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DVD Description
An atomic bomb tested in the Arctic frees a gigantic dinosaur from the icy tomb that has encased it for 100 million years. An ice fall kills all witnesses except one, Professor Tom Nesbitt (Paul Hubschmid) who returns to New York with the fantastic story. No one will believe his tale, but the truth is revealed when the beast emerges from the oceans and lays waste to Manhattan. Can the Professor come up with a plan to save the city before it’s too late?
The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms marked the beginning of a ground-breaking special effects career that would belatedly earn Ray Harryhausen a honorary Oscar in 1992. Required to produce convincing effects on a budget of just $200,000, Harryhausen experimented with a new technique for inserting mythical creatures into real-world backgrounds called split-screen. Over the next thirty years, Harryhausen would use his pioneering production style in films that are still considered classics of their genre, including Jason and the Argonauts, One Million Years BC and Clash of the Titans. The origins of split-screen, a system of rear projection onto overlapping screens, lay in the stop-motion photography invented by movie pioneer Willis O’Brien, used most famously in King Kong. The degree of realism achieved in The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms made the film one of the most influential sci-fi productions of the 1950s.
Special Features
- The Rhedosaurus and the Rollercoaster: Making The Beast featurette
- Harryhausen and Bradbury: An Unfathomable Friendship featurette
- Theatrical trailer
- Easter Egg
DVD Technical Information:
- Black and White
- Running Time: 77 minutes
- Audio: Mono
- Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
- Full Screen
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Both movies on this Region 1 dvd (one disc, a movie and its extras on either side) are inspired by fears about the side effects of developing and testing nuclear weapons. The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms sees Ray Harryhausen's beast of dinosaur proportions awoken from a state of deep freeze by nuclear testing (prior to the arrival of Godzilla movies). Thereafter the beast stomps through New York, but there is a twist in the tale preventing a full-on military assault to stop the beast. Lee Van Cleef puts in an appearance as a master marksman but Kenneth Tobey is the familiar face (from the all-time classic The Thing From Another World). This movie is much loved but by far I preferred the second feature-Them. This time the wicked fallout from nuclear tests has created giant mutant ants. I found this movie much more suspenseful, with the eerie sounds that the ants make. Are they merely nearby or about to attack? James Arness (played the alien creature in The Thing From Another World!)and James Whitmore are central characters and have a great rapport with each other in their roles as FBI agent and police sergeant respectively, inspiring all other buddy movies(ok, I'm going too far now). Brilliant movie, carries a wonderful atmosphere and this dvd is a excellent purchase for both the sci fi collector and other movie lovers. Extras are (for The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms)'Making The Beast', 'Harryhausen and Bradbury: An Unfathomable Friendship' (Ray Bradbury wrote the original story, but it's slightly more complicated than that) and a gallery of stills, (for Them) 'How To Operate Giant Ants', production notes and a theatrical trailer. There are subtitles, including English, but I'm afraid they only cover the main movies and not the extras (why is that?).
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is an important film in the history of the medium. Honest! The first film in which the great Ray Harryhausen had full control over special effects, the first proper `creature feature', the first to use man's messing with the nuclear bomb as the cause of the problems. As well as these notable firsts, it is also a great romp, with classic effects from the Master.
Paul Hubschmid (here credited as Paul Christian) and Kenneth Tobey are in the arctic (a setting that would serve Tobey well in his most memorable film `The Thing') testing out a nuclear bomb. The blast melts some ice and releases a mezozoic dinosaur which is soon on the rampage. Hubschmid has seen the creature, but as usual no one believes him and he is soon on a psychiatric ward. The creature starts to make its presence felt, suddenly people believe him and the hunt is on. The creature is heading towards New York, where its old mating grounds were (hilariously overlooking the continental drift that would have occurred in the last 100 million years, after going to so much trouble to give scientifically plausible explanations for the existence of the beast!) and for reasons best known to itself it goes on the rampage, destroying everything in sight. It is up to nuclear physicist Hubschmid to come up with a plan to kill the beast, in a thrilling conclusion.
With all the standard creature feature fare of the time - a scientist in the middle of it all who just happens to have all the answers, a dotty old professor who dispenses wisdom before dying dramatically, the most implausible of dialogue, screaming hordes of citizens running down the street, military types unwilling (at first) to listen, and most importantly a well realised monster of epic proportions this is a classic of the genre. A must see for anyone who enjoys a decent bit of exciting hokum.
This release is a decent affair. The film is presented in the original black and white with a good clean transfer. It is a pity it hasn't been recolourised, as with Harryhausen's other three B&W features (Ray Harryhausen Collection : 20 Million Miles to Earth / Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers / It Came From Beneath The Sea [1955] [DVD]). Some interesting extras in the form of a making of feature and a short documentary about Harryhausen and author Ray Bradbury round out the set. All in all excellent, 5 stars.
Paul Hubschmid (here credited as Paul Christian) and Kenneth Tobey are in the arctic (a setting that would serve Tobey well in his most memorable film `The Thing') testing out a nuclear bomb. The blast melts some ice and releases a mezozoic dinosaur which is soon on the rampage. Hubschmid has seen the creature, but as usual no one believes him and he is soon on a psychiatric ward. The creature starts to make its presence felt, suddenly people believe him and the hunt is on. The creature is heading towards New York, where its old mating grounds were (hilariously overlooking the continental drift that would have occurred in the last 100 million years, after going to so much trouble to give scientifically plausible explanations for the existence of the beast!) and for reasons best known to itself it goes on the rampage, destroying everything in sight. It is up to nuclear physicist Hubschmid to come up with a plan to kill the beast, in a thrilling conclusion.
With all the standard creature feature fare of the time - a scientist in the middle of it all who just happens to have all the answers, a dotty old professor who dispenses wisdom before dying dramatically, the most implausible of dialogue, screaming hordes of citizens running down the street, military types unwilling (at first) to listen, and most importantly a well realised monster of epic proportions this is a classic of the genre. A must see for anyone who enjoys a decent bit of exciting hokum.
This release is a decent affair. The film is presented in the original black and white with a good clean transfer. It is a pity it hasn't been recolourised, as with Harryhausen's other three B&W features (Ray Harryhausen Collection : 20 Million Miles to Earth / Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers / It Came From Beneath The Sea [1955] [DVD]). Some interesting extras in the form of a making of feature and a short documentary about Harryhausen and author Ray Bradbury round out the set. All in all excellent, 5 stars.
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
An absolute Harryhausen classic.
When you consider the age of this film, the special effects are still great, and a testament to Harryhausens work.
The film is far better than similar films of today, mainly because it does not rely on using actors for their ability to look good rather than act, some bint with more mamory glands than talent, or C-G-bloody-I!
The whole family can watch this and enjoy it, and the extras are a must for any Harryhausen fan, though if you already own a Harryhausen DVD the chances are you already own the extras as they all seem to have them.
The
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
You couldn't make this up!
Nuclear test melts frozen dinosaur which then attacks New York City. A black & white science-out-of-control classic. Only for the hardcore amongst us. Read more
Published 7 days ago by Qarumba
A favourite monster movie!
Those crack-pot scientists have gone and done it again.
This time releasing a dinosaur onto the earth. (Oops! Read more
This time releasing a dinosaur onto the earth. (Oops! Read more
Published 3 months ago by S. Ligg
Saint Michael
Oh my they dont make em like they used to do! This film must have scared the pants off those 1950's kid's, and adult's! Read more
Published 6 months ago by saint michael
Ray Harryhausen at his not quite best but still terribly good
The film is Ray Harryhausen's first film in which he did all the creature effects by himself. It his a very good film, but can lag behind in some parts. Read more
Published 16 months ago by The Flapjack Master
Top film
I bought this film as I remember it from when I was a child - it was great fun, although sadly my wife didn't share in it. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Mr. H. E. Bennett
The Beast is a beauty !
Great classic with great special features. A must have for moviegoers and fans of monsters.
Published 19 months ago by zehmour christophe
Never disturb a monster from its nap
During a nuclear test in the Arctic, a long dormant prehistoric monster is awoken. Whilst the beast gradually makes its way towards New York, a survivor of an encounter with the... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Mr. Jonathon T. Beckett
Big Beastie!
When I was young we saw this movie at my gran's house, who received Grampian TV and shortly after it was on STV at our house. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Numinous Ugo
Great movie!
PLEASE NOTE: THIS REVIEW IS FOR 'THEM' ONLY:
This is an outstanding movie - if only for the great little actress that opens the film. Read more
This is an outstanding movie - if only for the great little actress that opens the film. Read more
Published on 24 Mar 2010 by FAMOUS NAME
An absolute Harryhausen classic
The Beast From 20000 Fathoms aka in Italy "The awakening of the dinosaur" despite being a film made in economy with great success. Read more
Published on 18 Feb 2010 by Massimo Santilli
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