It's funny. As Bewitched fans, on one hand we celebrate the fact that the show didn't rely on non-stop magic effects. The excellent writing and ensemble cast really were enough to propel the show as high as it shot in the ratings, arguably.
But on the other hand, don't we thrill just a bit when a magic effect is perfectly executed? The well-crafted effect can make us believe in magic for a moment or two, if we let it.
Across the entire series, my all-time favorite effect is in "There's No Witch Like an Old Witch" when Aunt Clara tries to dispatch the dinner dishes to the kitchen and the dishes instead shoot upward at incredible speed and break against the ceiling. The technique is as perfect as Marion Lorne's reaction.
Please chime in if you happen to have a "pet" special effect that really makes the show magical for you no matter how many times you see it.
"Sterbo... Vectra... Rangay... Zeem. You're about to have a dream. And, in the words of a wise philosopher, it's going to be a BEAUT!"
Re: Pet effect?
Posted by Melanie on September 26, 2014, 12:37 pm, in reply to "Pet effect?" Queen of the Harpies
That is a great one. I always liked when there were sparkles on the screen in episode #78 when Samantha reverses Aunt Clara's age in an attempt to get her to remember a spell.
Sow's ears are not made into silk purses by the addition of a few dandelions, Samantha!
Re: Pet effect?
Posted by SS~~ on September 27, 2014, 6:47 pm, in reply to "Re: Pet effect?"
I don't have the fancy screen captures for it but my favorite magical effects happened often(for a few seasons at least) but not as much as I would have liked...example....when Endora steps in to help her daughter in *No Zip In My Zap*...the colors(colours) and *surround* explosions used make this one of the memorable command entrances for a character aka Doc Bomb via Endora...IMO....another would be *If They Never Met*.(Endora using a time spell to send her daughter back in time).there are more...
Re: Pet effect?
Posted by maurine on September 28, 2014, 6:04 pm, in reply to "Re: Pet effect?"
Octolad, I've been ruminating on this for four days now, and it's just very difficult! I think that my favorites are Darrin's ears growing, MacBeth (the car) driving through the front wall, and Sam's stripes/spots. I'm never good at narrowing anything down to one...."Witches are good! Witches are dear!"
Re: Pet effect?
Posted by J.P. on September 28, 2014, 9:05 pm, in reply to "Re: Pet effect?"
One of my favorites is the first time we see Samantha with spots on her face in season 2, and they disappear one by one in a very cool way. I always liked the subtle feel of the effect.
Re: Pet effect?
Posted by maurine on October 2, 2014, 9:11 am, in reply to "Re: Pet effect?"
Agreed, JP! That is a wonderful effect--and I've always thought that would have taken so much patience on EM's part to have them film her with a few dots, a few more, and a few more.... Doesn't she move slightly AS they're appearing, too? Too cool! (or am I thinking of the green or the red stripes later on?)"Witches are good! Witches are dear!"
Re: Pet effect?
Posted by octolad on October 2, 2014, 1:47 pm, in reply to "Re: Pet effect?" Breeder-Champion Dust Bunnies
Great examples, all!
Melanie, I dig those sparkles, too. They are also well-done when used around the little "truth god" in "Speak the Truth". It's a shame that the animation wasn't used more frequently.
SamSarah, right on for the "explosive" entrances and exits. The colored smoke and lights, the sound effects -- truly magical even when viewed today.
Maurine and JP, gotta love the facial spots and stripes effects! I agree, those spots must have been painstaking to film to produce those few seconds of magic. Darrin's ears "blooming" -- excellent makeup made doubly hysterical by the reactions of Dick York (and those around him)! And it's magical when "Macbeth" drives through the wall, or anyone walks through one. I especially marvel when Aunt Clara doesn't make it through, because Marion Lorne did such a marvelous job of NOT telegraphing the collision -- I still half-expect her to make it through when I watch it!
Thanks for chiming in, folks! In this age of CGI, it's interesting to know which of the "old school" effects remain dear to us. "Sterbo... Vectra... Rangay... Zeem. You're about to have a dream. And, in the words of a wise philosopher, it's going to be a BEAUT!"