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With the advancement of computers and CGI (computer-generated imagery), it's easy to rely on special effects when making a movie. But when the creator decides on a different approach and uses practical effects instead, it can work just as well, if not better.
History is full of movies with amazing practical effects that are nearly impossible to tell apart from reality. In the past, it was common to use practical effects in movies because special effects were expensive. These days, special effects rule the world of movies but still, there are plenty of horror movies with wonderful practical effects.
8 King Kong (1933)
Lots of older horror movies have amazing practical effects but King Kong deserves a special mention since it stood at the beginning. Without this movie, the audience wouldn't have countless others, possibly not even the famous Godzilla.
King Kong might not look so real today but considering the age of the movie, it's still impressive. The titular huge ape was, in fact, an 18 inches tall figure made out of aluminum, latex, and rabbit fur. It made a splash, especially since many viewers who watched the movie never saw a gorilla before in real life!
7 Alien (1979)
Ridley Scott's Alien is one of the classics that spawned multiple sequels. The movie is still frightening even to the modern audience since it creates a strong sense of danger, often unseen. Back in 1979, it scared not only the viewers but also the cast members thanks to its elaborate practical effects.
One of the most famous scenes is when the chest buster bursts out of John Hurt's chest. Well, that was a real surprise for the cast since they had no idea something like this would happen. To make this scene, the creators used a prosthetic torso filled with pig blood and a puppet on a stick while today, a similar moment would no doubt be created by CGI.
6 An American Werewolf In London (1981)
Werewolf movies are a popular genre but not all of them look convincing enough. That's not the case with this classic, though. An American Werewolf in London features one of the best werewolf transformations of all time. Thanks to prosthetics, the transformation looks both realistic and very painful for the hero.
The story itself is enough to captivate the audience but the practical effects helped sell the movie to the audience as well. Thanks to his work on this movie, Rick Baker won the first best makeup and hairstyling Oscar ever awarded.
5 The Evil Dead (1981)
When directors have very low budgets for their movies, it requires some creative solutions. Long before he directed the Spider-Man trilogy, Saim Raimi started small but left a big impression on the audience.
His movie is full of demons and dangerous creatures who look frightening - and it's all practical effects, lots of make-up, as well as other relatively inexpensive things (such as eye contacts) that make the final result all the more impressive. It worked, and with a budget of 375 thousand dollars, the movie made over 2 million dollars.
4 The Fly (1986)
The Fly with Jeff Goldblum in the titular role is a classic. Even though the movie's a remake of an original piece from the 1950s, it garnered more attention than its predecessor. That's not only because of Jeff Goldblum's excellent performance but thanks to the appearance of the monster itself.
Goldblum's transformation from a human to a giant fly-like monster is done terrifyingly well, and it uses make-up heavily. It's impressive even today, just as it was 35 years ago. It's no wonder that the make-up artist Chris Walas won an Oscar for his work on this movie.
3 Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
Guillermo del Toro is no stranger to using practical effects in his horror movies. He did so in his relatively recent Crimson Peak (2015) but Pan's Labyrinth is even more terrifying. One of the best scenes sees the main heroine Ophelia encounter the Pale Man - a strange creature that has eyes on its hands.
While the eyes are partially CGI, the rest of the creature was created by using make-up. The praise also goes to Doug Jones who often works with Guillermo del Toro and played the Pale Man. Jones also portrayed the titular Pan who becomes Ophelia's guide in the strange new world she discovers.
2 Krampus (2015)
As far as modern horror Christmas movies are concerned, Krampus is one of the best. This story is about a young boy who stops believing in Christmas which puts his family in the path of the devilish Krampus.
As such, the movie's full of amazing practical effects. It combines puppets, masks, and other props, all of which create the final terrifying result. By far the most impressive example of the practical approach is the Jack-in-the-box that works for Krampus and scares the heroes.
1 It (2017)
Stephen King is the author of many horror stories, and It is one of the best recent adaptations of King's work. Played by Bill Skarsgård, the murderous clown Pennywise was partially created by using practical effects. And it worked, as everybody who saw Pennywise's actions in the movie can confirm.
Some of Pennywise's looks and forms were CGI but others were created thanks to practical effects, such as the headless boy. Thanks to the effects' overall quality, it's difficult to say what's CGI and what isn't.