Before you get your pitchforks out, the transformation scene in An American Werewolf in London is one of the greatest practical effects showcased in film, not even just horror movies. I’m just saying, there are other good ones too! Ones that need to be recognized — here we go!
*Word of warning: these videos may be age-restricted by YouTube; view at your own risk.
Defibrillator (The Thing, 1982)
Really, you could pick any scene in John Carpenter’s The Thing and it would be an astounding practical effect. I want to pay special attention to this particular scene though, because not only is the alien done well, but the actor has an effect himself! Character Norris has a heart attack, causing Dr. Copper to grab the defibrillator and try to resuscitate him. As Norris has (unknowingly) been assimilated by the Thing, his chest cavity opens with bony teeth, snapping off Copper’s arms. Norris’ body is almost unrecognizable as fake, and Copper himself is traded out for a split second with another actor — a double-amputee.
The Fly (1986)
You can pretty much name any point in this movie and it would have awesome special effect work. Chris Walas, Inc.’s work on “Brundlefly” is nothing short of disgusting — in all the best ways. Reading about The Fly‘s gradual transformation process reveals the amount of detail put into creating this half fly/half human creature. When a project takes that amount of dedication, it means a lot more than any effect you can throw up on the screen in 5 minutes. And it shows!
The Raft (Creepshow 2, 1987)
Some may think this is a great effect, others may not. In Creepshow 2, a black blob monster terrorizes co-eds that are now stranded on a floating lake raft. On first appearance it looks like a simple black trash bag, but anyone who gets sucked into it is covered in sticky, mucky black goo — unable to escape. If oil spills could kill! The last hurrah seen in the video clip may not be totally practical (I couldn’t find information leaning one way or the other) but its simple yet terrifying appearance up until that point creates a scarier and scarier being in your mind upon every watch.
Allie Dies (Terrifier 2, 2022)
Terrifier 2 — or any Terrifier — may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it sure is mine. And you can’t deny the work Damien Leone and crew put into the effects. Needing to top Terrifier‘s “Sawed in Half” scene, Terrifier 2‘s Allie definitely got the raw end of the deal. This is what I imagine animals doing to each other, let alone horror movie clowns. It’s unnecessarily mean, yet impossible to look away from. Salt, bleach, and mayhem… the word “torture” doesn’t even apply here. And all of this done in-camera? SHEESH!
Girl on the Bicycle Seat (Cannibal Holocaust, 1980)
There is a reason Cannibal Holocaust‘s director, Ruggero Deodato, was charged with murder (among other things) for his film. In one scene, a film crew — making a documentary on “savage” tribes of the Amazon — comes across a woman impaled on a pole, no doubt because she “lost her virginity” before being wed to a tribe member. What the Italian courts thought was a woman genuinely impaled on a pole was actually a woman sitting on a bicycle seat and holding a piece of wood upwards in her mouth just so, as to not give away the illusion. Even knowing that today, I cannot help but see this as real. The effect is shockingly good.
What’s your favorite practical effect? let us know in the comments!
