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Post by Xenorama ™ on Feb 6, 2005 13:30:51 GMT -8
how about Ray's last movie? i was pretty disappointed in it when i first saw it, simply because i had too high hopes.
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Post by grenderer on Feb 7, 2005 3:28:16 GMT -8
how about Ray's last movie? i was pretty disappointed in it when i first saw it, simply because i had too high hopes. Funny, I was thinking the very same thing after seeing CLASH OF THE TITANS as your MOTW pick....even before reading your post here. Sadly, there will simply never be another JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS, which CLASH will inevitably forever be compared to....perhaps unfairly. Mainly, CLASH lacked JASON's great storyline, which had a superior flow and held the movie together better IMhO. CLASH's storyline seemed to meander too much. Also missing was the classic Bernard Herrmann powerful and majestic epic-musical score of earlier films, (but alas this was impossible as he passed on in 1975). The Krakken was cool, but it was certainly no "Talos"; plus, "Krakky" never made it out of the water or really did that much (would have been cool to see him come ashore to inflict some mayhem on land). Even though Olivier played "Zeus", I thought the Mount Olympus cast from JASON seemed more convincing. However, the grand exception in CLASH is the "Medusa" Gorgon scene in which Harryhausen more than delivered the goods with his mastery of stop-motion lighting and color.....which is worth the wait and makes up for the other more dissapoining aspects of the film. Just my 2 cents:) Grenderer |
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Post by Gwangi on Feb 7, 2005 15:54:04 GMT -8
When I first saw this at the movie theater in 1981, I liked it. Then over the years, I didn’t much care for it. However, it now has begun to actually grow on me again. Though it's still not one of my favorite Harryhausen flicks, this one still appears on regular T.V. from time to time and just seeing it, is a breath of fresh air in a medium now saturated with CGI.
Ironically, it is this one that seems to be one of the most popular of all Harryhausen flicks. I walk into Tower Records or BestBuy and on their best sellers shelf, I see “Clash of the Titans” alongside “Lord of the Rings” or “Star Wars” or any new releases! It’s great to see one of Ray’s films among them, but “Clash of the Titans”? That just amazed me!
And not even some of the best CGI can ever top the Medusa scene, IMO. When I saw both Ray and Harry Hamlin at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood during a showing of this movie back in 2003, they stated that it was these scenes that Harry had some creative differences with the producers and walked out. They had wanted him to use his shield like a Frisbee, to cut off the head of Medusa. Harry was admitted and wanted to use his sword instead. In the end he won out, and Ray would joke that the producers just wanted Harry to treat the lady with some respect. Hamlin’s response “A lady!!!” to the laughter of the audience.
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Feb 7, 2005 18:06:16 GMT -8
in the really poor comic book adaption we see Perseus use his sheild to decapitate Medusa. i'm so glad Harry had the sense to make that suggestion about using the sword- it's so much more dramatic and far more personal- the danger is greatly increased since he had to be right next to Medusa in order to cut off her head.
that is one great scene, no question.
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Post by grenderer on Feb 7, 2005 18:16:00 GMT -8
When I first saw this at the movie theater in 1981, I liked it. Then over the years, I didn’t much care for it. However, it now has begun to actually grow on me again. Though it's still not one of my favorite Harryhausen flicks, this one still appears on regular T.V. from time to time and just seeing it, is a breath of fresh air in a medium now saturated with CGI. Please don't misunderstand though .....I still love this movie too; just not as much as Ray's earlier films. I missed out on all Harryhausen's theatrical releases from the 50's and very early 60's (until the advent of TV showings and videos later on, of course), but did get to see all the rest of his films in the theater first run, starting with JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS, so that film made an irrevocable impression on me as a kid, and CLASH just didn't have the same effect. I too must admit that I miss those days of stop-motion animation. CGI is a great new tool, but until it too is mastered through years of experienced refinements, it will lack the warmth, charm, and most of all individual personality of Rays' stop-motion fantasy films. I have yet to see a CGI monster with the lighting, clarity, and defiinition of Ray's models....not to mention that most CGI is too video-gamish for my tastes. Hey, wouldn't it have been cool if that GODZILLA 3D stop-motion project had come to fruition back in the mid-eighties? That would have been just as great to me as seeing the original Elliot/Rossio DeBont film made in cgi.....heck, woulda been great to have seen BOTH of those!!!(but I'll save those obsessions for another post:) Again, just my 2 cents;) Grenderer |
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Feb 7, 2005 19:00:03 GMT -8
i gotta say, i'm glad that neither of those movies were made. the Elliot'Russo one wasn't any more Godzilla than gino was, at least it had a monster for him to fight, but it sure didn't grab me as a good movie (changing Godzilla's origin- piffle).
as far as the 3-D one, well, if it HAD been made, some fans would have fallen all over themselves talking about how much better it was than the Japanese ones. which would probably be untrue as well.
i'd like to see a stop-motion Godzilla though, but not with these scripts.
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Post by grenderer on Feb 7, 2005 19:13:45 GMT -8
i gotta say, i'm glad that neither of those movies were made. the Elliot'Russo one wasn't any more Godzilla than gino was, at least it had a monster for him to fight, but it sure didn't grab me as a good movie (changing Godzilla's origin- piffle). as far as the 3-D one, well, if it HAD been made, some fans would have fallen all over themselves talking about how much better it was than the Japanese ones. which would probably be untrue as well. i'd like to see a stop-motion Godzilla though, but not with these scripts. Well, we'll just have to agree to disagree on that one. Grenderer |
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Feb 7, 2005 19:15:26 GMT -8
NO!! all must agree with me! accept it and live- resist and be destroyed!  |
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Post by grenderer on Feb 8, 2005 3:26:23 GMT -8
NO!! all must agree with me! accept it and live- resist and be destroyed! (heh-heh) .......Seriously though, just remember that the group who would make ridiculous statements like those you mentioned is a very small camp (of which I am not a member), and there are many more of us who would have still loved Toho's GODZILLA best no matter what, even if those other projects had happened. Those mentioned were just hypothetical situations anyway. Also, it was Toho's idea to allow an American GODZILLA film to be made anyway. They were the ones who gave final approval the GINO designs & concept, and could have just said no to the whole thing....(but you rarely hear Toho blamed for GINO, right?;0) On the other hand (or claw:), I do admit to drifting off-topic in my post discussing those American projects, but I was mainly speaking in terms of being interested in seeing a stop-motion GODZILLA. I love that brief stop-motion animation that is a featured "extra" at the end of the GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE video. Instead of GINO, I wish Toho would have shared expenses with an outside studio and tried just one of those back in the day...but I'll rest my case and stop speculating. Grenderer |
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Post by stareater on Feb 8, 2005 7:21:11 GMT -8
I'm surprised so many have mixed feelings on Clash. I loved it as a kid in the theaters, and still enjoy it today.
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Post by grenderer on Feb 8, 2005 7:33:49 GMT -8
I'm surprised so many have mixed feelings on Clash. I loved it as a kid in the theaters, and still enjoy it today. I like TITANS, but prefer JASON....that's all I really said. Just expressing my opinions, and you're entitled to your's as well. peace, Grenderer |
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Feb 8, 2005 9:36:30 GMT -8
i like it too, but prefer some of his other movies, like ONE MILLION YEARS BC, for various reasons.
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Post by Gwangi on Feb 8, 2005 10:33:28 GMT -8
Would Raquel be one of them! ;D I'm surprised so many have mixed feelings on Clash. I loved it as a kid in the theaters, and still enjoy it today. Well, like I said, seeing it displayed on the best seller shelves in some video stores, seems to indicate that some out there like it. "Earth vs. The Flying Saucers" is my least favorite Harryhausen flick, but even seeing that on the big screen was fun, and as I always say - a lesser Harryhausen movie is still sometimes better than some multi-million dollar feature that hardly entertains. |
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Post by stareater on Feb 9, 2005 5:44:02 GMT -8
You kidding me? You could put Racquel Welch in Manos, The Hands of Fate, and it would gain about 5 stars just based on her alone!   |
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Post by stareater on Feb 9, 2005 7:07:10 GMT -8
Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending the film or saying anyone is crazy for not liking it. I'm just saying I'm surprised that many people I've talked to find it to be a disappointment or a little bit lacking in one way or another.
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Post by grenderer on Feb 9, 2005 7:21:19 GMT -8
Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending the film or saying anyone is crazy for not liking it. I'm just saying I'm surprised that many people I've talked to find it to be a disappointment or a little bit lacking in one way or another. Nahh..no problem with that. If we all agreed all the time it would be really boring anyway;0). Here's some food for thought: I think a lot of it has to with when you saw CLASH OF THE TITANS, and how many other of Ray's films you had seen before CLASH. Had CLASH been the first (or one of the first) Harryhausen films I ever saw, I'm sure it would one of my top favorites. Grenderer |
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Post by Mattster on Feb 18, 2005 7:43:52 GMT -8
I can't believe that the episode of the VH1 series of I LOVE THE 80'S STRIKES BACK called "I Love 1981 Strikes Back" dissed CLASH OF THE TITANS. Especially it's visual effects.  |
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Post by grenderer on Feb 18, 2005 7:54:56 GMT -8
I can't believe that the episode of the VH1 series of I LOVE THE 80'S STRIKES BACK called "I Love 1981 Strikes Back" dissed CLASH OF THE TITANS. Especially it's visual effects. Considering the source, I can believe it. What a classless thing to do. Another thing that hacks me off of late are "some" Godzilla fans who also dis Ray's films. I love GODZILLA & Toho's other Kaiju Eiga, KING KONG, AND all of Obie and Ray's other fantastic cinematic creations as well. Did Moses come down from Mt. Sinai with a third tablet saying that we can't love all of these films and their respective genres? C'mon, G-purists out there......enough is enough. Todd |
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Post by Shonokin on Feb 18, 2005 10:01:42 GMT -8
^ everyone can have their own likes and dislikes, but if it is just dissing Harryhausen to bolster their G-fetishes, then a person like that is noone to take seriously anyway. Therefore it doesn't matter what they say as they are just speaking garbage.
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Post by grenderer on Feb 18, 2005 10:22:33 GMT -8
^ everyone can have their own likes and dislikes, but if it is just dissing Harryhausen to bolster their G-fetishes, then a person like that is noone to take seriously anyway. Therefore it doesn't matter what they say as they are just speaking garbage. You improved on what I was saying and knocked it right out of the park, my friend! (and no, I don't take them seriously...life's too short;0). Todd |
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Feb 18, 2005 10:33:53 GMT -8
i agree with all that you have said. granted, Ray's movies were rarely perfect in all respects (usually the acting was not that great, or the story, or the direction) but most people concentrate on how good the effects are. and then Godzilla movies get knocked SOLELY because of the effects, so i can understand how g-fans can be a little touchy.
doesn't mean they should knock other movies though.
anyway, this one is worth the entire movie just to see the Medusa scene. it's too bad the rest of the movie is so anti-climactic after that.
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