Stan Winston (1942-2008)

I feel like a part of my childhood died today. For anyone whose early infatuation with the movies was stoked by his fantastic creations, the death of Stan Winston represents the passing of a giant in special effects. Winston's makeup and visual effects work over the course of more than 30 years, in both practical and CGI, gave us some of the most iconic creatures and moments in cinema. Below are just a few of his most memorable achievements, each an example of Winston's seemingly magical ability to transform a filmmaker's wildest flights of imagination into a breathtaking reality.