R.I.P Stan Winston

Seems like a lot of celebrity deaths over the past couple months. I just read about this one and it struck me as a really sad occasion.

For those of you unaware, Stan Winston is a cinematic genius.

This is where you generally would post an obit of some kind but "official" obits always strike me as very cold and depressing, especially when you have to stop and wonder how long that particular obit has been on file somewhere for the day when it needed to be used. It's always a little more heartwarming to see true fans remember their heroes, role models, and what not.

From the AICN report on his passing...

The father of the dinosaurs in JURASSIC PARK, of THE TERMINATOR, of PUMPKINHEAD and PREDATOR and the Monsters in MONSTER SQUAD and, of course, ALIENS, has passed on.

The man is a legend and created legends. He himself a God in his own right, sculpting Icons that will be remembered as long as people with imagination deem it prudent to tell stories to an audience.

People can often weave "It's really weird he died today as I was just..." stories about celebrities that pass and so I have one to share today for Mr. Winston.

I went to see Iron Man for the second time this summer on Friday night - and for the second time, I found myself from time to time just staring at the armor in awe. Ever since I heard at Comic-Con last summer that Stan Winston Studios would be working on the armor - that they intended to use a blend of CGI and Winston's own special form of magic - to create the Iron Man armor, I was enthralled. So, yet again, on Friday night, I found myself staring at that armor and wondering just where the power of CGI ended and the magical hand of Stan Winston began.

I had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Winston speak at Comic-Con on at least one occasion in the past. I believe it was during the panel for the original Aliens vs Predator movie. Even when on stage to promote what everyone must have known was going to an abysmal movie, Winston spoke with such enthusiasm in his voice for the work he had put in. He truly was someone who loved his job - and he was someone who excelled at his work like few in life are able to.

There are certainly people in the movie industry that fill your heart with hope when you hear their name. When you hear that Steven Spielberg is attached to a project, you become giddy thinking of what could be. When you hear that John Williams is going to be scoring something, you can imagine the magical music he will create for it. When you hear that WETA or ILM is taking point on visual effects for a movie, you smile at what you're likely to see.

Stan Winston was one of those men - a creator the likes of which we are unlikely to ever experience again in a cinematic world becoming more and more enveloped inside of a computer. Hearing Stan Winston was going to be involved on a project - on any project - made me smile and get a touch of enthusiasm for that project.

And in the end, there's no better compliment I can think of.

Rest in peace, Mr. Winston, and know that your work will live on in the minds of your fans for the rest of their lives as well.