Note: We’re full steam ahead on Collider’s Halloween month! This week is all about movie monsters. In the spirit of the monster mash took a look at thebest monstersin movie history, thebest vampire movies, best zombie movies, best werewolf movies, and a fewevil doll moviesthat are actually scary. Today, we’re wrapping up monster week with a look at one of the effects artists who set the standard for bringing believable monsters to life on screen.
When it comes to practical monster effects,Rick Bakeris still the guy who set the standard. Horror has long been the premier destination for stunning practical effects work, dating back to the Universal monster movies, which made fantastical nightmares come to life on screen without the tools, materials, and technological advancements that have developed in the near-century since.
Over the decades, artists have expanded and advanced horror effects to staggering heights. In addition to his iconic work onManiacandFriday the 13th,Tom Saviniset bloody the standard for zombie movies in his grotesquely gorgeous collaborations withGeorge Romero, a tradition that’s honored weekly onThe Walking DeadbyGreg Nicotero(who got his start in the industry as Savini’s assistant onDay of the Dead.)Rob Bottintopped his previous collaborations withJoe DanteandJohn Carpenterwith the early 80s double whammy ofThe HowlingandThe Thing, both of which pushed the envelope of technical invention in the effects sphere. And of course, there’s the legendaryDick Smithwho added his flourish for otherworldy nightmares to the era withThe ExorcistandScanners.
But if you want big beastly monsters or critters from across the universe, it’s hard to beat Baker, who changed the industry landscape in 1981 withJohn Landis’An American Werewolf in London, which earned the first ever Oscar for makeup in 1982.
These brilliant effects artisans were a driving force in the horror industry and during their reign, horror fans were equally as excited to see the latest film from their favorite FX guru as they were to see the latest from their favorite director. “[Effects] were the stars of the movies,” Savini once said. “When you watchedFriday the 13th, you really didn’t remember anybody that was in the movie. You just remembered the great kills.”
Unfortunately, the industry underwent significant shifts in recent decades with the rise of VFX, which can be melded with practical effects to create even more polished visuals, but are too often used as a paint job in lieu of old-school effects. That’s the climate that led Baker to retire in 2015. “I like to do things right, and they wanted cheap and fast,” he explained at the time. So with monster week coming to close, let’s take a look at some of the amazing creatures he designed before he left the industry behind.
Baker’s done plenty of impressive makeup work outside of the realm of creature horror. He concocted the skin-crawling images of the new flesh in Videodrome, transformedEddie MurphyinNorbit, and then there’sRobert Downey Jr.’s unconventional, eyebrow-raising transformation inTropic Thunder. And lucky for us, Baker may have tired of the film industry, but he never abandoned his craft, and he regularly serves up new designs and expertly wrought tributes on his social media, including a fantastic update on a classicTwilight Zoneepisode and a gruesome interpretation of The Joker. I can’t wait to see what the Baker family gets up to for Halloween this year. He also left moviemaking behind with an exceptional catalogue of creature creations, so let’s take a look at some of the best below, from his groundbreaking work onAn American Werewolf in Londonto some of his lesser-known creations.
Chucky the Alien - Men in Black
The alien effects inBarry Sonnenfeld’sMen in Blackare an otherworldly delight. They’re certainly not spooky, but they’re inventive, colorful and creative to boot. But Chucky, the little alien man inside a human head is one of the most unforgettable. Cute to boot and utterly convincing despite is cartoonish proportions.Men in Blackmay be best remembered for it’s A-list leads and charismatic scripts but Baker’s effects work is an instrumental player in creating that charm.
The Wolfman
Baker reunited with furry, wolfish creature designs multiple times throughout his career, but his work onThe Wolfmandidn’t get nearly enough praise. Perhaps it’s because the film itself was largely derided (also somewhat unfairly), but revisit theJoe Johnstonreimagining of the classic tale and you’ll see the film itself is plenty of fun, but Baker’s work is on another level.
Bela Lugosi - Ed Wood
Ok soBela Lugosiisn’t a creature, but he’s the man behind one of the longest enduring cinematic monsters of all time and Baker got a little bit meta by recreating his iconic visage forTim Burton’sEd Wood. It’s hard enough to design monsters, but to recreate one of the most famous faces of all time is a trick on a whole other level. Of course, Baker pulled it off, transformingMartin Landau(who has a rather distinct and famous face of his own, mind you) into the spitting image of the classic movie star.
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Baker re-teamed with hisAn American Werewolf in Londondirector forMichael Jackson’s beloved Halloween essential music video,Thriller. The effects are just as stunning as you would expect form the duo, and ten times more impressive than you’d expect from a music video. Thriller is basically a short film – with a film within a film, no less. There’s a werewolf and countless gorgeous, grisly ghouls to give you nightmares, each with their own flourish of personality and decrepit designs. It’s arguably the best music video of all time, and Baker’s effects are no small component in the magic of the Halloween classic.
The Werewolf & Jack Goodman - An American Werewolf in London
And of course, this is the big one. Baker’s iconic work on Landis' film changed the game for monster effects when it won the first ever Oscar for makeup work. That’s a stunning accomplishment in its own right and a major moment in cinema history, but it’s even more impressive for a horror film – a genre traditionally ignored by prestige awards. But there’s no denying Baker’s work is deserving. His werewolf transformation has still yet to be rivaled, and his gore effects on the haunting visage of Jack Goodman stand the test of time just as beautifully.
