Makeup effects

[J.R.]

Good makeup effects are cool. There's just something about seeing something convincing made out of latex and other such materials that's much more...satisfying than something done with a computer. And then I began to wonder- How freaking amazing would makeup effects be today if CGI hadn't become the go-to tool for filmmakers? What are some of your favorite makeup effects and/or makeup-heavy films? Some of mine are The Thing, Day Of The Dead (weak film, but great Savini effects) and An American Werewolf In London.

[Fearless Freep]

It's a trade off.  Rubber latex often looks, well, like a muppet.  CGI tends to lack weight and 'thickness', but most conventional techiques are less than convincing as well.

[Luke B (aka Luke Bannon)]

Faves, eh? Gee, that's a difficult one, as there have been so many really convincing ones I have seen. Some of the monsters on Dr. Who had good make up effects, the basic make up of the possessed in the evil dead movies worked well too, and while it is obviously rubber I like Toxic Avenger's look.

[Redjack]

Good makeup effects i've seen lately include the ape makeup for the remake of Planet of the Apes,  I also liked the Morlock makeup in the remake of the Time Machine.    Unfortunately, good makeup couldn't save either movie.

CGI has its place, Lord of the Rings couldn't exist without extensive CGI.. fortunately they used the cgi where its strengths could be used fully.. Landscapes and backgrounds..   CGI doesnt do well when its forced to model living beings, it just looks like CGI.   Its all in knowing when to use the computer, and when to use an actor in costume that makes the difference.

[Flangepart]

I'd think a proper balance of the two is best.
....Real effects for "Mass', with just enough CGI to "Sweeten the pot." Like the great Godzilla 94 suit (Personal fave.), with a 20% bulk reduction, and some CGI to fine tune his foot falls (add life to the toes, make them grip the ground better), and brighten up the Atomic breath, as they did in G-2000.
....Add some Rick Baker work to make the suit more flexable, and you have a G who can kick butt, and not bother takeing names. Sweet!

[Vermin Boy]

I agree on CGI; while it can be cool when done right, I think its inherent flaw is that the human eye can subconsciously distinguish artificial movement from natural. Even with the lousiest rubber suit, one can concievably believe it's an actual monster, whereas, with CGI, there will always be a little nagging voice telling you it's fake.

Really, I think that's one of the main reasons the original Star Wars movies are so much better than the prequels: Everything looks REAL. All the droids in the Jawas' sandcrawler are rusty, grimy, and scuffed, plus they move like real, clunky machines. In the new movies, everything's just too slick.

As for my favorite makeup effects, I gotta go with the classics and say the films of Lon Chaney. That guy did whatever it took to alter his appearance, and it paid off big-time.