Aliens and magic equal movie viewing fun
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By G. Michael Dobbs
Managing Editor
Two fun movies from animator Ray Harryhausen and the new collection of Criss Angel's television show are in this week's DVD column.
Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers
It Came from Beneath the Sea
The release of these two films, which followed the release last year of Ray Harryhausen's "20 Million Miles to Earth," should be a treat for fans of the master stop-motion animator. At a time when computer generated animation has in many ways replaced the use of stop motion, these films show once again, that in the right hands, stop motion is a technique of animation that has real strengths.
Harryhausen is best known for his series of color fantasy films made in the 1960s and through 1981 such as "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad," "Jason and the Argonauts," and "Clash of the Titans." These two films come from the earlier part of his career when low budget prohibited color photography.
Aside from Willis O'Brien, who was the animator behind the original "King Kong," Harryhausen remains the preeminent stop motion animator in the world. The art form is a demanding one in which an articulated model is moved millimeters at a time, photographed on one or two frames of film and then moved again. An animation sequence can take weeks to film.
Harryhausen has been lauded not only for his great model work, but also for his animation that literally breathes life into these inanimate objects.
"It Came from Beneath the Sea" is in many ways a pretty routine B science fiction movie that is made memorable by the giant octopus that ultimately destroys the Golden Gate bridge. In the accompanying interview with Harryhausen he recalled with a laugh the film's budget wouldn't allow him to have an eight-legged octopus, as animating all eight legs would be too expensive. So instead the film features a six-legged beast. Since the octopus is usually seen partially obscured by water, Harryhausen thought no one would notice.
The film does have a fun tough guy lead performance from one of my favorite B actors, Kenneth Tobey.
Other extras include a preview of a new comic book based on the film and an audio commentary, also. Both films have an interview of Harryhausen by director Tim Burton and a great feature on the man who created the scores for the films.
"Earth vs. The Flying Saucers" is a better film, and Harryhausen actually makes the animation of the flying saucers certainly not as compelling a subject as one of his monsters a visual treat.
Cashing in on the 1950s UFO craze, the film follows a predictable formula of a scientist being contacted by aliens who want to take over the planet. Despite the use of some stock footage, there's a fairly impressive look to the film thanks to the depiction of the saucers and the aliens. It's silly fun.
Both DVDs have color versions of the film that were approved by Harryhausen himself. As much as I don't like colorization, I have to say the process used by the producers creates a realistic-looking color. Harryhausen said it was his intention to make these films originally in color.
So some classic low-budget sci-fi thrills from the 1950s, you can't go wrong with these two films.
For more information, log onto www.rayharryhausendvd.com
Criss Angel: Mindfreak Season Three
I'm a sucker for magic and even though Criss Angel's heavy metal rock trappings make his act a bit cheesy for my tastes, I find his illusions pretty compelling viewing.
If you've not caught his show on A&E with the totally regrettable title of "Mindfreak," you now have the chance to see the third season on this recently released DVD set.
Angel's show frequently revolves a central illusion and treats its as the subject of a reality show. There's far more relation to "Jackass" than David Copperfield here.
As an escape artist, Angel is fun to watch. Being the 21st century, he's not going to dress up in a tux as Houdini frequently did to perform and he does his act in rock and roll wear.
The reality show tone extends to having Angel's entire family all of whom dress like rock and rollers, even mom who dyes her hair the same jet black color as her sons do get into the act.
Angel sings the title song and if that's an example of his music, he should really stick to something he does very well: magic.
The extras include a feature in which Angel comments about each show and another feature in which Angel talks about some of his celebrity friends. Both are pretty forgettable.
For more information, log onto www.crissangel.com
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