Comments (20)

• He was a real artist in the field of cinematic illusion, and I must offer my sympathy to his family and friends for this terrible loss.

  Comment by Furious D — Monday June 16, 2008 @ 12:06pm PST  Reply to this post

• If anyone wants to know how much Stan will be missed just go see how phony the new Hulk looks like and at 20 times the price that Stan would have done. The last of a breed. RIP

  Comment by blackball gavin — Monday June 16, 2008 @ 12:18pm PST  Reply to this post

• A true legend of his craft. RIP. He and his family will be in my thoughts today.

  Comment by Jamieson McGonigle — Monday June 16, 2008 @ 12:18pm PST  Reply to this post

• Hello Nikki,

  I check out ‘Deadline Hollywood Daily’ every day, sometimes every other hour. I’m that hooked.

  So it was with great shock that I saw this morning’s headline.

  I’m been an admirer of Mr. Winston’s work, ever since Terminator.

  He is an invaluable loss to the filmmaking community, not just in Hollywood, but around the world. He will be greatly missed.

  Comment by Mark — Monday June 16, 2008 @ 12:26pm PST  Reply to this post

• Stan was the first practical FX guy to get into mixing nuts-and-bolts FX with CGI work. As opposed to nearly every other effects house, he knew how to utilize computers to enhance and make the practical work come to life. His legacy lives on through companies like KNB and Amalgamated Dynamics whose principals were mentored by him.

  He was one of the few guys when, growing up and reading “Fangoria” magazine, you said “I want to be THAT guy” (along with Rick Baker, Rob Bottin and Tom Savini). Who’s going to say that about the pixel-pushing desk-jockeys — with the notable exception of Phil Tippett — who make up most creature FX houses these days?

  A sad day.

  Comment by Jack Burton — Monday June 16, 2008 @ 1:05pm PST  Reply to this post

• One of my most memorable film experiences was seeing Jurassic Park at the local theater. That first shot of the jeeps stopping to look at the Brontosauruses is one those great cinematic moments. Winston was a true legend. The kind of genius whom Spielberg often took too much credit for.

  RIP Mr. Winston. Your work will never be forgotten.

  Comment by 40yearoldstitzer — Monday June 16, 2008 @ 1:13pm PST  Reply to this post

• Another one of the Old Guard gone.

  What remains are a pack of kids who, taken away from their network of PCs and Macs, and tasked with a spfx assignment, could answer only with, “I don’t know how!”

  >>>see how phony the new Hulk looks

  They needn’t spend good money to see the movie. Seeing the trailer is enough to tell it looks like a videogame character. That’s no compliment, either.

  Comment by Mike Cane — Monday June 16, 2008 @ 1:17pm PST  Reply to this post

• I was so saddened to hear this news, I work in SFX in the movie industry and it was Stan Winston that made me want to be the person i am, he was a true talent and he touched my life so much, he will be missed

  Comment by Amanda — Monday June 16, 2008 @ 1:24pm PST  Reply to this post

• I had the pleasure of working with Stan several times as a guest on “Hollywood’s Master Storytellers,” when he came to talk about some of the movies he worked on including ALIENS and JURASSIC PARK.

  He was always a joy to work with – a genuinely nice man whose passion both for his own role in the creative process and for great storytelling always came through in our conversations.

  I join the legions of his fans, friends and colleagues who will miss him, while being grateful for the legacy he leaves behind.

  Comment by Gordon Meyer — Monday June 16, 2008 @ 1:48pm PST  Reply to this post

• Stan Winston’s work was filled with heart, not ones and zeros.

  Comment by Santayana — Monday June 16, 2008 @ 2:02pm PST  Reply to this post

• Stan was a wonderful and talented man. He will be missed.

  Comment by PAUL — Monday June 16, 2008 @ 3:50pm PST  Reply to this post

• Stan worked closely with my parents for a long while…

  He always said hello to me with a smile.

  Comment by DGA BTL — Monday June 16, 2008 @ 3:52pm PST  Reply to this post

• Had the honor of actually meeting him once at our offices. What a sweet and funny guy … he will be missed.

  Comment by Doogie Howser — Monday June 16, 2008 @ 4:10pm PST  Reply to this post

• RIP. Such a shame that true special FX has mostly been replaced by CGI. I recently watched Spidey 3 and during all the furious-paced, CGI work and fight scenes, all I could do was *sigh*.

  Movies will never be hat they used to be.

  Comment by Michael Dobrofsky — Monday June 16, 2008 @ 4:43pm PST  Reply to this post

• I met Stan Winston once, about ten or eleven years ago. I got to tag along with my boss at the time who was putting together a movie package, and we visited his studio. I didn’t hear a thing my boss had to say for an hour as I walked around in amazement at all the… well, everything.

  My boss was really pissed at me towards the end – I didn’t take any notes or follow him around well enough to make him look important. And Stan… he gave me The Finger.

  I still have The Finger in a box in my desk. It was a little cast-off robotic part from some part that was destined to be in some movie. I have no idea what. The Finger looks perfectly fine to me to this day, but Stan said he was going to throw it out because it wasn’t good enough, but it was okay if I took it.

  I got fired a few weeks later, the second time of many times I’d been fired in this business.

  But I didn’t give my old boss The Finger.

  Comment by SeeBoyRun — Monday June 16, 2008 @ 5:26pm PST  Reply to this post

• Stan W. made sfx real cool before there were computers doing it. He clearly is a grandfather of that biz and his influence is still felt today. He is one of the few people in this town who will truly leave a lasting legacy.

  Comment by Fishorama — Monday June 16, 2008 @ 5:37pm PST  Reply to this post

• A true legend indeed. He will be missed so dearly

  God bless his soul

  Comment by Armand — Monday June 16, 2008 @ 11:05pm PST  Reply to this post

• I met with Stan years ago at his office/studio too, and he was such a sweet man.

  It’s not perfect but I’m a fan of his directing debut, the horror movie “Pumpkinhead”. Very cool monster. Check it out.

  Comment by Cilla — Tuesday June 17, 2008 @ 5:29am PST  Reply to this post

• rip stan

  Comment by edd — Tuesday June 17, 2008 @ 6:47am PST  Reply to this post

• …thanks for the great memories Mr. Winston & R.I.P.

  two of my fav movies on the following list, The Thing & now Iron Man. Not many can claim to be creating NEW & DIFFERENT works of cinematic excellence, over so long a period.

  a sample of his more notable films & accomplishments:

  Academy Awards
  1982: Oscar Nomination For Best Makeup: Heartbeeps
  1987: Won Oscar For Best Visual Effects: Aliens
  1988: Oscar Nomination For Best Visual Effects: Predator
  1991: Oscar Nomination For Best Makeup: Edward Scissorhands
  1992: Won 2 Oscars – Best Visual Effects & Best Makeup: Terminator 2: Judgment Day
  1993: Oscar Nomination For Best Makeup: Batman Returns
  1994: Won Oscar For Best Visual Effects: Jurassic Park
  1998: Oscar Nomination For Best Visual Effects: The Lost World: Jurassic Park
  2002: Oscar Nomination For Best Visual Effects: A.I.

  Notable films
  Heartbeeps (1981)
  The Thing (1982)
  Friday the 13th Part III (1983)
  The Terminator (1984)
  Aliens (1986)
  The Monster Squad (1987)
  Predator (1987)
  Leviathan (1988)
  Pumpkinhead (1989)
  Edward Scissorhands (1990)
  Predator 2 (1990)
  The Flash (TV series) (1990)
  Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
  Batman Returns (1992)
  Jurassic Park (1993)
  Interview with the Vampire (1994)
  Congo (1995)
  The Island of Doctor Moreau (1996)
  T2 3-D: Battle Across Time (1996)
  Ghosts (1997)
  The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
  Small Soldiers (1998)
  Lake Placid (1999)
  End of Days (1999)
  Pearl Harbor (2001)
  A.I. (2001)
  Jurassic Park III (2001)
  Darkness Falls (2002)
  Big Fish (2003)
  Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
  Wrong Turn (2003)
  Constantine (2005)
  Iron Man (2008)

  Comment by lu-ee — Tuesday June 17, 2008 @ 2:58pm PST  Reply to this post