"Star Wars" voted most influential effects movie
NEW YORK, May 11 (Reuters Life!) - "Star Wars" has been voted the most influential visual effects film of all time by film trade organization, the Visual Effects Society (VES).
The VES said the 1977 science fantasy classic, directed by George Lucas, topped a list of the 50 most influential visual effects films chosen by the society's 1,500 global members.
Lucas has been praised for ushering in a new era of special effects and visual wizardry with his "Star Wars" films.
"Blade Runner," the sci-fi thriller from 1982 directed by Ridley Scott came in second place followed by "2001: A Space Odyssey" which tied for third with "The Matrix."
The VES top 50 also included "Jurassic Park," "Tron" and the original groundbreaking 1933 version of "King Kong."
"These films have had a significant, lasting impact on the practice and appreciation of visual effects as an integral, artistic element of cinematic expression and the storytelling process," Eric Roth, executive director of the VES, said in a statement.
The vote for the top 50 was the backdrop of the 2007 VES Festival of Visual Effects, which will take place over the weekend of June 7-10 in Beverly Hills.
The Los Angeles-based VES, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, is a trade organization representing visual effects craftsmen and women including supervisors, artists, producers, technology developers, educators and studio executives.
A full list of the 50 most influential visual effects movies is available here
