The Wonderful Worlds of ray harryhausen Vol Two
Verne, Wells, myths and monsters
released OUT NOW! 1961-1964 | PG | Blu-ray & dVd (dual format)
Directors Cy endfield, don Chaffey, Nathan Juran
Cast Michael Craig, Herbert lom, Todd armstrong, lionel Jeffries
Ray Harryhausen tackles the classics here: Jules Verne, HG Wells and Apollonius of Rhodes. But what we’re really interested in are the stop-motion monsters.
Mysterious Island (making its UK Blu-ray debut) is basically Robinson Crusoe with giant animals and Captain Nemo. Harryhausen’s massive crab, prehistoric chicken and supersized bees are little oases of fun in a stodgy story with dull characters.
Jason And The Argonauts is Harryhausen’s undisputed classic, and boasts some of his most memorable sequences: the giant Telos, the swordfighting skeletons, the harpies. The plot nips along breezily, with humour and charm aplenty, helped by Bernard Herrmann’s soaring score.
The monsters in First Men In The Moon (another UK HD debut) are thin on the ground: just a “mooncalf” and a few “selenites” (insectoid lunar dwellers). However, it remains huge fun – charming sci-fi whimsy, with Lionel Jeffries great as a mad professor, and some elegant pre-steampunk design work.
Extras Tons! New bonuses include commentary on Mysterious Island featuring Harryhausen, an appreciation of that film by Kim Newman, and six interviews with cast and crew. Carried over from previous releases are four commentaries (including Peter Jackson on
Argonauts), vintage featurettes, isolated scores, galleries. You also get an 80-page book. Dave Golder
Ray Harryhausen’s wife, Diana Livingstone Bruce, was the great-granddaughter of explorer David Livingstone.