20 Million Miles to Earth [50th Anniversary Edition]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

One of special-effects wizard Ray Harryhausen's pre-Seventh Voyage of Sinbad efforts, 20 Million Miles to Earth borrows a few pages from King Kong. An American spaceship crashlands off the coast of Sicily. The rescue party discovers that the astronauts have inadvertently brought back a curious gelatinous mass from the planet Venus. This lump of goo rapidly evolves into be a living reptilian creature, which scientists label an "Ymir". While being subjected to laboratory experimentation, the Ymir begins growing by leaps and bounds, and before long the gigantic monstrosity has escaped and is wreaking havoc in Rome. After battling a zoo elephant and taking a swim in the Tiber, the gargantuan creature holes up in the Colosseum, where the film's pyrotechnic finale occurs. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 2
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (Theatre Wide Screen)
• Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV, Black and White, Color
• Subtitle: English, French
• Features:
  • Newly remastered 2 disc set
  • Disc One:
  • Feature available in original b&w and color (chromachoice to toggle between b&w and color)
  • Audio commentary with Ray Harryhausen, visual effects artists Dennis Muren and Phil Tippett, and Arnold Kunert
  • Disc Two:
  • Remebering 20 million miles to earth
  • The colorization process
  • Tim Burton sits down with Ray Harryhausen
  • Interview with Joan Taylor
  • David Schechter on film music's unsung hero
  • 20 Million Miles more comic book
  • Video photo galleries
  • Original ad artwork

AWARDS

• Tokyo International Film Festival

•     Film Presented - 2007

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       William Hopper - Calder
       Joan Taylor - Marisa
       Frank Puglia - Dr. Leonardo
       John Zaremba - Dr. Judson Uhl
       Thomas Brown Henry - Gen. A.D. McIntosh

• Director:

  Nathan Juran

• Producer:

  Charles H. Schneer

• Screen Story:

  Charlotte Knight

• Screenwriter:

  Christopher Knopf, Bob Williams

• Cinematographer:

  Irving Lippman

• Composer (Music Score):

  Mischa Bakaleinikoff

• Editor:

  Edwin H. Bryant

• Art Director:

  Cary O'Dell

REVIEWS:

• Fans of 1950s sci-fi monsters will relish {#20 Million Miles to Earth}, one of legendary special effects master {$Ray Harryhausen}'s earlier efforts. It's a typical genre effort in terms of the script, borrowing liberally from {#King Kong} in its tale of a huge creature brought down for the safety of the human populace. Unlike {#Kong}, however, {#Miles} doesn't develop the characters or the story to create great empathy, preferring for n easier "by the numbers" approach. Like many other sci-fi films of the period, it's also saddled with a cast that doesn't make very much of an impression. {$William Hopper} is the typical stolid hero and {$Joan Taylor} his inevitable, forced-in love interest. Logic doesn't really enter into the actions of the characters, as they instead act in the manner that is most likely to guarantee that the monster escapes and/or wreaks havoc. But ultimately what really matters in {#Miles} is {$Harryhausen}, here doing spectacular work on a limited budget. There's more character development in the speechless creature than in all the human characters put together. From the moment he appears as a baby, rubbing his eyes because the light is too bright, this monster has personality and he captures our attention and our loyalty, even as he's causing destruction. The effects are not as skillful as today's CGI-derived effects, but they pack their own punch. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
• Fans of 1950s sci-fi monsters will relish 20 Million Miles to Earth, one of legendary special effects master Ray Harryhausen's earlier efforts. It's a typical genre effort in terms of the script, borrowing liberally from King Kong in its tale of a huge creature brought down for the safety of the human populace. Unlike Kong, however, Miles doesn't develop the characters or the story to create great empathy, preferring for n easier "by the numbers" approach. Like many other sci-fi films of the period, it's also saddled with a cast that doesn't make very much of an impression. William Hopper is the typical stolid hero and Joan Taylor his inevitable, forced-in love interest. Logic doesn't really enter into the actions of the characters, as they instead act in the manner that is most likely to guarantee that the monster escapes and/or wreaks havoc. But ultimately what really matters in Miles is Harryhausen, here doing spectacular work on a limited budget. There's more character development in the speechless creature than in all the human characters put together. From the moment he appears as a baby, rubbing his eyes because the light is too bright, this monster has personality and he captures our attention and our loyalty, even as he's causing destruction. The effects are not as skillful as today's CGI-derived effects, but they pack their own punch. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide

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