Beam me up, Hollywood!

Ghostbusters © 1984 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.

Darren Zenko from Edmonton's Vue Weekly wrote a fun article counting off "the greatest beams, lasers, death rays, and photo streams in movie history."

"They slice us, they disintegrate us, they roast us alive, they level our greatest monuments and pinpoint our deepest fears. But they also transport us, link us, serve us, protect us and illuminate the path to fortune and glory. They are beams, the glowing lances of focused radiation that have lit up our movie screens—and our imaginations—since some unknown caveman accidentally scratched a birchbark negative and became prehistory’s first FX guy. Here at the dawn of 2005’s summer blockbuster season, it’s as good a time as any to look back and salute the Great Beams of Film!"

In addition to Darren's list, I'd like to add:

Flash Gordon's Ray Gun

The Jedi Lightsaber from Star Wars

Superman's Heat Vision

The Iron Giant's Destructo-Rays, Vaporizing Beams, and Plasma Energy Balls

Cyclops' Optic Blast from the X-Men films

Gort's Laser Beam Vision from The Day the Earth Stood Still

Han Solo's 'trusty blaster' from the Star Wars saga

The Emperor's Force Lightning from the Star Wars films - enough to stop all but Jedi Master Yoda

Martian Shrink-Ray from Mars Attacks!

The frozen blast of Iceman (X-Men), Mr. Freeze (Batman), and Frozone (The Incredibles)

"Sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads" from the Austin Powers films

Buzz Lightyear's Arm Laser from the Toy Story movies