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“Despite being made of a wire armature and a clay exterior, the creature from 20 million miles away is the most expressive and unique performer in this routine science fiction adventure story. Strength of story and acting are not the primary reasons anyone watches these Ray Harryhausen films, but eve” read more
“In light of Mars Attacks! it’s a bit difficult to watch Earth vs the Flying Saucers with a straight face, since Tim Burton’s homage/parody hybrid used it as the most obvious foundational subject. Still, once you get past that first batch of giggles, buckle up for a briskly paced piece of pulp sc” read more
“The major problem with The Animal World, which which renders the film practically unwatchable today, can be traced directly back to this quote from Irwin Allen, the writer-director-producer of this nature documentary: “We don’t use the word “evolution.” We hope to walk a very thin line. On o” read more
“The acting and directing are a step-up from The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms in It Came from Beneath the Sea, but its Ray Harryhausen’s quirky effects work that’s the real charm here. Another run through “giant radiated creature destroys the city,” It Came from Beneath the Sea is another fast-m” read more
“The faux-dinosaur at the heart of The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (dubbed Rhedosaurus) is the twisted atomic heart of an entire genre of films about gigantic monsters created or awakened by nuclear bombs. For all of the stilted dialog, slumberous pacing, and wooden acting, those big set pieces make th” read more
“Sixteen years after King Kong frightened the masses, several of the primary players reteamed for this novelty, yet another film about a gigantic ape and the pretty young woman who can tame him. Whereas King Kong was all about scaring the daylights of its audience and sending them on a thrill-a-minut” read more
The Story of the Tortoise and the Hare
“First, a little bit of background information is in order. Begun as the sixth entry in his fairy tale series in 1952, “The Story of the Tortoise and the Hare” was abandoned once Ray Harryhausen realized there was more money in making movie monsters than there was in making short films for school” read more
“All of these fairy tale adaptations have flirted with terrifying images, but “The Story of King Midas” gives us a warlock that looks like Nosferatu manifesting from a loose golden coin in a puff of smoke. This creature of dark magic wouldn’t be out of place in one of Ray Harryhausen’s Sinbad” read more
The Story of Hansel and Gretel
““The Story of Hansel and Gretel” is a remarked improvement over the same year’s “Rapunzel,” creating a sustained air of dread throughout its ten short minutes and then ending in a bittersweet happy ending. The innocence is forever lost in Hansel and Gretel’s dewy youth, but at least they” read more
have watched
8/10
have watched
8/10
8/10
“Made up of equal parts of the colored pencil warmth of a children’s storybook and European noir-ish intrigue of To Catch a Thief, A Cat in Paris is a charming mixed bag. The combination of flavors never settles into anything coherent, but it’s consistently lovely to gaze upon, cozy and artisanal” read more
“The Homesman is something of a mess, but in fractured moments it possess a stark, uncompromising poetry and a stellar pair of lead performances. The problem is, instead of just leaving well enough alone and pointing the camera at Hilary Swank and Tommy Lee Jones, Jones, who also directs, takes the n” read more
““The Story of Rapunzel” is probably the weakest of the fairy tale shorts that Ray Harryhausen made. Not for any particular reason besides the lack of a truly memorable villain to make it all worth the trip, of course this can be traced back to the source. The fairy tale drops the witch quickly a” read more
The Story of Little Red Riding Hood
“I first encountered these semi-campy, semi-terrifying stop-motion fairy tale films from Ray Harryhausen on a VHS tape collecting hundreds of public domain cartoons. Sandwiched in-between Fleischer cartoons, Little Audrey, Felix the Cat, and Mighty Mouse, these things stuck out not only for their jer” read more
““Mother Goose Stories,” or “The Storybook Review” depending on where you’ve learned the title, is a ten minute short film encompassing four nursery rhymes, complete and unabridged. It’s also just absolutely bizarre to watch given that stop-motion animation was nowhere near as fluid as it” read more
““Tulips Shall Grow” is a short film made during WWII that exists to give weight and artistic design to the phrase, “hope springs eternal.” It tells the story of a Dutch boy and girl romancing each other in a storybook Eden before mechanical screws render it a wasteland, only for divine inter” read more
have watched
6/10
have watched
6/10
have watched
7/10
have watched
7/10