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Clash of the Titans (Snap Case)
RRP: $14.96Our Price: $5.85 (subject to change)Editorial
Description
The classic Greek myth of Perseus and Andromeda re-told with an all-star cast. To win the right to marry his love (Andromeda) and fufill his destiny, Perseus must complete various tasks including taming Pegasus, capturing Medusa, and answering riddles. The result is a timeless adventure that's a treat for kids and adults.
Editorial
Amazon.com
You have a classic tale full of drama, passion, and adventure. A tale of universal archetypes that speak to everyone. A tale that has remained unfailingly popular for thousands of years. Why not spice it up with a wacky mechanical owl? Such was the thinking behind Clash of the Titans. Maggie Smith, Laurence Olivier, and Harry Hamlin (one of these things is not like the others...) star in a toga-ripper about a valiant hero, capricious immortals, and lots and lots of giant stop-action monsters. Perseus (Hamlin) is the favored son of the god Zeus (Olivier), but he has unwittingly ticked off the sea goddess Thetis (Smith). Just to make things worse, Perseus falls in love with the lovely Princess Andromeda, who used to be engaged to Thetis's son. Soon Perseus is off on one quest after another, with Zeus helping, Thetis hindering, and lots of innocent bystanders getting stabbed, drowned, and squished. Of course, the whole thing is just an excuse to show as much of Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion animation as possible, and good thing too. It's an old technique, but it still looks pretty darn cool, and it means the cast can just relax and do a bunch of reaction shots. Don't use this one to study for that big classical mythology exam, but if you just turn your brain off and enjoy the Kraken, it's pretty good fun. --Ali Davis
Excellent movie.. HORRIBLE Blu-ray transfer!!!Review date: 2010-07-30 Rating: 4 out of 10Okay, I really like this movie and have since 1981 when it was theatrically released. It's not my favorite Harryhausen fantasy but it's in my top 5.
I ordered this blu-ray from Amazon.com a week or so ago and it just arrived today. This is where I kick myself in the head for not reading other's reviews of the blu-ray first. The transfer sucks BIG TIME or, perhaps it was just the elements used to create this blu-ray that were a mixed bag! Most (not all) of the daylight scenes were excellent but the evening and night scenes were truly horrid. From the opening scenes of the soldiers on the sandy beach right up to the end titles all I could see were large chunks of dirt that wasn't removed prior to making the transfer. Way too much film grain (much more than should be for a film of this age) and artifacts throughout.. all this clearly visible in the darker and some of the daylight scenes viewed on a 65 inch HD LED TV.
It seems the studios are really getting lazy (or is it just cheap?) in releasing newer and older films in substandard transfers.
I can name on perhaps 1 hand the films I feel are really superb transfers to blu-ray. Another 25 to 30 that are good and all the rest (approx 985 in my collection) as dismal failures as far as the quality of the transfers. I invested in Blu-ray for the promised superb quality this new format offered and to be honest I feel cheated MOST of the time to the point where I'm not going to be buying blu-rays based on how much I like/love the film but more importantly how good the quality of the transfer is. It's just a slap in the face from the studios to wait for them to make one of my favorites available on blu-ray and to be let down once again by a skanky presentation.
Two other blu-rays of recent note that I have had problems with (Gladiator and Saving Private Ryan) have been recalled by the studios for faulty transfers because we consumers bombarded them with complaints. I don't expect that to happen in this case because compared to the two just mentioned, CLASH is an older film with (I'm guessing) nowhere the amount of fans.
So if you really like this film and have a TV larger than 40 inches I'd stay away from this title. However if your TV is smaller and don't expect to be buying a larger one in the next couple of years, then go ahead and buy it coz you probably won't be able to see the deficits in the transfer.
And for all of you who won't be buying this blu-ray, do check out two other Harryhausen films (The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and Jason and the Argonauts) on blu-ray coz they look really GREAT. Sony 10 / Warner 2
Peace out.
ReviewsClassic Greek MythologyReview date: 2010-07-27 Rating: 8 out of 10If you are into Greek Mythology or not, this is a classic film you do not want to miss.
Although very outdated in its technology it is still a wonderful, enjoyable, cult classic.
The owl steals this film and the Greek Gods and Goddesses and story line are still enjoyable.
In comparison the the new version of this film, I'll take this one everytime.AwesomeReview date: 2010-07-26 Rating: 10 out of 10My family loves this movie!!! We did have some problems with the audio matching the video, but we restarted and it played great! The kids are really enjoying it! I cannot wait for the remake of it!! This is one of my all time favorite movies!Definitely Better Than The 2010 VersionReview date: 2010-07-12 Rating: 10 out of 10Preferences between the 1981 and 2010 versions appear to generally be based upon the generational differences. The majority of the younger viewers (30 and younger) swear that the 2010 version is worlds better than the 1981 version yet most of the older viewers stand by Ray Harryhausen's last production. Mind boggling? Not really.
It's not difficult to see why. The latest version is typical of current special effects-based action movies. The pacing is fast, there are loud explosive noises for everything short of a fart and dizzying graphics to distract you from concentrating on a screenplay that suffers from major discontinuities and inappropriate costumes (since when did Zeus wear armor rather than a robe?). Interestingly, another reviewer pointed out that the plot was unimportant anyway because audiences really pay to see the newer and much better special effects. Really??!!! I always thought that if you wanted to see special effects on par with the new Clash of The Titans without thinking about a plot you could just play an XBOX or PS3 game through your home theater in the comfort of your own home. In fact, I'm shocked that more people haven't noticed that the new Medusa moves and looks like an artificial game character that moves like the '82 Centipede at the old arcades.
Don't get me wrong. The movement of the new monsters are definitely smoother and more convincingly natural overall than the old stop-motion animated monsters. But the motion is still a little smoother than you'd expect from reality and when you'd expect something to vary its speed, it's usually just one speed throughout its full range of motion. Also, Medusa in the new version doesn't look realistic enough to touch. On the other hand, the new scorpions look totally realistic. Unfortunately, like the Medusa, harpies, and other creatures, the new monsters move at such a dizzying pace that the action unnecessarily loses its realism (typical of movies that use visual effects as crutches).
The old Ray Harryhausen effects are definitely primitive for current day standards for their somewhat jerky motion. But you will immediately notice that it's sufficient for the purpose of the movie, which is ultimately to tell you a story that actually makes sense even if it doesn't follow Greek mythology to a T. The 1981 Clash of The Titans will appeal to older viewers because they grew up watching movies with pacing that is not rushed for the sake of exciting them because of a lack of story logic (Why did Zeus decide to destroy Argos then give fighting tips to Perseus to save its people???)
On the subject of picture detail. It's true that the original '81 lacks the detailed punch of most newer movies but to make the most of this movie (or any other), you cannot rely on the default factory settings of whatever display you are using. If you properly adjust the picture controls of your TV to its proper settings using a calibration DVD or Blu Ray disc, you'll get a decent quality picture from the Blu Ray version as well as the regular DVD version. This also means turn off your anti-motion blur circuit if you have an LCD or LED backlit LCD to avoid watching movies with a home video look, make sure your contrast and black levels are set correctly. If you've done all this, then you're good to go. If you're using a plasma set, then you don't even need to worry about color, tint, and black level shifts when you sit away from a seat at a dead center position.STAY AWAY FROM THE BLU-RAY VERSION!!!!!!!Review date: 2010-07-09 Rating: 2 out of 10The Blu-Ray version of this movie is an absolute rip-off. Image is VCR quality at best, and is hardly worthy of the Blu-Ray price. This is by far the worst money grab I have seen. Do yourself a favor, if you want to see this movie, buy the much more affordable DVD version instead!
Product Details/SpecificationsActor(s):
Maggie Smith
Harry Hamlin
Recording label: Warner Home Video Manufacturer: Warner Home VideoEAN: 9780790745497Binding: DVDISBN: 0790745496Number of items: 1Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC, Release date: 2004-06-01Universal product code (UPC): 012569513723Number of discs: 1Aspect ratio: 1.85:1Audience rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)Region code: 1Running time: 118 minutesTheatrical release date: 1981Language: Chinese (Subtitled)
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: French (Subtitled)
Language: Japanese (Subtitled)
Language: Korean (Subtitled)
Language: Portuguese (Subtitled)
Language: Spanish (Subtitled)
Language: Taiwanese Chinese (Subtitled)
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: French (Original Language)
Brand: Warner Brothers
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