It's sad to hear that Stan Winston, a true pioneer in the special effects field, died Sunday night. Casual moviegoers might not know the name, but I'll bet a great many of them do, and to the legions of film buffs out there, Winston was pretty much the Spielberg of his particular craft. Among his many creations were the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, the Terminator exoskeleton, the Predator, the alien effects in Aliens, the effects on display in Iron Man, and countless more visual effects (see his full list of credits). I just re-watched him recently in a documentary about the making of John Carpenter's The Thing, and he seemed so impassioned, creative and gracious to his peers (most of The Thing's effects were the product of Rob Bottin's fevered imagination, but Winston added his unique touch to a memorable alien/dog attack sequence), it's hard to believe that the 62 year-old is no longer with us, adding his magic to the most memorable genre movies around. Like filmmaker Syndey Pollack who died a few weeks ago (and as well, newsman Tim Russert who passed away at 58 last Friday), Winston is a giant whose legacy won't be replicated. When you marvel at the effects in James Cameron's upcoming Avatar, and Terminator 4, be thankful that you're getting to see one last time the achievements of a singular, special artist.
