Monsters in film have taken many forms over the years. They come in all shapes and sizes, from the titanic Godzilla to the diminutive Gremlins. Despite their size, the best monsters tend to share one thing in common: Corruption. The best monsters serve to be the most mundane things gone awry - a clown that eats kids, a child’s toy with the soul of a murderer, an ugly red and green sweater/brown fedora combo. Perhaps the greatest monsters in film are when we see twisted and perverted parts of ourselves reflected on the silver screen.
What makes humanity terrifying? Is it our capacity for destruction? The capriciousness of our hearts? The darkness in our souls? If you think it’s something deep within us, you’re right! The most terrifying part of humanity is our skeletons. Yup. Skeletons. Not the duality of man. Skeletons. Not if we can overcome our troubled pasts. Skeletons. Deep inside you is a bony, calcified, and unyielding monster that’s just a cutlass and a shield away from being the stuff of nightmares.
In this journey through time and terror we’ll cover the best fight sequences involving one of the most underrated film monsters, the Skeleton Warrior.
#1: Jason and the Argonauts (1963 Dir. Don Chaffey; Animation by Ray Harryhausen)
Perhaps the most iconic display of Skeleton Warriors on film is 1963’s Jason and the Argonauts. Director Don Chaffey and stop motion animation wizard Ray Harryhausen deliver an exciting climax to what is for the time a special effects tour de force. The Argonauts are basically Greek mythology’s equivalent of The Avengers. Up to this point they’ve defeated bronze colossi, teamed up with gods, killed a hydra, and even managed to defeat harpies (not those kind of harpies, you can never defeat those, only keep them at bay with ointment). This is the 1963 equivalent to the Avengers fighting a horde of aliens on a grassy savannah with much less money, time, and manpower.
Harryhausen took four months to construct and animate the sequence featuring seven skeletons which only lasts about 3 minutes of screen time. In previous films Harryhausen developed a technique called “Dynamation (include hyperlink to http://www.unmuseum.org/dyna.htm)” Allowing actual filmed footage to interact with his animated sequences creating a near-seamless, dynamic interplay between live action actors and miniatures.
As you watch the fight take place, you almost forget that you’re watching animated figures as they move so fluidly as the tension is heightened with a booming score by composer Bernard Hermann of Psycho (1960) fame. Of all the trials the Argonauts face the skeletons are the only ones that are the same size and as skilled as the intrepid soldiers. Also it brings up the great question of how do you beat something that has no muscle, blood, or internal organs? It can’t get tired, doesn’t need to breathe, and you cant stab or cut it.
Skeletons. The perfect killing machines.
#2. Army of Darkness (1992 Dir Sam Raimi Skeleton Special Effects by Robert Kurtzman, Greg Nicotero, Howard Berger)
Image from Sciencefiction.com
Imagine that all you wanted to do was take a trip with your friends to a cabin in the Michigan woods and not only do you unleash a sleeping evil that results in the death of your friends, but you also get tossed through time to the middle ages! The real horror is that there’s no flushing toilets for at least another 800 years.
In the third installment of the Evil Dead series, 1992’s Army of Darkness finds the chainsaw-handed hero Ash Williams transported to the dark ages where he has to fight a horde of the undead and retrieve a magical tome to return to his time. In the 88 minutes of on-screen mayhem he unites two warring kingdoms, teaches chemistry and martial arts to the good people of England, defeats his evil clone, and finds love. Who says you can’t get anything done on vacation?
The effects for the skeleton army were done by none other than Greg Nicotero, Robert Kurtzman, and Howard Berger. If those names sound familiar it’s because they’re the same Emmy winning team behind the practical makeup effects on AMC’s The Walking Dead. They’ve been moving the dead for almost 30 years at this point. They were able to instill menace and humor into the skeleton horde, maintaining the action-horror-comedy feel of the series. Some good laughs are definitely had while a united human army stares down a skeleton drum corps, bagpipe unit, and flautists. Think “The Battle of Winterfell” from Game of Thrones that doesn’t take itself so seriously.
#3: Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003 Dir. Gore Verbenski; Special Effects by Industrial Light and Magic)
photo from Syfy.com
2003 was a simpler time. Our smartphones were dumb and so was our president. No one expected much from Johnny Depp at the time, much less a film franchise based on a theme park ride that would earn billions of dollars. In a series that would spawn 5 movies over 14 years featuring an array of monsters the very first were none other than skin impaired skeleton warriors.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl has a plot that revolves around two lovers separated by class and a pirate that wants his boat back, and the only thing standing in the middle of it is Geoffrey Rush and his pirate army of the undead.
The literal skeleton crew of the ghost ship, The Black Pearl, gets showcased several times throughout the film most notably as Keira Knightley gets introduced to her calcified captors and is told the importance of believing in ghost stories. The effects were done by the legendary effects studio Industrial Light and Magic and are still gorgeous for today’s standards.
#4: Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (Dir. Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor)
Now what’s any list of skeletons without a skeleton whose alter ego is Nic Cage? No list at all I tell you!
In Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, Nic Cage reprises his role as Johnny Blaze the cursed stuntman who plays host to the Ghost Rider, a flame skulled skeleton that seeks vengeance for the wronged. The sequel, directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor of Crank and Crank 2 fame, features some creative uses of his abilities. On a budget of roughly half of what a superhero film costs they manage to make some eye catching shots such as turning construction equipment into flame spouting nightmare machines and a skeleton that…pees fire (do you see a urologist or an orthopedist for that?).
The film ultimately is forgotten but if you need an adrenaline fueled, frenetic, and fun thrill ride you might just find your kicks with Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
#5: The Terminator (Dir. James Cameron; Special Effects by Stan Winston and Gene Warren Jr.)
An unexpected contender! While one may remember Arnold Schwarzenegger’s startling performance as the titular Terminator beneath all of the menacing muscle was a metal skeleton bent on destroying Sarah Connor.
For those that don’t know the original Terminator came out in 1984 and was directed by James Cameron with special effects by Stan Winston and Gene Warren Jr. The plot centers on Sarah Connor played by Linda Hamilton who unknowingly would be the mother to the last hope of humanity. She has to survive the threat of the terminator a cyborg sent back through time intent on killing her before she can even conceive the child. Her only aid and protector through the ordeal is Kyle Reese, played by Michael Biehn, a soldier from the future trying his best to keep both sarah and himself alive.
The most harrowing, and personally, nightmare inducing part of the film is at its climax. Kyle Reese sacrifices himself in attempt to destroy the terminator, but fails to destroy the robotic monstrosity. His human façade has been destroyed leaving only a metal skeleton with burning red eyes. In a beautiful blend of practical effects and stop motion animation the terminator chases Sarah Connor through a factory as a shambling juggernaut only stopped mere inches from the completion of his mission by a quick witted Sarah Connor who manages to trap the terminator in a hydraulic press saving herself…for now.
And there yo have it. The best skeleton warriors in all film. If you have any suggestions leave them in the comments. Also, don’t forget to check out our podcasts, Observe and Report and the very relevant Bones Zone.