largely responsible for the magic behind some of my favorite films: Terminator 2, Aliens, Wrong Turn, Pumpkinhead...the list goes on and on. The man made everything from dinosaurs to alien queens to superheroes come alive on screen. Watching a film Stan Winston had a hand in creating is almost like becoming a child again- you're transported to another world that looks and feels completely real; it's the very essence of escapist entertainment. To say he will be missed is a gross understatement. Thanks for all the fun, Stan.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, that's sad. I had no idea he was ill. As you say, he was a giant in the field, along with Rick Baker, one of the biggest since Harryhausen. And, of course, he did the makeup on Zoltan, Hound of Dracula.

I see a Friday poster tribute, or perhaps a special review of Dr. Black & Mr. Hyde?

Requiescat in pace.

NintendoThumb said...

A close friend of mine, Chris, was a roommate of Stan Winston at UVA. His dad also said that he was a great guy and very funny as well. What a great loss to the movie world.

kindertrauma said...

Terrible news. He can never be replaced.

Anonymous said...

Very sad news. He was an amazing artist.

Anonymous said...

Stan Winston made and directed Pumpkinhead! More importantly to me he did such genius work on Dead & Buried... he'll be missed... when he was starting out he was already at the top of his game and he went on to raise the standards for the whole industry...

Anonymous said...

That is really sad to hear. Stan's work was fantastic and I know I'll miss his contribution...

Rot said...

Terrible news.
I worshipped this man.
Growing up I would tell people I wanted to be Stan Winston.
I was proud to produce a list of the films that this guy "enhanced."

Damn.

Anonymous said...

Genius.
With someone so great at practical effects, I hope the folks that would usually go to Stan won't just run to CGI now. He gave bang for the buck work & most flicks with his involvement were usually good shows.

He was as proud of Wrong Turn as he was of T2 or whatever, so huge tip of the hat there.

Cheers.

Anonymous said...

We love you, Stan. I know you're creating awesome monsters in that FX workshop in the sky.