By Lee Pfeiffer
In the course of editing Cinema Retro magazine, I've met countless actors and filmmakers- many of them true legends. While each encounter is a memorable and cherished moment, one does get a bit jaded over time and you tend to adapt an attitude that "it's all in a day's work." However, while in London for Cinema Retro's recent Movie Magic Tour of British film locations, Dave Worrall and I were invited back stage at the London Film Museum to meet Ray Harryhausen. The special effects genius and his friend and biographer Tony Dalton were about to engage in an interview before a packed auditorium. Although Ray has been a contributor to Cinema Retro and allowed us access to his personal archives of priceless film props, I had never met the man. Making the occasion even more special was his impromptu reunion with actresses Caroline Munro and Honor Blackman. I was fully aware I was observing a wonderful bit of movie history. Blackman played the Greek goddess Hera in Harryhausen's landmark 1963 film Jason and the Argonauts. As we all chatted, I recalled seeing the movie for the first time and the lasting impression it has had on me. Jason was not particularly successful at the box-office compared to Harryhausen's trademark monster movies, but it has grown in stature and seems to have inspired an entire generation of younger movie directors and special effects experts.
Sony has finally done justice to the movie with a superb Blu-ray release. Harryhausen, who is now 90 but as spry as ever, is all over the special edition in both new and previously-released bonus features. Harryhausen's mastery of stop-motion animation required the kind of patience and skill that few could imagine in this era of overblown CGI-stuffed action film monstrosities. While there is no denying today's animated features are wonderful in their own unique way, there is nothing comparable to Harryhausen's achievements. If you don't understand why, the special features on the Blu-ray will illuminate the subject for you. In essence, every second of film required dozens of minor movements of the model figures Harryhausen created. It's a craft that still exists today, but barely. The film itself impresses more today than it did in 1963, with virtually every scene transfixed in one's memory from the playful attitudes of the gods, who use humans are pawns in their games, to the extravagant action sequences highlighted by the legendary battle with the skeleton army. If there is a weak aspect to the movie it is the casting of Todd Armstrong as Jason. Although physically appropriate for the role, Armstrong is the victim of some bad dubbing that distracts from his performance. On the other side of the coin, Nigel Green is wonderful as Hercules, playing the part in a far more down-to-earth manner than previous screen incarnations.
The Blu-ray transfer is terrific on all levels and does justice to Bernard Herrmann's magnificent score. The wealth of extras include an outstanding new commentary track with Harryhausen and Tony Dalton; a secondary track with director Peter Jackson and special effects expert Randall William Cook, both lifelong fans of the movie; a charming interview between director John Landis and Harryhausen; The Harryhausen Legacy, an outstanding documentary from the 1990s by Richard Schickel and narrated by Leonard Nimoy that features many rare early films from Harryhausen's youth; Ray Harryhausen Chronicles in which prominent filmmakers recall the influence he has had on their lives and careers; original storyboards for the skeleton sequence, and a selection of original and re-issue trailers. You'll have to squint to read about these extras on the packaging, because Sony has foolishly listed them in microscopic type. Nevertheless, the company has produced an outstanding tribute to one of the cinema's legendary artists.
Click here to purchase discounted from Amazon
(For Cinema Retro's exclusive coverage of Ray Harryhausen's personal prop archive, see issue #17)