The Terminator (1984, 100 percent)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991, 97 percent)

The first two Terminator films are perhaps the best examples of how Winston's work changed with the times -- and influenced cinematic technology to come. On the low-budget Terminator, Winston crafted the machine's exoskeleton with puppetry and animatronics. He would use similar applications on T2, but with greater complexity, and combined with the molten, shape shifting CGI, the sequel was huge leap forward for special effects (he won two Oscars for the film, for Best Visual Effects and Best Makeup). The Terminator began a fruitful partnership with James Cameron; they would work together on several more projects, and co-founded Digital Domain, a cutting edge digital effects company. He also remained close to Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has referred to Winston in recent obituaries as "one of my best friends."

Taking over the helm of the Alien franchise, James Cameron brought Winston with him. They had their work cut out for them; how do you improve on Ridley Scott's taut, nightmarish direction and H.R. Geiger's iconic creature? The answer: go bigger and badder. While Cameron pumped up the action, Winston created a truly terrifying expansion on the original creature: the giant alien queen, a 14-foot tall combination of frightening power and dizzying speed. Supported by a crane, and utilizing a complex system of hydraulics, cables, a pair of puppeteers brought the menacing queen to life, and, in doing so, helped to deepen the legacy of one of horror and sci-fi cinema's most memorable monsters and picking up an Oscar for Best Visual Effects.

"The special-effects specialists are featured prominently in the credits that precede Aliens, and so they should be," wrote Walther Goodman of the New York Times. "Under the direction of James Cameron, they have put together a flaming, flashing, crashing, crackling blow-'em-up show."