Although his pioneering special effects work seems quaint in today's era of hyper-realistic computer-generated imagery, Ray Harryhausen remains legendary among Hollywood filmmakers for the extraordinary passion and perfectionism he brought to many critically and commercially successful movies. Harryhausen, a disciple of King Kong effects wizard Willis O'Brien, specialized in stop-motion animation, the laborious process by which miniature models were animated by moving them ever so slightly and shooting each new position one frame at a time. Costly and time-consuming, stop-motion work was nevertheless impressive when done properly (with realistically crafted models and the animator's infinite patience), and nobody topped Harryhausen. This four-disc set collects a quartet of his best-remembered films from the 1950s. It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955), the first collaboration of Harryhausen and longtime producing partner Charles H. Schneer, stars The Thing's Kenneth Tobey in the spine-tingling tale of a giant octopus that emerges from the Pacific Ocean to wreak havoc on San Francisco. Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956), a particular favorite of Harryhausen fans, chronicles an invasion by aliens who target Washington, D.C., laying waste to our most beloved national landmarks before being defeated. 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957) boasts some of the master's most impressive stop-motion effects, with its spectacular climax unfolding in Rome's Colosseum, where a giant monster from Venus makes his last stand against puny Earthling soldiers (including Perry Mason's William Hopper). The Technicolor The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) follows the titular hero's (Kerwin Mathews) quest to reverse the spell cast by a malicious sorcerer (Torin Thatcher) that shrank Sinbad's princess beloved, and features a justly famous battle with a skeleton (the Pirates of the Caribbean SFX of its day). Boasting decent Blu-ray transfers, all but the last film are offered in original b&w or colorized versions, with extras spread across the set including audio commentaries (with Harryhausen and others), retrospective featurettes, technical behind-the-scenes featurettes (on the Dynamation process and colorization), interviews of Harryhausen conducted by Tim Burton and John Landis, and photo galleries. Recommended. (E. Hulse)
Ray Harryhausen Collection
Sony, 4 discs, 331 min., not rated, Blu-ray: $107.95 Volume 24, Issue 1
Ray Harryhausen Collection
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