That's no claw, it's a tooth! 4/2
Here’s my favorite fantasy monster, Vermitrax Pejorative. Trust me, she’s as frightening as her name.
She came from 1981’s Dragonslayer, an often overlooked film from back in the days when Star Wars roamed the earth. It’s somehow natural then that Phil Tippett also created the dragon for Dragonslayer, and should make you want to check it out even more.

(Sometimes world would cross, and the Rancor wasn’t a Vermithrax fan, it would seem.)
The name, in case you were curious, is a latin-ish way of saying “The Worm of Thrace Who Makes Things Worse.” I’m glad only dragons are named in this manner, otherwise I might be known as “The Dude Who Sits A Lot” or something equally vile.
Anywho, the creature was amazing on film. Using the then revolutionary “go-motion” technique, Tippett made a dragon that I BELIEVED in. It was scaly, slimy, ill-tempered, and dangerous.
Near the beginning of the film, the wizard Ulrich is presented with one of Vermithrax’s scales. He tells the peasants who seek his help in defeating it:
“I know of this creature, Vermithrax Pejorative. Look at the ridges here, on this scale. She’s old now, and when a dragon gets this old she knows nothing but pain. She grows decreptid, pitiful - spiteful.” I’m paraphrasing, but you get the drift.
Long before you ever get to see the dragon, you know she’s going to be a mean bitch.
To keep her from burning the kingdom of Urland to the ground, the king has made a bargain with the beast; he will feed her a virgin every 3 months. While he sits in his castle and praises himself for his diplomacy, Vermithrax is feeding the virgins not to herself, but her young hatchlings instead. Guess you didn’t think about that, did you, sire?
Fantasy geeks can debate all they want about it resembling a wyvern more than a dragon, but let’s face it, to the world at large it’s a moot point. Vermithrax is 50 feet long, winged, and can melt your ass with fire. I think that settles it.

This thing is amazing to see. Its first appearance is mostly off camera and you only hear its sharp intake of breath before toasting a maiden for breakfast, but it merely baits you. You think, well it can’t be that awesome can it? Later, when our young hero Galen tries to poke it with a spear, you get to see just how impressive it was. I dare say that although CGI today may look better integrated on fil and can be photo-realistic it doesn’t feel that way. I know it’s done in a computer. I look at Galen on the neck of Vermithrax and I know he’s on a 40 foot machine with rubber skin. The 4 foot model is walking through that cave and I can for a moment forget the scale.
Though nominated for an Oscar for FX, it lost to Raiders of the Lost Ark. Somehow.
Stuff like this won’t be made ever again, and it’s too bad. I’m not trying to take anything away from CG animators, they do incredible work. But there is something to be said about the hand made puppet, the stop motion shooting that takes weeks to get a few minutes of footage, and the effect it has on you.
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