Ray Harryhausen Collection Blu-ray

Ray Harryhausen Collection

 (1955-1958)

Action | Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Horror | Sci-Fi



Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
7th Voyage of Sinbad
It Came From Beneath the Sea
20 Million Miles to Earth

This Blu-ray release includes the following titles, see individual titles for specs and details:

It Came From Beneath the Sea Blu-ray   Harryhausen Sony Pictures | 1955 | 78 mins | Not rated | Oct 13, 2008 A giant octopus wreaks havoc on San Fransisco, while a special nuclear submarine gives chase to stop it. Ray Harryhausen animates.Presented in Black & White and Colour. Horror / Sci-Fi

Earth vs. the Flying Saucers Blu-ray     Harryhausen Sony Pictures | 1956 | 82 mins | Not rated | Oct 13, 2008 Flying saucers land on an U.S. army base and are provoked into war with the Military. Several national monuments are destroyed along the way, including the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. Ray Harryhausen... Fantasy / Horror / Sci-Fi

20 Million Miles to Earth Blu-ray    Harryhausen Sony Pictures | 1957 | 82 mins | Not rated | Dec 04, 2007 Special effects genius Ray Harryhausen (Jason and the Argonauts, Clash of the Titans) brings you one of his earliest groundbreaking films, now available for the first time in vibrant color! When an American spaceship... Sci-Fi

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad Blu-ray    Harryhausen Sony Pictures | 1958 | 87 mins | Rated G | Oct 07, 2008 This colorful adventure is the screen version of one of the classic tales from “1001 Arabian Nights.” It tells the story of Sinbad (Kerwin Mathews) and Princess Parisa (Kathryn Grant). When they unexpectedly stop on the... Action / Adventure / Family / Fantasy

For more details about Ray Harryhausen Collection on Blu-ray, see the Ray Harryhausen Collection Blu-ray Review

Ray Harryhausen Collection Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


The most intriguing aspect of the Ray Harryhausen Collection is the inclusion of both the original black and white versions as well as the newly created colorized versions of each film, with the exception of The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, offered in its original technicolor version only. During the movies, viewers may choose to switch versions by pressing the "angle" button on their remote controls. After a slight pause, the movies immediately pick up again in the other version.

Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
Rating: 3.5/5

Earth vs. the Flying Saucers lands on Blu-ray with a 1080p, 1.85:1-framed transfer. The colorized version, like the one found on 20 Million Miles to Earth, features somewhat peachy flesh tones and offers a slightly unnatural appearance, although several shots look so good as to almost pass for originally being filmed in color. The black and white version offers a more detailed, natural look. The image appears slightly less grainy than the other Harryhausen offerings in the set, although the color version exhibits its fair share, and more so than the black and white version. Both images bring the movie alive on large screens, meaning that viewers may finally watch them at home in magnifications where they look their best. High definition does make some of the various strings holding up the saucers clearly evident, but the film wouldn't be the same with slick, cutting edge effects. This is a fine effort, and longtime fans will revel in the unearthed detail to be found here, as well as the newly colorized version.

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad
Rating: 3.5/5

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad debuts on Blu-ray in a fine looking 1080p, 1.66:1-framed transfer. The colors over the opening title sequence are impressive, rich and bold and lifelike. Grain is extremely heavy in some scenes, and is present in some quantity over the entirety of the film. Some shots are also slightly soft in appearance, but for the most part, this transfer is solid, all things considered. Detail is generally above average as well. The sand on the beaches, as seen early in the film, and various large rock faces look good, and there is a decent depth to the transfer. Likewise, the interior of Sinbad's ship and the various interior shots of Bagdad offer viewers plenty of eye candy in the way of the magnitude of colors, texture, and detail. Black levels are moderately good, appearing a bit bright in a few scenes. Flesh tones appear very natural. The 7th Voyage of Sinbad looks better than ever, a treat for longtime fans, a rich, fulfilling experience for newcomers, and the disc serves as another fine example of the wonderful clarity and film-like transfers Blu-ray is capable of offering, particularly in regards to older films, in this case a 50-year-old adventure classic.

It Came From Beneath the Sea
Rating: 3.5/5

Presented in 1080p high definition and framed at 1.85:1, It Came From Beneath the Sea presents viewers with both the original black and white version as well as Harryhausen's newly colorized edition. First, the colorized version. The interior shots of the submarine seen at the beginning of the film are nicely detailed. The various bulkheads and instruments reveal dents, paint chips, creases, bolts, and more. Various clothing, particularly the more ornate military uniforms worn by various characters throughout the film, are highly detailed and offer excellent texture evidenced both on the fabric and the various adornments. Colors are strong, a good example being the yellow suits worn by a trio of characters in chapter three. The image features some decent depth and is quite sharp, with few moments of softness. There is also a fairly heavy grain field covering the entirety of the image, though it didn't quite seem to be as thick as what viewers will see in The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. The black and white version offers a crisp, impressive image all its own, and appears to have slightly more depth and clarity than the colorized version, which was no slouch in this regard. However, the film does seem to work better in color. The original elements are preferred for artistic reasons, but considering Harryhausen approved the colorization process, both are acceptable. The creature shots at the end of the film are the most obviously enhanced by color. Either way, It Came From Beneath the Sea makes for fine high definition material of a decades-old film.

20 Million Miles to Earth
Rating: 3.5/5

20 Million Miles to Earth is presented on Blu-ray in 1080p high definition with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The film is quite grainy throughout, but the print is remarkably clean for a film of this age. It's certainly not pristine, but given the age, it looks great. Detail is remarkably high as well. Although not as breathtaking as other classics seen on Blu-ray -- for example, The Searchers, -- the film looks very good. As for the color vs. black and white issue, I felt the film felt more natural in its original colorless version. Oftentimes colors looked slightly off. Many skin tones looked "peachy" and unnatural. Some color reproduction looked great, such as the green of the monster and the tans of the army uniforms, but on the whole I much preferred the black and white version. I'm glad both are on here, and Harryhausen's decision to colorize the film carries a lot of weight. The end product cannot be eschewed out of spite for the colorization process.

Ray Harryhausen Collection Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
Rating: 4/5

Presented with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers offers listeners the finest audio presentation amongst the four films included in this set. Dialogue is strong; the narration over the film's open is impressive, baritone, and deep, and the accompanying music flows nicely through the entirety of the front soundstage. The flying saucers practically fly around the living room, and the surround speakers are used to fine effect as the ships maneuver through the entirety of the listening area. The first such example comes in chapter one and continues in most every scene featuring saucers in flight. Bass is robust in this soundtrack, first evidenced in chapter four when the Sky Hook installation is attacked. Listeners won't be bowled over by this soundtrack, but it's plenty active and entertaining, offering a fine compliment to the film's visuals and story line.

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad
Rating: 3.5/5

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad sails onto Blu-ray with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack, and also included is the film's original monaural sound mix. The multi-channel mix, from the film's open, offers listeners a rousing soundtrack with a full, rich presence spread across the entirety of the soundstage. The opening credits sound so rich and fulfilling that it's hard to believe that the orchestra isn't playing live in the living room. It's a great sonic experience, a major step-up in all regards over the original mono track. An early scene featuring the cyclops pounding on an invisible barrier offers decent power with each thud, but don't expect anything like what is heard in The Incredible Hulk. Some sound effects are minimal in impact, evidenced by a driving rainstorm on the high seas as heard in chapter eight. Front heavy and with little in the way of discrete effects, the scene is fine visually but lacks an excellent audio accompaniment that has been heard prior, particularly the aforementioned orchestral theme heard over the film's open. Dialogue reproduction is solid and precise, each voice distinct and flowing gracefully from the center channel. In the scenes featuring a shrunken Princess Parisa, her voice is appropriately tiny and reserved. The 7th Voyage of Sinbad offers listeners a fine multi-channel audio restoration, and longtime fans should be pleased with this new soundtrack, as well as the inclusion of the original monaural offering.

It Came From Beneath the Sea
Rating: 2.5/5

Presented only with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack, It Came From Beneath the Sea has its moments, but for the most part, the track is uninspired and lacking in vigor. Dialogue is generally strong, though it seems to lose a bit of volume in several shots. The soundtrack is very front- and center-heavy, with only the occasional musical cue or sound effect spreading over to even the left and right front channels. The first large-scale creature attack, as heard in chapter six, does offer listeners some extensive rumbling and thumping, filling the soundstage nicely, but not incredibly. Another scene with decent presence and power is found as a plane takes off in chapter nine, but again, the effect is moderate at best. Some of the action sequences feature effects that find their way into the rear, but these are far and few between. The film's Golden Gate Bridge attack is far and away the best, sonically. It remains front heavy but offers decent low frequency extension and is certainly the most active sonic moment in the film. It Came From Beneath the Sea offers a fairly pedestrian soundtrack, but it is acceptable nevertheless.

20 Million Miles to Earth
Rating: 3/5

This release of Columbia Pictures' 20 Million Miles to Earth features a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack. Obviously not the original mix, this is nonetheless a fine sounding remix that comes across as neither forced nor phony. Surrounds are used to good effect, though at times the sound is often muffled and slightly undefined. Dialogue is clear and well defined, and there is no extraneous noise or otherwise unwelcome sound overlaying the track. It's very clean and pleasant. Some of the sound effects, of course, are out of date and come across as rather tacky by today's standards, but such effects only add to the charm of a movie such as this.

Ray Harryhausen Collection Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Today on Blu-ray - October 7th - October 7, 2008


• Harryhausen Blu-ray Details - July 29, 2008

Ray Harryhausen Collection Blu-ray, Forum Discussions

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