The imagination? Whether it be George Lucas, Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert E. Howard, or L. Ron Hubbard, legends are made when their “seed” of an idea blossoms into tales about Conan or Sherlock Holmes. Ray Harryhausen was another such legend. Starting with monsters from outer space to fantasy mythos of Europe and Asia, Ray Harryhausen brought to life some of the greatest and intense creatures in movie history. His brilliant stop motion animation was the place many genre fans got their first glimpse of the “fantastic”.
Last year, Dark Discussions did a poll on social media asking listeners to choose a film to review based on your co-hosts suggestions. Co-host Abe listed Jason and the Argonauts as a possibility and not surprisingly, the movie won the poll. With this new episode, we go into the film, some background about Ray Harryhausen, and our own experiences with his work.
The movie came out in 1963 to critical acclaim. Directed by Don Chaffey, co-written by playwright Alan Beverley Cross, and scored by Bernard Herrmann, it continues to delight audiences new and old alike. Yet this is only the tip of Ray Harryhausen’s filmography. Is it a great place to start? Dark Discussions gives their opinions and what they think.