Jason and the Argonauts

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Myself

Got the new bluray of this classic too and listened to the commenatry by Peter Jackson and Randall William Cook. I was surprised at how well this brushed up actually, it looks fantastic. There's enough detail that you can see in the quality of the grain where Ray Harryhausen has done processed shots, projection, sulpher screening and applied masks.

I always loved Talos, the giant bronze statue. That works so well animated as stop-frame and the sounds that go with him really sell the illusion that a huge metal statue is moving about.

The harpies are pretty neat, the Hydra with 7 heads would have been a nightmare but the real reason to watch this film it the jaw-dropping sword fight with the skeletons right at the very end of the film. That sequence still makes me giddy. It would have require so much planning and I think still holds up today.

Todd Armstrong is pretty dreamy as Jason. The story the film tells is alright but as usual seems to take a back seat to the creatures Harryhausen animates. Still I seemed to watch this one more that the Sinbad films. Bernard Herrmann provides a neat score too.

The commentary was great too, these guys are just huge fans and geek out about what they are seeing. Randall William Cook learnt from Harryhausen and tells some interesting personal stories. He also did effects for one of my favourite kids horror films ever and you can see where he was influenced. Gotta love the old masters.