The Black Hole
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Movie Reviews of The Black Hole
Movie Review: Disney Does Star Wars
Summary: 4 Stars
How's this for a blasphemous statement: I enjoy the post-Star Wars ripoffs much more than Star Wars. This could be coz I always favor the low budget underdogs to the big budget FX extravaganzas. Or maybe it's just coz I have a loathing for George Lucas, the Gene Simmons of sci-fi. Maybe I like robots played by human actors in plastic costumes or those cool looking trash can robots that dominated 70s sci-fi. Either way you cut it, I like the Black Hole. But make no mistake about it, The Black Hole is anything but low budget-it's actually groundbreaking in terms of visual effects. The thing is, The Black Hole plays out like a cheesy 50s sci-fi flick regardless of the budget. Plus, this film gives us Robert Forster, Anthony Perkins, Ernest Borgnine and Roddy McDowell. McDowell provides the voice of a cute trash can robot(no corporation would EVER make a robot this silly looking) who's actually quite a little [...] kicker. Perkins is still slightly in Norman Bates mode as a traitor scientist. Borgnine is a whiny schmuck. Forster does his usual wooden, badazz performance as the hero. He has a tendency to compliment any crew member who takes out an evil robot with comments like, "Good shot" and "Way to go, Bob". Here's my quick rundown: Forster and crew discover a spaceship missing for 20 years. It's resting comfortably on the edge of the biggest black hole in the universe. Once aboard, they meet Maximillian Schell who's a wacky scientist hell bent on taking his ship into the black hole, through and beyond! He's slaughtered his crew and made them all robots(a process that consists of wrapping the head in tinfoil and electrocuting the person), and is guarded at all times by a creepy looking robot named Maximillian. Perkins wants to join Schell, but Forster ain't having it, so the battle begins. Forster'll be damned before he's used as a guinea pig(though he becomes one anyway). Lots of laser shootouts with the evil robots(complete with trademark laser shooting sound) and running around. Not quite on the epic level of something like Star Wars or 2001. I think alot of people hate this coz they compare it to Star Wars and expect alot from Disney. I think the movie's pretty darn fun to watch myself. Sci-fi movies from this time period are just a blast. I'd suggest that instead of watching this with Star Wars type expectations, it's more realistic to watch it with Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers type expectations. It may have a larger budget than those two films, but the feel is the same. Dig it.Movie Review: A forgotten, gothic sci fi epic from the 1970s
Summary: 4 Stars
OK let's get the bad things about the Black Hole out of the way first of all. Some of the dialogue is unbelievably naff. It has an overtly judgemental morality which runs throughout the film from start to finish. Very occasionally the SFX slip, and you see wires holding up robots etc. Some of the scenes are cloying, particularly involving the antics of the overly cute, heroic robots... Also the makers would have done better to remember what effect the vacuum of Space would have on people NOT wearing spacesuits...
Put all that aside though and you are left with a minor sci fi masterpiece. Atmospherically the film is an outright winner - it is just so gothic, from its sets, robots, and cowled and hooded undead crew. It also boasts one of the very best musical scores by John Barry. Visually it is stunning, Space has seldom looked this good. The blue/black background of space with its dense clusters of stars looks as good as it did on the day that it was released. Unlike Star Wars and its visibly dated mattes, this film has more than withstood the test of time.
The film's visual pinnacle though is the giant space ship Cygnus.
A cross between Brighton Pier and The Eiffel Tower, this gothic behemoth is like no other. The scene where its lights are switched on suddenly and unexpectedly, is one of awe and beauty.
The exploration of the ship, culminating in the arrival in the control tower is stunning. Ditto the firing up of the ship's Frankenstein Lab like reactors and huge engines for its final journey to the Black Hole. Even in its death throes, this huge vessel retains a sad dignity.
Acting honours go to Maximilian Schell as an intergalactic Captain Nemo. Ernest Borgnine, Anthony Perkins, Yvette Mimeux, and Robert Forster all provide very able support though.
The blood red robot Maximilian (I wonder how that name was arrived at...) is an inspired creation, and has a temperament to match its colour scheme...
The dvd is great, picture and sound are both superb. Playing the film in 5.1 Dolby Digital on your home cinema is something else, especially when your memory of the film in the cinema is in mono. All sound channels are free of distortion and nicely separated. Both Surround channels in particular are superb.
Get this dvd if you can (it is due to be re released anyway) and add one of sci fi's most underrated films to your collection.
Movie Review: A Classic Disney Sci-Fi Movie
Summary: 4 Stars
Capt. Don Holland (Robert Forester), Lt. Charles Pizer (Joseph Bottoms), Harry Booth (Ernest Borgnine), Dr. Alex Durant (Anthony Perkins), Dr. Kate McCree (Yvette Mimieux) and their droid VINCENT (Roddy McDowall) are the crewmembers of the spacecraft Palomino. While exploring deep space, they come upon an apparently abandoned spacecraft hovering near a large black hole. However, the spacecraft is far from abandoned. It turns out to be the USS Cygnus, commanded by Dr. Hans Reinhardt (Maximillian Schell). Originally sent into space to search for intelligent life on other planets, Reinhart disobeyed the order to return to earth after his mission was deemed a failure. He has spent the past twenty years formulating a way to journey through the black hole.
Dr. McCree's father was a member of the crew, but when the Palomino docks with the Cygnus, there is no evidence of the crewmembers anywhere; only Reinhardt and several of the robots he created. Reinhardt tells the others of his plan to enter the black hole. Alex is immediately intrigued by the possibility and decides to stay aboard. Capt. Holland senses something is up with Reinhardt and sets out to prove his suspicions are true. Even little VINCENT has stumbled upon some important information. He discovered another droid that looks like himself: BOB. BOB informs VINCENT that the crew didn't die but in fact have become humanoid servants of Reinhardt.
Just as Reinhardt is about to take the Cygnus into the black hole, a large meteor shower strikes the ship and causes severe damage. Harry Booth tried to escape from the ship by himself aboard the Palomino, but Reinhardt's evil robot Maximillian shot the ship down. Maximillian also turned his evil ways on Alex. Only Capt. Holland, Charlie, Kate, and VINCENT are left. Their only hope of escaping to safety is to reach Reinhardt's probe ship. Will they make it before it's too late?
This is a very good movie. The special effects are good, considering the movie was made in 1979. The swirling black hole is especially well-done. The meteor shower was exciting to watch, especially the large meteor that strikes the Cygnus and rolls down the middle of the ship. The acting is good, and the story is well-conceived. Science fiction fans will be sure to enjoy this fine movie from Disney.
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Movie Review: Exciting Sci-fi romp from Disney!
Summary: 4 Stars
The crew of the spaceship Palamino known as Captain Dan Holland (Robert Forster), Dr. Alex Durant (Anthony Perkins), Dr. Kate McCrae (Yvette Mimieux), Harry Booth (Ernest Borgnine) and special robot V.I.N.CENT (Voiced by Roddy Mcdowell) stumbles across a lost spacecraft called Cygnus far from the edge of a mysterious Black Hole. As they investigate, the ship is operated by scientist Dr. Hans Reinhart (Maximillian Schell) and his crew of robots who refused to be rescued because he wants to find the secrets of the mysterious Black Hole and wants to take the crew of Palamino with him.
Entertaining Sci-fi thriller from Walt Disney Productions is their first PG rated motion picture, sure some of the effects are kind of cheesy especially the two robot buddies V.I.N.Cent and Bob who look unrealistic and kind of cartoony but some of the effects are very good for their time. It's a fascinating and dark epic into Science Fiction that Disney thought up in the wake of "Star Wars" since it made Sci-fi and fantasy popular again but bombed in theaters due to competetion against december 1979's other Sci-fi movie "Star Trek The Motion Picture". As of today, it has built a small cult following due to it's nature and scientific themes, it's worth a fan for fans of stunning cult Science Fiction.
This DVD contains good picture and sound quality with two extras like a featurette and a theatrical trailer.
Also recommended: "Event Horizon", "Heavy Metal", "Barbarella", "Lost in Space", "Forbidden Planet", "The Fifth Element", "Stargate", "Star Trek Saga", "Star Wars Saga", "Flash Gordon", "Total Recall", "Armageddon", "Transformers (1986 and 2007)", "2001: A Space Odyssey", "2010: The Year we Make Contact", "Battlestar Galactica The movie (1979 and 2004)", "Metropolis (1927 and 2001)", "Contact", "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)", "Deep Impact", "Outland", "Superman", "Silent Running", "Alien Series", "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954)", "Dark Star", "Logan's Run", "Lifeforce", "Dune (1984 and 2000)", "Zathura" and "Titan A.E.".
Movie Review: Lost masterpiece? Not quite, but a surprisingly interesting film
Summary: 4 Stars
In a review below, Dave observes, "It's almost as if they thought they had a great sci-fi movie in their hands, but the contract said: "kid's stuff". "
I totally agree. I had the same exact thought while watching this recently, for the first time in over two decades. It feels very much like a film whose target audience for the first hour should properly be adults and older teenagers, but one that's had kids' elements bolted onto it at a late stage. The scene with Holland rescuing Kate from the "hospital" later on in the film is the epitome of this, with the heroic-sounding overture (so different in feel from the rest of Barry's brooding, menacing score) feeling literally bolted on. Ditto for the laser gun shoot-out with the line of sentries on the bridge: a scene and an accompanying musical cue that feel totally out of place alongside the menacing first two acts with their slow-burning pace.
And, I mean, this is a film which [SPOILERS] has as its central revelation the fact that the original crew of the Cygnus have been turned into *zombified slaves*, and which has a central character killed by a robot that drives whirling blades into his chest. This is the stuff of horror stories. In terms of its atmosphere The Black Hole has a lot in common with dark 70s films such as The Stepford Wives and The Clonus Horror. It's shocking in retrospect that Disney gave it a green light as a mainstream film aimed at children.
Make no mistake, there is clunkiness throughout the movie, and a third act collapse. But if The Black Hole is a failure, it's a really fascinating one (a bit like David Lynch's "Dune"), which is why I've given it four stars. The first hour is very slow moving, and kids would surely have been bored by it, but for an adult it holds a genuinely mesmerising quality, helped in no small part by the sumptuous set designs and John Barry's swirling, brooding score.
Great movie? No. Recommended nevertheless? Yes.