It Came From Beneath the Sea/Earth vs. the Flying Saucers/20 Million Miles to Earth/The 7th Voyage of SinbadSony Pictures | 1955-1958 | 4 Movies | 329 min | Not rated | Oct 07, 2008
Harryhausen
Sony Pictures | 1955 | 78 min | Not rated | Region free
| Dec 16, 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.
Harryhausen
Sony Pictures | 1956 | 82 min | Not rated | Region A (B, C untested) | No Release Date
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...
Harryhausen
Sony Pictures | 1957 | 82 min | Not rated | Region free
| 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...
Harryhausen
Sony Pictures | 1958 | 87 min | Rated G | Region free
| 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...
With a passion for old science fiction, it is with great joy that I embrace this release of four of
legendary effects artist Ray Harryhausen's films onto Blu-ray. Late last year, Sony released one
film
from this set, 20 Million Miles to
Earth. It proved to be a solid technical release of a movie that offers plenty of B-movie
goodness for fans of old fashioned Science Fiction. Now, bundled with the aforementioned 20
Million Miles to Earth, three more Harryhausen films come
bundled in this set, including It Came From Beneath the Sea, The 7th Voyage of
Sinbad, and Earth vs. the Flying Saucers. Harryhausen is a legend in cinema lore,
and
perhaps an apt description would be to call him the Stan Winston of his time. Terribly out of date
and borderline laughable as
they may now be, Harryhausen's effects in these and other films like Clash of the Titans
were groundbreaking and ushered
in a new era and standard for the look, feel, and artistic license behind the use of such effects in
cinema. These films are respected in many circles for the visual effects work, not to mention the
campy-fun stories, and as such, all are
worthy additions to every Blu-ray collection.
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers Rating: 4/5
UFOs are appearing in the skies everywhere, and the U.S. military has issued a new order: shoot
on sight. Married only two hours, Dr. Russ Marvin (Hugh Marlowe) and his wife Carol (Joan
Taylor) encounter a UFO during an automobile trip. The couple works for Project Sky Hook,
a government installation that is launching satellites into space as a precursor to manned flight.
Sky Hook's birds are crashing back to Earth prematurely, and it is soon discovered that the culprit
creating these disasters is none other than a fleet of UFOs bent on mankind's submission! Dr.
Marvin later discovers the
craft's distinctive
sound on a tape recording, but is unable to decipher it before the extraterrestrial visitors destroy
Sky Hook. Dr. Marvin scrambles to create
a weapon capable of stopping the seemingly unstoppable machines before it's too late.
The finest film in the Ray Harryhausen Collection, and a quintessential example of 1950s
Science Fiction, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers was a Science Fiction fan's delight when it
was first released, and remains a highly entertaining effort today. The film holds up remarkably
well, remaining a larger-than-life spectacle that excites the senses like never before on this
Blu-ray edition, one that is suitable for playback on large monitors and projector screens, truly
the
only way to witness and fully enjoy this and other seminal works of Science Fiction. Earth vs.
the
Flying Saucers features simple yet highly effective storytelling and visuals. The action is
robust, to the point, and exciting. The film may also be viewed as a metaphor for the dangers of
the Cold War and the atomic age. It is an example of how simple miscommunication, cultural
differences, and deceit can bring about unspeakable violence, fear, and terror. It was relevant
then, and remains so today, but the film works best as nothing other than escapist,
tongue-in-cheek entertainment.
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad Rating: 3.5/5
Sinbad (Kerwin Mathews) is a respected ship's captain, adventurer, and leader, engaged to marry
the beautiful Princess Parisa (Kathryn Grant), daughter of a great Sultan. When
Sinbad and his crew venture to the seemingly uninhabited island of Colossa, they meet a terrified
magician by the name of Sokurah (Torin Thatcher) who is being chased by a giant cyclops.
Sokurah calls on a genie (Richard Eyer) from his magic lamp to protect himself and Sinbad's crew
from the dangerous beast, and they manage to escape, but not before the cyclops retrieves
Sokurah's lamp. Returning to Bagdad, Sokurah is denied the men and material needed to return
to the island to retrieve his lost treasure. He secretly shrinks Princess Parisa to miniature scale
and informs Sinbad that the only way to return her to normal size is to retrieve an eggshell
found only on the island of Colossa. Sinbad must form a ragtag crew of anyone willing to return
to the deadly island, and they can only hope to retrieve the eggshell before running into the
cyclops again -- or any other wondrous and deadly creatures.
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad is one of Ray Harryhausen's finest efforts, and the special
effects
have never looked better than they do on this Blu-ray disc. There is a charm to the simplicity of
the
effects, and while they are certainly out of date and not nearly as fluid and seamless as those
found
in something like Transformers, they
are
easy to embrace, fit the tone of the movie, and most importantly, never pull audiences, even
audiences used to 21st century effects, out of the film. Various shots actually look great,
particularly the first time the miniature Princess Parisa is seen standing atop her pillow. Such
scenes are covered in scratches and debris, but never to the drastic impairment of the movie.
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad offers audiences a fun thrill ride, making for an extremely
watchable old-fashioned adventure but with a plethora of cheesiness to go along with it. The
acting is certainly over-the-top, particularly between the Sinbad and Parisa characters as they
seem to be reciting Hallmark cards to one another rather than heartfelt affections. The
remainder of the cast and the delivery of the action dialogue is certainly second-rate in many
cases, but because of the film's unabashed way that it revels in exaggerated yet simple
storytelling, it all fits right in with the tempo of the film.
It Came From Beneath the Sea Rating: 2/5
Aboard his atom-powered submarine, mankind's ultimate weapon and the finest vessel ever to
set sail, Commander Pete Mathews' (Kenneth Tobey) boat encounters a large object on sonar,
soon experiences extreme levels of radiation, and the crew discovers a mysterious object
attached to the hull. Upon return to the safety of Pearl Harbor, professor Lesley Joyce (Faith
Domergue) and Dr. John Carter (Donald Curtis) discover that the object is a creature from the
deepest, unexplored depths of the ocean, affected by radiation from a hydrogen bomb, and forced
to leave its habitat in search of new food sources. When the creature begins attacking more
vessels, the Navy sets out to destroy it before it can wreak havoc on America's heavily populated
coastlines.
The primary problem with It came From Beneath the Sea is the film's lack of drama and
urgency, evidenced by the opening sequence as Commander Mathews' sub first makes contact
with the creature. The encounter seems almost routine for the crew, and the audience is never
made to believe a true sense of danger or bewilderment exists. The film does break from
convention by presenting the entire sequence sans music. Generally in such a "tense" scene as
this one, the action would be dominated by a harrowing theme, but not here. This decision
added to the realism of the moment, and made the scene stand out. The pacing is also
somewhat sluggish throughout. The action is separated by lengthy
exposition that begins to drag the film down. It never comes to a grinding halt, although the
needle veers closely to the "boring" end of the spectrum far more often than it should. For all of
its shortcomings -- including a cheesy voice over narration in between sequences, bland acting,
and a trite romance angle replete with swelling music signaling a budding love interest -- the
movie will put a smile on the face as audiences revel in the ridiculousness of it all. It Came
From Beneath the Sea, particularly in its third act, is good, lighthearted, easy-on-the-brain
fun.
20 Million Miles to Earth Rating: 2/5
20 Million Miles to Earth stars William Hopper (Rebel Without a Cause) as Colonel
Robert Calder, the lone
survivor of a doomed mission to the planet Venus. Several of his shipmates perished on the
planet's surface, and the remainder die when their rocket ship crash lands into the sea off of the
coast of Sicily. He is rescued by local fisherman, including a boy named Pepe (Bart Bradley,
From the Earth to the Moon) who eventually finds an odd container washed up ashore
that
came back on the ship from Venus. Young and curious, Pepe throws caution to the wind, opens
the container to find a squishy green substance, and sells it to a local scientist named Dr.
Leonardo (Frank Puglia,
The
First Texan) for 200 Lira, enough to buy an authentic Texas cowboy hat. Dr. Leonardo is
taken
aback when a creature emerges from the gelatinous goo and grows exponentially, beginning as
the
size of a pencil and becoming as large as a man in mere days. While Dr. Leonardo is taking the
creature to Rome
for further study, the creature escapes and it's up to Col. Calder to find and capture the creature
before it destroys the countryside.
20 Million Miles to Earth is
cheese
at its most scrumptious, a delectable smorgasbord of the finest colby, cheddar, swiss, muenster,
pepperjack, provolone, and brie served up any way you want it. Perhaps no other science fiction
film summarizes the state of the genre in the 1950s as well as this. Audiences will see a
completely
unbelievable plot, stiff characters, screaming women, a battalion of worthless soldiers fighting a
losing cause, and, of course, a monster. While this film doesn't delve into the "radioactive" angle
that so many of its contemporary brethren relied on to push their stories along (see It Came
From Beneath the Sea), this one
nevertheless manages to
bring
in the outer space angle, an angle that hearkens back to the true "glory" days of science fiction
when the likes of Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers serials, shows that would be the precursors to
the
likes of Star Trek, Babylon Five, and
Battlestar Galactica, enthralled America's youth.
Please note: no creatures from Venus were harmed during the making of this motion picture.
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.
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.
With a plethora of bonus materials on this and the other discs in the collection, Ray Harryhausen
fans are in for a day's worth of bonus materials. A commentary track featuring Ray Harryhausen,
Arnold Kunert, and visual effects experts Jeffery Okun and Ken Ralston is first. The track begins
with a discussion on the design of the flying saucers and their early and frequent appearance in
the
film. Obviously, talk of the effects dominate the track, but these participants also discuss the
script, the score, and other trivial matters. The Hollywood Blacklist and Bernard Gordon
(480p, 29:27) is a feature that delves into a bit of the history behind Hollywood's blacklist, those
accused of Communist ties in Tinseltown. The piece then examines how writers subverted the
system by using pen names to continue working, and focuses on the story of Earth vs. the
Flying Saucers' writer Bernard Gordon. For as interesting as the material is, the piece is slow
paced but remains one worth watching nevertheless.
Remembering 'Earth vs. the Flying Saucers' (480p, 21:25) features Ray Harryhausen
reminiscing on the project, beginning with tales of the olden days of UFO fanatics and moves to
a solid discussion of the film's effects. Unlike the previous feature, the discussion is lively and
engaging, moving at a swift pace. Interview With Joan Taylor (480p, 17:29) features
the actress recounting her career and specifically her place in Harryhausen film history. The
Colorization Process (480p, 11:02) looks at the methods employed to colorize the film. Ray
Harryhausen
discusses the budget constraints that kept his film from being filmed in color to begin with, and
moves on to his acceptance of the colorization process and the work of Legend Films to color
them with Harryhausen's approval. Original Screenplay Credits (480p, 3:16) offers
viewers the original, "blacklisted" edition of the film's credit sequence. 'Flying Saucers vs. the
Earth' Comic Book is a preview of an upcoming comic book. Two still galleries -- Ad
Art (480p, 5:31) and Production (480p, 17:49) -- are included. Also available are
trailers for the other Ray Harryhausen films included in this set. Finally, this disc is BD-Live (Blu-
ray profile 2.0) enabled. At time of writing, no movie-exclusive supplements were available.
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad Rating: 3.5/5
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad offers viewers a treasure as great as that of the Cyclops' in the
form of this jam-packed supplemental section. Beginning the proceedings is a feature-length
commentary track with Ray Harryhausen, visual effects experts Phil Tippet and Randall William
Cook, author Steven Smith, and Arnold Kunert. The track begins by placing the film's influential
and rousing score in the context of cinematic history. As the track moves along, the participants
discuss the efforts that went into making the film, including the studios' rejection of the idea (due
to the belief that costume pictures were "dead"), the evolution of the script, and the originality of
the film at the time of its release. There is, of course, plenty of talk about the special effects.
The
track is a lively one, fascinating, entertaining, and educational all at once, and is a must-listen for
fans of special effects or cinema history.
Remembering the 7th Voyage of Sinbad (480p, 23:31) features Ray Harryhausen
reminiscing about the experience of creating the film, recounting some of the same information
as
heard in the commentary track. Nevertheless, he offers tales pertaining to the film's
pre-production
stage, shooting locations, creature design, and more. The Harryhausen Legacy (480p,
25:32) features interviews with an impressive list of Hollywood bigwigs as they discuss
Harryhausen's influence as a special effects pioneer. Bob Burns, John Landis, Phil Tippet, Hoyt
Yeatman, Ken Ralston, Joe Dante,
John Dykstra, the Chiodo Brothers, Dennis Muren, Doug Beswick, John Berg, Rick Baker, Kevin
Kutchaver, Frank Darabont, Forrest J. Ackerman, and Stan Winston are interviewed, showing just
how far and wide Harryhausen's influence has spread. The Music of Bernard Herrmann
(480p, 26:52) examines Herrmann's work, his love for Fantasy, his early work on radio, and, of
course, his score for The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and other films. Passionately recounted
by music historian and Herrmann biographer Steve Smith, the piece will appeal to fans of the
composer and music in general.
Next up is a photo gallery, set to music, and presented in 480p. The feature runs for 9:34, with
each photograph remaining on-screen for several seconds. A music video, set to promotional
material for the film, entitled Sinbad May Have Been Bad, But He's Been Good To Me
(480p, 3:07), is next. This piece was created as a promotion for the film, and its history is briefly
described prior to the start of the song. A Look Behind the Voyage (480p, 11:47) is a
vintage piece that further recounts the history of Ray Harryahusen's career, with Harryhausen
participating in the feature along with producer Charles S. Schneer and star Kewrin Mathews.
This is Dynamation (Special Effects) (480p, 3:25) is another vintage piece that informs
audiences of how the then-groundbreaking effects were created. Ray Harryhausen -
Interviewed by John Landis (480p, 11:52) is an entertaining interview featuring two
Hollywood legends. 1080p trailers for Casino Royale, Men in Black, CJ7, and The Water Horse: Legend of
the Deep are also included. Finally, this disc is BD-Live (Blu-ray profile 2.0) enabled.
It Came From Beneath the Sea Rating: 3/5
Another feature-packed disc, It Came From Beneath the Sea provides viewers with
plenty of bonus materials. A commentary track featuring Ray Harryhausen, Arnold Kunert,
animation expert Randy Cook, and visual effects expert John Bruno is first. This group, clearly
enjoying the experience of revisiting the film together and seeing it in color, discuss various
aspects of the film, including the music, the semi-documentary feel of the picture, stock footage
used throughout, sets, color vs. black and white, and of course, the special effects. The track is
breezy and easy to get
into. Remembering 'It Came From Beneath the Sea' (480p, 21:45) features Ray
Harryhausen recounting the origins of the film, the special effects and creature creation and
visualization, the low budget origins of the film, and more. Visual effects supervisor John Bruno
also recounts his experiences with It Came From Beneath the Sea and how the film
influenced his interest in visual effects. Near the end of the piece, filmmaker, author, and
historian John Canemaker further discusses the effects.
A Present Day Look at Stop Motion (480p, 11:38) features New York University student
Kyle Anderson demonstrating how stop-motion animation is achieved today. Tim Burton Sits
Down With Ray Harryhausen (480p, 27:09) proves to be
one of the best features on the disc. The pair enjoys the look back at Harryhausen's work on this
and other films. David Schenter on Film Music's Unsung Hero (480p, 22:33) is an
in-depth look at the music of Mischa Bakaleinikoff. The piece delves into the differences in how
Columbia Pictures' A- and B-list movies were scored, and Bakaleinikoff's contributions to the
Harryhausen's films and the proliferation of his famous themes. Original Ad Artwork
(480p, 17:52) features producer Arnold Kunert sharing various Harryhausen film-releated press
materials and memorabilia. 'It Came From Beneath the Sea' Comic Book is a comic book
version of the film. Viewers can "flip the page" with the right and left arrow keys on their
remotes. Viewers are shown the full page, and may then view the page's top and bottom
portions in a magnified presentation. Next up are three series of still galleries -- Ad Art
(480p, 4:46), Production (480p, 9:32), and Ray Harryhausen's Artwork (480p,
15:31). Also included are 1080p trailers for the other Harryhausen films in this collection.
Finally, this disc is BD-Live (Blu-ray profile 2.0) enabled. The page takes users to Sony's standard
page with trailer, a FAQ, and a panel to register the disc and join Sony's new rewards program.
At time of writing, no additional film-related content was available.
20 Million Miles to Earth Rating: 3.5/5
Fans of 1950s science fiction should be happy with the supplements included on this disc. First
up
is a very informative commentary track featuring Ray Harryhausen and visual effects artists
Dennis
Muren and Phil Tippett, and Arnold Kunert. Quite a bit of the discussion revolves around shooting
in
both Italy and the United States, and there are some great anecdotes throughout. Harryhausen
is
very pleased with the colorization of the film and discusses the reasons why it was originally
filmed
in black and white. The commentary is brought to us via a satellite hook-up between California
and
London (where Harryhausen is) and there is no lag or discernible hic-ups. This is a solid track.
Each of the following features are presented with optional Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.
Remembering '20 Million Miles to Earth' (480p, 27:01) is a basic piece that mostly
discusses the technicalities of making the film, notably the special effects and makeup. The
Colorization Process (480p, 11:02) is a discussion with Ray Harryhausen and Barry Sandrew
of Legend Films about the most recent colorization of the film. Harryhausen always wanted
many of his films produced in color, but certain restraints prevented it from the outset. He
defends the
colorization of certain films, including some of his own, and he also discusses his reaction to the
final
results. Please note that this feature is also available on the Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
disc. Tim Burton Sits Down With Ray Harryhausen (480p, 27:09) is once again
included here. The same feature is also available on the It Came From Beneath the Sea
disc.
Moving on, there is also an Interview With Joan Taylor (480p, 17:29), a chat with the
actress that played Marisa Leonardo in the movie. This supplement also appears on the Earth
vs. the Flying Saucers disc. David Schecter On Film Music's Unsung
Hero (480p, 22:33) is another duplicate supplement, this one also available on the It
Came From Beneath the Sea
disc.
'20 Million Miles More' Comic Book is a preview of a comic book inspired by the film.
Finally, still galleries, original ad artwork, and the trailer for Close Encounters of the Third Kind conclude
this extensive group of supplements.
The Ray Harryhausen Collection is one of Sony's premiere Blu-ray releases to date. Each
film is a classic in its own right, showcasing special effects that paved the way for the nearly
seamless effects of today that dazzle audiences every summer in Hollywood's biggest
blockbusters. All four films in this series offer something unique, an entertaining corner of
Science
Fiction history that continues to grow in popularity as the films now see new color releases and
high definition audio re-mixes. Though the absolute quality of each film varies one from another,
they all play-out with nostalgic fun for longtime fans and remain fine examples of lighthearted
escapist entertainment five decades later. It's hard not to leave each of these films grinning from
ear
to ear, not only thanks to the campy fun each film offers but also because of the loving work that
Sony Pictures
poured into this release. All four films provide video transfers that benefit from the increased
resolution of Blu-ray but also retain the grittiness of the original elements, particularly over the
effects shots. The soundtracks have been masterfully updated as well, some working better than
others, but all a noticeable improvement on the original elements. Lastly, all four discs offer fans
a plethora of bonus features sure to satisfy even the most ardent Ray Harryhausen fan. Fans of
this sort of cinema cannot go wrong with the Ray Harryhausen Collection. Highly
recommended!
Amazon's current Blu-ray Boxed Set of the Week is for the 4-movie set Ray Harryhausen Collection (comprised of It Came From Beneath the Sea, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, 20 Million Miles to Earth and The 7th Voyage of Sinbad), which which can now be had for only ...
Etailer Deepdiscount.com is offering some heavily discounted Blu-ray titles. You can order the four-movie Ray Harryhausen Collection for only $40.31 (62% off MSRP) and Damages: The Complete First Season for $16.23 (59% off MSRP). There is no information regarding ...
Since the early days of the format, Disney has been at the forefront of Blu-ray support, ensuring that consumers were able to purchase the best high definition home theater experience possible. Their critically acclaimed releases for films such as 'Pirates of the ...
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced the special features for the upcoming Blu-ray releases of 'The 7th Voyage of Sinbad: 50th Anniversary Edition' and 'Ray Harryhausen Giftset', both due to hit store shelves on October 7th. The collection will feature ...
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