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“Clash of the Titans,” out this week on Blu-ray disc, was a movie that seemed to have it all: a hot young star in Harry Hamlin; an award-winning cast, including Laurence Olivier as Zeus; and eye-catching effects supplied by stop-motion animation king Ray Harryhausen.
Hamlin, who originated the role of Perseus, says his audition for the first film was easy. He walked into MGM, filmmakers “took a couple of Polaroids” of him and after talking to him for another 15-20 minutes they asked him to go get measured for his wardrobe.
The film tells the story of Perseus, the half-human son of Zeus, who must slay Medusa, capture Pegasus and save the Princess Andromeda from the towering four-handed Kraken, a sea monster that doesn’t even appear in Greek mythology.
Hamlin and Olivier only shared one scene in the movie, in which Zeus talks to Perseus through his shield. But Hamlin did get a chance to socialize with the Oscar-winner during the making of “Clash,” and asked him questions about the craft of acting.
Clash of the Titans doesn’t come packed with extras or anything of the sort as I would have expected, but something is better than nothing. Check below for the list of supplements:
-A Conversation with Ray Harryhausen – Ray discusses everything from the story, the locations, cast, and much more. Very quick commentary only lasts 12 minutes.
-Clash of the Titans Sneak Preview – A sneak peek at the upcoming remake.
-Myths and Monsters – Ray Harryhausen talks about his inspiration behind the monsters in the film.
Also this release comes in a beautiful Digibook that contains production still and information on the creatures that appear on camera. There is some promotional booklet for the upcoming 2010 remake of Clash of the Titans starring Sam Worthington. To finish it off anyone who purchases this Digibook will get a coupon for admission to Clash of the Titans.
Clash of the Titans will probably only appeal to those that grew up watching it and those looking at the old techniques used in film at the time. The Blu-ray offers a decent upgrade from the previous versions available but it remains a bit of a mess, however, this is not because of the transfer but more of the original material. The audio gets a nice boost and I am sure fans of the film will definitely enjoy. As for me I will continue to enjoy the film just as I did when I first saw it.
