tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8212867859094085036.post276041465615281898..comments2024-03-28T17:53:45.682-04:00Comments on GREAT OLD MOVIES: WHEN DINOSAURS RULED THE EARTHWilliamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053290865549099074noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8212867859094085036.post-70725410924060379542023-11-11T15:51:50.144-05:002023-11-11T15:51:50.144-05:00Totally understand! Dino flicks never got any resp...Totally understand! Dino flicks never got any respect (although the picture did get surprisingly good reviews)!<br /><br />I saw "Creatures" on a double-bill with something or other in a movie house and I couldn't believe there no "creatures" in it! <br /><br />Williamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03053290865549099074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8212867859094085036.post-36237104799555473792023-11-11T15:32:41.967-05:002023-11-11T15:32:41.967-05:00I tried to watch it, but CREATURES was a hard slog...I tried to watch it, but CREATURES was a hard slog--even the scantily-clad ladies couldn't save it. My memory of it is solely of the cave tribe trudging tiredly through sand dunes and rocky outcrops, and me being overwhelmingly relieved when the film ended. Those animated dinosaurs DID add charm and interest, didn't they?<br /><br />And you're absolutely right--if WHEN DINOS had won the Oscar, it would've been awkward. As he was one of Ray's biggest fans, I think even Danforth might've felt guilty. None of that occurred to me at the time, though--I merely wanted animated monsters to win over a mediocre Disney kid flick! <br /><br />--Mark Mark Shawnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8212867859094085036.post-82961250452084762832023-11-11T10:27:16.728-05:002023-11-11T10:27:16.728-05:00As I recall the night-time sequence with the plesi...As I recall the night-time sequence with the plesiosaur or whatever it was, was nicely done and I should have mentioned it. Danforth has done some very good work -- and there were a couple of others who specialized in stop-motion -- but they never quite came up to the Harryhausen level. Frankly I might have felt bad for Harryhausen if Danforth won the Oscar for doing something the master did only not as well -- I've never seen "Bedknobs" in any case. <br /><br />Did you ever see "Creatures The World Forgot." That was nothing but "jiggly cave women" -- they couldn't afford the dinosaurs! Williamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03053290865549099074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8212867859094085036.post-9035979124042487742023-11-11T07:09:51.797-05:002023-11-11T07:09:51.797-05:00Another dino pic I liked more than you, Bill! At ...Another dino pic I liked more than you, Bill! At 16 yrs old, about the only reason I thought it was inferior to ONE MILLION YEARS BC (which I loved), was because it didn't have Racquel Welch in it. I actually think the animation is pretty excellent for the time, but agree (from an adult perspective) that the creatures are definitely inferior to Harryhausen's. Except perhaps for the mother dinosaur that adopts Vetri, they simply aren't as well-designed, don't move as dynamically, and don't have the vivid personalities Ray managed to impart. I do have a ton of respect for Jim Danforth, however--and became a fan after seeing this. Later I read about the difficulties he went through making it, and now think he virtually worked real-world magic to make this look as good as it does. The only weaknesses I perceived as a teen were the aforementioned lack of Welch, some very unconvincing matte work (especially in the ocean-going sequences), and the "creation of the moon" being so visually vague that it made the climax a big, muddled letdown--especially after the huge buildup to it. I liked very much the smoothly-moving paddle-foot dinosaur escaping its ropes on the beach at the beginning--it had wonderful night-lighting and I thought I'd never seen anything as colorful and moody with an animated dinosaur before. Vetri's foster-mom dinosaur (not so much its cutesy baby) also impressed me--but it was probably the abundance of jiggly cavewomen in even skimpier outfits than in OMYBC that was the biggest factor in its teenboy appeal. I recall being elated when I heard this was nominated for an Oscar for special effects--and then disgusted when it lost to BEDKNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS. I finally got this on dvd as a double feature, paired with MOON ZERO TWO, of all things. I was pleasantly shocked that the (very mild) nude scenes removed from the US version had been restored. The dvd case made no mention of it--from the box it could've passed for a children's dinosaur film. Way back when, my friends and I liked to refer to this as WHEN DINOSAURS DROOLED AND SLURPED. Weren't we clever?<br /><br />--Mark Mark Shawnoreply@blogger.com