Two more classic sci-fi flicks featuring the stop-motion animation genius of Ray Harryhausen have been colorized and released on DVD today by Columbia/Tristar. Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956) and It Came From Beneath the Sea (1955) are two-disc sets that also offer the original black-and-white versions, as well as some juicy extras including filmmaker Tim Burton interviewing Harryhausen.
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers stars Joan Taylor, Hugh Marlowe, Donald Curtis and Morris Ankrum in a tale of alien invasion that has animated space crafts terrorizing the people of Earth and demolishing such national landmarks as the Washington Monument. Bonus materials include commentary by Harryhausen, producer Arnold Kunert, former Visual Effects Society chair Jeff Okun and vfx guru Ken Ralston. Fans can also enjoy the featurettes Ray Harryhausen on Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, A Present Day Look at Stop-Motion, The Colorization Process, Original Screenplay Credits, Tim Burton Sits Down With Ray Harryhausen, David Schecter on Film Music’s Unsung Hero and The Hollywood Blacklist and Bernard Gordon. In addition, there’s an interview with actress Joan Taylor, a video montage of the film’s advertising materials presented by Kunert, video photo galleries and a sneak peek at the digital comic book Flying Saucers vs. the Earth.
Long before Cloverfield, Harryhausen thrilled audiences with a tentacled monster that crawled out of the ocean to attack a major U.S. city in It Came From Beneath the Sea, starring Kenneth Tobey, Faith Domergue, Donald Curtis and Ian Keith. The movie is accompanied by commentary by Harryhausen, Kunert and visual effects masters Randy Cook and John Bruno; the Tim Burton Interview; video photo galleries; a discussion of the film’s 1955 marketing and advertising campaign; and the featurettes Ray Harryhausen on It Came From Beneath the Sea, David Schecter on Film Music’s Unsung Hero and A Present Day Look at Stop-Motion. There’s also a sneak peek at the digital comic book It Came from Beneath the Sea … Again! Each disc carries a suggested retail price of $24.96.
