A windy Saturday afternoon, the shopping done, I raid my DVD collection and come up with this 1950's monster pic. Despite the presence of Willis O'Brien on the credits this certainly isn't KING KONG. But it is undemanding fun. The monster looks a bit tatty but I particularly liked the many shots of panic stricken extras running through the streets of a part of London that seems to consist of buildings due for demolition. My disk has an awful commentary by two minor American FX guys who spend the whole time bitching about the short comings of the movie and its script - but they've obviously done no research beyond their own little specialist area and have nothing to say about the cast which includes Andre Morell, Gene Evans, John Turner, Maurice Kaufman and Jack MacGowran (they seem to be totally unaware of who he is). How much did they get paid? The word Tossers comes to mind. Rating **Saturday, 5 February 2011
BEHEMOTH THE SEA MONSTER/The Giant Behemoth (1959)
A windy Saturday afternoon, the shopping done, I raid my DVD collection and come up with this 1950's monster pic. Despite the presence of Willis O'Brien on the credits this certainly isn't KING KONG. But it is undemanding fun. The monster looks a bit tatty but I particularly liked the many shots of panic stricken extras running through the streets of a part of London that seems to consist of buildings due for demolition. My disk has an awful commentary by two minor American FX guys who spend the whole time bitching about the short comings of the movie and its script - but they've obviously done no research beyond their own little specialist area and have nothing to say about the cast which includes Andre Morell, Gene Evans, John Turner, Maurice Kaufman and Jack MacGowran (they seem to be totally unaware of who he is). How much did they get paid? The word Tossers comes to mind. Rating **
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3 comments:
1050's monster pic?!?!?! I love movies with a cast of Saxons. If they only knew they had to watch out for Normans rather than Behemoths.
I've never actually seen this film but what could possibly be more dull than to hear two nitwits nattering on about special effects for an entire movie commentary. I have practically no interest in the nuts and bolts practical effects industry so even two knowledgeable, respected FX artists would try my patience immensely but these two you mention sound more like "fan boys" who have no concept of the history or art of cinema but solely fill their skulls with the narrow, insular subject of FX twaddle. Why do DVD companies subject us to such awful commentaries? Obviously because they come cheap. Ray Harryhausen they ain't. And one more question: if they don't like the film and have nothing good to say about it then why are they doing the commentary in the first place??? Media whores, anyone???
It ain't the greatest movie but I've seen worse. Andre Morell seems to be repeating his Quatermass performance which you'd think they might have noticed.
When you consider that Willis O'Brien and Pete Peterson had less than $20k to do the FX and they were shot in Pete's garage on knee high table sets so he could animate from his wheelchair ... I think they did a fantastic job!
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