I absolutely still love this movie from my childhood. I hope you do too. I have my popcorn ready, and my ginger ale chilled, looking forward to this Sunday evening delight. :)
But before I leave, I just wanted to say that I did not like the new 2010 version of this story. It felt like all they focused on was special effects and not the story. It's like meeting a muscular man or woman with no personality. Less is more and the actors in the 1981 version were perfectly cast. The acting was superb. The entire production of the 1981 version of this movie was perfection.
From Fandom.com: Clash of the Titans is a 1981 film based on the Greek myths of Perseus and his battles against Medusa and the Kraken to save the Princess Andromeda. It was released on June 12, 1981. The movie was remade for a 2010 release.
The gods predict that Perseus and Andromeda will live happily, rule wisely, and produce children, and Zeus forbids the other gods to pursue vengeance against them. The likenesses of Perseus, Andromeda, Pegasus, and Cassiopeia appear as constellations.
Ray Harryhausen used the special effects technique of stop motion animation to create the various creatures in Clash of the Titans. Harryhausen was also co-producer of the film, and retired from filmmaking shortly after the movie was released, making this his last main feature film. Despite the mechanical owl Bubo's similarities to the droid R2-D2 of the 1977 film Star Wars, Harryhausen claimed that Bubo was created before Star Wars was released.
******************
From Letterboxd: Clash of the Titans 1981 Directed by Desmond Davis
You will feel the power. Live the adventure. Experience the fantastic.
To win the right to marry his love, the beautiful princess Andromeda, and fulfill his destiny, Perseus must complete various tasks including taming Pegasus, capturing Medusa’s head, and battling the Kraken monster.
******************
Clash of the Titans is a 1981 British-American heroic fantasy adventure film directed by Desmond Davis and written by Beverley Cross which retells the Greek mythological story of Perseus. It stars Harry Hamlin, Judi Bowker, Burgess Meredith, Maggie Smith and Laurence Olivier. The film features the final work of stop motion visual effects artist Ray Harryhausen. It was released on June 12, 1981 and grossed $41 million at the North American box office, which made it the 11th-highest-grossing film of the year. A novelization of the film by Alan Dean Foster was published in 1981.
Box office
Clash of the Titans was released on June 12, 1981. By the time it finished its theatrical run, it had grossed $41 million in North America. The film had a worldwide gross of over $60 million and was one of 1981's biggest hits.
👇 BONUS just because 👇
CineFix published May 7, 2013: Ray Harryhausen Tribute 1920-2013. Director Jack Perez (MONSTER ISLAND, MEGA SHARK VS. GIANT OCTOPUS, SOME GUY WHO KILLS PEOPLE) gives a tribute to the Stop Motion Animation pioneer and special effects giant, Ray Harryhausen, who passed away on Tues, May 7, 2013.
Mentored by the great Willis O'Brien, who animated the legendary KING KONG (1933), Ray Harryhausen influenced legions of filmmakers and special effects technicians, creating awe-inspiring stop motion animated sequences in JASON & THE ARGONAUTS, THE SEVENTH VOYAGE OF SINBAD, THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS, IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA, CLASH OF THE TITANS, MYSTERIOUS ISLAND, 20,000,000 MILES TO EARTH, THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD, EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS, SINBAD AND THE EYE OF THE TIGER, ONE MILLION YEARS B.C., & MIGHTY JOE YOUNG, among many others.
Stop Motion Works published May 18, 2013: Before CGI animation, there was Ray Harryhausen. He was the Godfather and inspiration of modern special effects. Mainstream movie business ignores Stop Motion now. There are technical advances in stop motion special effects and can be viable in independent film genre such as fantasy, horror, science fiction.
40 minutes - Produced in UK - 1999, October Films Production / Channel 4 TV Corp
written by Chris Cummins
[source: Movie Fanfare]
When it was released in June of 1981, Clash of the Titans was a box office success that was the year’s 11th highest grossing film thanks to its take of $41,000,000. The movie presents the story of the Greek myth of Perseus (Harry Hamlin) and is most notable for featuring the final special effects work of the legendary Ray Harryhausen, whom director Desmond Davis handed the film’s many spectacular sequences over to. Hamlin shines as the son of Zeus, who must tame the winged horse Pegasus, slay the snake-haired Medusa, and rescue the beautiful Andromeda from the Kraken, a giant four-armed sea monster. Another aspect of the film that is much heralded is its supporting cast, which includes such acting heavyweights as Maggie Smith, Burgess Meredith, Ursula Andress, and Laurence Olivier as Zeus.
However, despite doing well financially and featuring a stellar cast, the movie has a reputation in certain circles of being cheesy and dated. To this we say nonsense, for this is a film that is more of a last hurrah for the classic — and still impressive from a 2017 perspective — special effects that Harryhausen ushered in with films like Jason and the Argonauts and The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. By the time the summer of ’81 rolled around, movies like Westworld, Logan’s Run, Star Wars, Superman, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Raiders of the Lost Ark had made Harryhausen’s techniques seem quaint and old fashioned. There’s a validity to that for sure, but by no means are Harryhausen’s effects dated, and many of the technicians who worked on subsequent FX-heavy pictures were quick to acknowledge how much his work influenced what they do…and still does. (And yes, the effects in the 1981 version of Clash of the Titan, even Bubo, are still more impressive than those featured in the hollow 2010 remake).
There would be no future without the past. And although the original Clash was released at a time when the special effects industry was moving ahead at warp speed, there is still time to pause and take in the mastery of the craft that is on display in this fantastic fantasy flick. This may have been his last mainstream effort, but Harryhausen continued to talk about his craft until his death in 2013. He remains a vital influence on anyone whose job it is to bring the fantastic to life on screen, and we have no doubt that his peerless work will continue to resonate throughout pop culture well until the end of time.
No comments:
Post a Comment