Movie metamorphosis has been around 100 years.

TV transitions have thus hit half a century.

But how has it been going for the small screen?

Den of Geekrecently celebrated the anniversary of movie transformations with a list of some favorites, all classics.

TV had its own particular camera tricks that transformed the art into something all its own.

Dont mock comedys effect on the art of movie transformations.

Its one of the scariest scenes ever shot for the series.

There is no actual on-camera transformation, but its a good scene.

A very good scene.

I like that they didnt use any effects.

Its better that they leave it up to the imagination.

The Outer Limitsalso had its limits.

The former King of Kings battled a transforming alien in his one time out.

William Shatner, the actor, Captain Kirk and T.J. Hooker, never really transformed in his films.

He didnt grow eight legs inKingdom of the Spiders.

His eyes leaked inThe Devils Rain, but he didnt grow horns and pointy ears.

For pointy ears, Shatner had to wait until he helmed the Starship Enterprise.

But this was merely cosmetic.

No drastic plastic for a Starfleet skipper.

Shatners transformation was all girdles and fingernails, not even press-on nails.

It was purely an acting alteration.

His metamorphosis had more to do with attitude than biology.

Hospital gurney, who needs one when you have Lester Kirk to carry the wounded?

The actual transformation is about as low-tech as you’re free to get.

The images of Kirk and Dr. Lester lifted and superimposed on each other with a pink hue.

It is a spiritual transformation enacted by a kind of astral projection machine.

The machine itself looks like its made of stone, like some ancient temple relic.

Romulans and other civilizations had women commanders, planetary leaders and renowned minds.

Doctor McCoys authority is usurped.

Dr. Arthur Coleman seems to be left in charge of the medical bay.

Its very un-Spock like.

Fascinating, but illogical.

Star Trekopened with a transformation episode.

The series continued monster transformations straight away with the Salt Monster.

The Man Trap was one of the first episodes ever filmed.

The salt monster transformation was very low-budget.

The cameras merely projected a different face to whoever was most salient at the time.

Television has made great strides in monster metamorphosis, but will always lag behind big-screen magic.

Television has the advantage of a smaller screen to hide the flubs and sputters of melding the effects.

It also benefits from beaming right into living rooms across the country.

The very intimacy of home viewing allowed the imagination to fill in the cracks in the makeup.