Special effects that most impressed you

[CountDeMoney]

I always liked the Rohan cavalry charge in LOTR: Return of the King.  That's how you use medieval cavalry, baby: like a ten pin bowling ball.

[Viking]

I always liked the Rohan cavalry charge in LOTR: Return of the King.  That's how you use medieval cavalry, baby: like a ten pin bowling ball.

in blocs 20 riders deep? into formed packed infantry?

[CountDeMoney]

Why not.  Animal welfare wasn't invented yet.

[CountDeMoney]

Besides, using the Riders of Rohan to disrupt Sauron's supply lines 20 miles away is bor-ring.

[Viking]

Why not.  Animal welfare wasn't invented yet.

The horses had a keen sense of animal welfare

But, seriously, apart from the use of armoured meleé Cataphractii and Clibinarii is there any case in history where cavalry charged into formed infantry?

[Admiral Yi]

But, seriously, apart from the use of armoured meleé Cataphractii and Clibinarii is there any case in history where cavalry charged into formed infantry?

In "Wellington in the Peninsula" I read about one minor battle in which the British managed to break a French square because one of the horses got shot and plowed into the square.

But yeah, from what I've read either the infantry broke and got slaughtered or the cavalry pulled up short, did some taunting and rode back to their lines.

[The Brain]

Forbidden Planet impressed me.

[Admiral Yi]

The most impressive effect in LOTR was making the shorties look short.  Very few frames in which I even thought about the fact  that the Hobbit actors are not 3 feet  tall.

[CountDeMoney]

or the cavalry pulled up short, did some taunting and rode back to their lines.

Typical of an army where the cavalry was the traditional playground reserved for the aristocracy.

[Barrister]

The transformation scene in American Werewolf in London was extremely impressive for the time.

And although it's impact now has been lessened by endless copying, but the "bullet time" effects in The Matrix were amazing when I first saw them.

[The Brain]

The transformation scene in American Werewolf in London was extremely impressive for the time.

Good one, I remember being impressed.

[Admiral Yi]

Typical of an army where the cavalry was the traditional playground reserved for the aristocracy.

Also typical of conscript peasant cavalry during the Napoleonic and Victorian ages.  The historical instances of cavalry beating infantry who stood their ground face to face are few and far between.

[Syt]

Why not.  Animal welfare wasn't invented yet.

Neither were pikes, it would seem.

[Ideologue]

Forbidden Planet impressed me.

I watched it last night.  It is pretty great.  Other than a wobble on the cruiser in flight (even in space) it's nigh-on pristine.

The only severe effects-related flub is that bizarre failure to cut a second earlier when the film reveals in no uncertain terms that Altaira's wearing not just a flesh-colored bathing suit to simulate nudity, but what looks like a cream cocktail dress.

[Siege]

The model spaceships from star wars, it still holds up while cgi doesn't.

This. Star Wars, TOT, remains the most influential piece of art/entertainment in my entire life.
Freedom, Empire, racial discrimination, facing overwhelming odds, they are all there.