HARRYHAUSEN The Lost Movies

Known for his iconic stop-motion creatures, Ray Harryhausen was at the forefront of Hollywood special effects for much of the 20th century. His films include One Million Years B.C., Clash of the Titans and Jason and the Argonauts, among others. But for every film that reaches the big screen, half a dozen projects are never realized. This explores Harryhausen's unrealized films, including unused ideas, projects he turned down and scenes that ended up on the cutting room floor. Never-been-seen-before artwork, sketches, photos and test footage from the Harryhausen Foundation archives. It's an amazing compilation, carefully taking us through the years and through his many ideas of what to create as a film. He was inspired by War of the Worlds, Atlantis, Dante's Inferno, The Fall of the House of Usher, Aliens, Elementals, The Time Machine, Earth vs. Flying Saucers, Moby Dick, and John Carter of Mars, as a longtime Edgar Rice Burroughs fan. And this is just a scattering of themes from the first two chapters covering 1930-1959. There's so much more: Tarzan and the Ant-Men, Mysterious Island, Gulliver, First Men in the Moon, The Deluge, King of the Geniis, Conan! And there are dozens more, including The Hobbit, Sinbad Goes to Mars, The Empire Strikes Back, The Princess Bride, X-Men, Dune. Includes "Final Words from Ray," a forward by Guillermo Del Toro AND John Landis, introduction by filmaker and author John Walsh. Packed with original concept art by Harryhausen that is fascinating. We've pictured some of this here. Handsome oblong format, hardcover.