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Cowpokes head into a mysterious Mexican valley to head 'em up and move 'em out. But they're not looking for little doggies. They're looking for great big dinosaurs. James Franciscus stars in this thunderous adventure featuring amazing special effects by Ray Harryhausen [The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Clash of the Titans (1981)]. Franciscus plays a Wild West showman who leads his riding and roping crew into the title region, where prehistoric giants still roam. Thanks to Harryhausen wizardry, fantastic creatures lunge, fight and rampage in scene after dazzling scene (including an awesome sequence where the cowboys rope Gwangi, a razor-toothed allosaurus). Saddle up and join the excitement. Review: THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI [1969 / 2017] [Warner Archive Collection] [Blu-ray] - THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI [1969 / 2017] [Warner Archive Collection] [Blu-ray] Exciting! Brilliant Stop-Motion Effects! Up There With The Best of Ray Harryhausen’s Work! Cowboys Battle Monsters in The Lost World of Forbidden Valley! Cowpokes head into a mysterious Mexican valley to head ’em up and move ’em out. But they’re not looking for little doggies. They’re looking for great big dinosaurs. James Franciscus stars in this thunderous adventure featuring amazing special effects by Ray Harryhausen [‘The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms’ and ‘Clash of the Titans’]. James Franciscus plays a Wild West showman who leads his riding and roping crew into the title region, where prehistoric giants still roam. Thanks to Ray Harryhausen wizardry, fantastic creatures lunge, fight and rampage in scene after dazzling scene, including an awesome sequence where the cowboys rope Gwangi, a razor-toothed Allosaurus. Saddle up and join the excitement. FILM FACT: ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI’ was the last dinosaur- themed film that Ray Harryhausen animated, and he made much use of his experience in depicting extinct animals from his earlier films. Close to a year was spent on the special effects and there were more than 300 “Dynamation” cuts in the film, a record number for Ray Harryhausen, especially with the roping of the Gwangi being the most labour-intensive animated sequence ever. The ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI’ was filmed in Almería and Cuenca in Spain. The bullring scenes were shot in Almería in the Plaza de Toros and the finale at Cuenca's cathedral. Some scenes with dinosaurs like the Pteranodon scene or the fight between the Allosaurus and Styracosaurus were filmed in Almería in the Tabernas Desert. The unusual rock formations of Ciudad Encantada, which is a geological site near the city of Cuenca that were used for the forbidden valley scenes in the film. Cast: James Franciscus, Gila Golan, Richard Carlson, Laurence Naismith, Freda Jackson, Gustavo Rojo, Dennis Kilbane, Mario De Barros, Curtis Arden, Jose Burgos (uncredited) and Robert Rietty (voice) (uncredited) Director: James O'Connolly Producers: Charles H. Schneer and Ray Harryhausen Screenplay: William E. Bast (screenplay), Julian More (additional material) and Willis H. O'Brien (earlier film project "Gwangi") (uncredited) Composer: Jerome Moross Cinematography: Erwin Hillier, B.S.C. (Director of Photography) Video Resolution: 1080p [Technicolor] Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 [Dynamation] Audio: 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio Mono Subtitles: English SDH Running Time: 95 minutes Region: All Regions Number of discs: 1 Studio: Warner Bros.-Seven Arts / Warner Archive Collection Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI’ [1969] finds Tuck Kirby [James Franciscus], Teresa (nicknamed T.J.) [Gila Golan] and Champ [Richard Carlson] star in this James O'Connolly directed helmed cult hit, featuring the animation work of Ray Harryhausen, where at the turn of the century we find a Wild West show struggling to make a living in Mexico where they come into the possession of a tiny prehistoric horse. This leads to an expedition to the Forbidden Valley where they discover living dinosaurs and they capture one and take it back to be put on display, where we find a team of cowboys, led by the impresario figure Tuck Kirby, capture a Tyrannosaurus Rex in a hidden valley in Mexico and they then decide to reveal as the chief attraction in their circus with very bad results, leading to inevitable mayhem. Directed by Jim O'Connolly and written by William E. Bast, and there are few films as influential as ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI’ when it comes to thrilling anti-hero antics and special effects, especially the filmmaking is dazzled by the visual thrill of cowboys lassoing dinosaurs and the film’s influence can be seen in everything from ‘Jurassic Park’ to the even more brilliant ‘Cowboys & Aliens’ and the artists who worked on these films studied each and every frame to understand the what and the how in Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion creations. ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI’ is based on an original idea from a scrapped project by the brilliant Ray Harryhausen’s mentor, Willis O'Brien, and of course was the man behind the stop-motion effects in the film ‘King Kong’ itself. Ray Harryhausen, who perfected what Willis O’Brien began, and was a certifiable star himself by the time this film began its life and of course Ray Harryhausen was acting out through the amazing creations he brought to life; each possessing a character all its own. Audiences loved it, especially young children. The intricacy in his work was often taken for granted, though, that didn’t change with the arrival of this film in 1969. ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI’ would not exist without Ray Harryhausen, and neither would it be any good without his tireless work. From the beginning, this was a personal project for the animator, in bringing to life a film that had personal connection that shows throughout the film. With stop-motion special effects that took nearly a year to complete, this is some of Ray Harryhausen’s finest work. The subtlety of characterisation and movement is remarkable. Forget the actors; the “monsters” are the stars of this brilliant film. The Gwangi, as a character, holds our attention from the minute the dinosaur monster appears on screen and says something about the production value and especially about the Ray Harryhausen's professional artistry when we realise that the Gwangi, the snarling dinosaur created from a table top model, is the most realistically alive character on the screen, and the same goes for the creature that sparks off the foray into the secret valley, especially the tiny Eohippus (Dawn Horse) which is so cute and adorable. ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI’ is full of all sorts of jaw-snapping dinosaurs, the show-stopping “cowboys versus dinosaurs” set-up, where our loyalties are undeniably with the dinosaur. The cowboys themselves and all the characters actually, with the exception of Tuck Kirby’s young sidekick Lope are pretty objectionable, doubly so for a contemporary audience. Gwangi, on the other hand, is just so full of life. His movements are fluid and intricate and it’s easy to forget that he’s a creation of a painstaking frame-by-frame process. Yes, he’s a roaring, snarling, stampeding dinosaur. And it is this scene in which Ray Harryhausen combines live-action with intricate animation skills and creates a truly unforgettable cinematic wonder that has grown in influence to become the benchmark of important and lasting visual effects. Many visual artists have studied this scene to help with their own understanding of the articulation their own work who were heavily influenced by the master that was Ray Harryhausen, who honestly creates one of his most fully realised monsters with the Gwangi, who does not disappoint. Cue some brilliant Ray Harryhausen set pieces: Gwangi versus the Elephant! Gwangi versus the Styracosaurus! Gwangi rampages around a cathedral! The scene where the cowboys lasso the Gwangi’s neck multiple times deserves special mention too; it was a lengthy and tricky process for Ray Harryhausen, and meant exactly matching animated ropes to real ones. All in all, Gwangi is the real hero, the victim and the antagonist of the film. Not only do we sympathise with the Gwangi, we come away with the impression that although nature might be savage, we humans are the ones who are barbarous. ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI’ is a very likable fantasy-western, full of nostalgic value for big kids who remember it and quite enjoyable for new audiences that are discovering it for the first time on this Blu-ray format. But it is a totally pleasant fare all the same and definitely a guilty pleasure from a bygone era. There are some fantasy, science fiction, and horror films that not every fan has seen. Not every film ever made has been seen by the audience that lives for such fare. Some of these deserve another look, and not every film should remain obscure, and that is why ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI’ should be a must view and to also enjoy the master of magic fantasy that is Ray Harryhausen. ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI’ is a very likable fantasy-western, evoking nostalgia for who remembers the film from their childhood and providing solid entertainment for new audiences who are discovering it for the first time. There are a few shortcomings but this is enjoyable fare nonetheless. ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI’ should have hit big when it came out; it is imaginative and exciting. However, the film flopped for two reasons, neither having anything to do with its quality. And even the film’s failure on its initial release had a positive effect: Ray Harryhausen and Charles H. Schneer re-grouped and came back six years later with possibly their greatest film, ‘The Golden Voyage of Sinbad.’ So despite this, it is best summed up as a total guilty pleasure from a bygone era! Blu-ray Video Quality – Warner Archive Collection has brought us another classic film in their Blu-ray format in a stunning 1080p encoded solid image. It has been transferred in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio to really show off the Special Effects by wizard Ray Harryhausen film in the best way possible and it looks really fantastic and totally excellent with great Technicolor visual experience for a film that was released in 1969. There is also a beautiful grain reproduction effects that highlights this gorgeous Blu-ray disc presentation. But most important there is a generous amount of Technicolor saturate colours for the primaries; and the coating of the Gwangi skin is splendid with his reds, greens, and blues. Never too intense, and the Technicolor are very accurate for the flesh tones. But most importantly all the monsters look totally brilliant in this Ray Harryhausen’s special effects thrilling film in the brilliant Dynamation. There are not any visible signs of age-related wear and tear, so all in all this is an all-around terrific looking visual transfer and is another big win for another Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray disc release. Blu-ray Audio Quality – Warner Archive Collection has been only able to supply a 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio Mono because of the original soundtrack available when the film was released in 1969. It doesn't have any flaws and the effects carry some weight in the dinosaur and horse’s sound effects, especially the roars have that terrific guttural sound to them and really punch things up when the big bad Gwangi breaks loose and runs amok and there really isn't anything to complain about with this audio mix, especially for the age of the film, because it really holds up very well. Also very pleasant and enjoyable is the western original music score by Jerome Moross that really enhances the ambience enjoyment of the film to great effect and enjoyment. Blu-ray Special Features and Extras: Special Feature: Return To The Valley Documentary [2003] [480i] [1.37:1] [8:04] With this special retrospective feature we get Associate Producer/Creator of Special Effects wizard Ray Harryhausen discusses his animation of the Eohippus and Allosaurus in the film ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI’ [1969]. We find out that Charles Scheee [Producer] and Ray Harryhausen were on the lookout for a new project, and Ray found an in his garage an old script for the film ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI,’ which was the original script that Willis H. O'Brien [Visual Artist] had developed in 1942, and so Ray got hold of scriptwriter to bring the storyline up-to-date, but at the same time keeping in the time period of 1900, but Ray also informs us that the pivotal part of the scenario was the tiny Eohippus (Dawn Horse) featured in the film. Ray Harryhausen also informs us that when the cowboys lasso the Gwangi dinosaur, in reality the cowboys on the horses had a jeep between them with a pole sticking up so the cowboys had something to aim at with their ropes, then Ray Harryhausen had to meticulously match shot for shot with the animated model of the Gwangi dinosaur, that is why people today say that Ray Harryhausen was a total genius. With this extra bonus mini-feature, it features Ray Harryhausen, still hale and hearty at the age of 83 at the time of filming, talking about the film's conception and development. Joining him are several star struck young SFX professionals from Industrial Light + Magic, who they view him as the father of visual effects and appropriately reverent, as they discuss the inspiration that Ray Harryhausen and the Gwangi gave to them and to their work on the film ‘Jurassic Park,’ and remain awestruck as they examine how to lasso an Allosaurus dinosaur, you really get to appreciate what genius work is on display here. Contributors include: Ray Harryhausen [Special Effects Creator], Danny Gordon Taylor [Animation Director for Industrial Light + Magic], Glen McIntosh [Lead Animator for Industrial Light + Magic], Ned Gorman [Visual Effects Producer for Industrial Light + Magic], Peter Daulton [Lead Animator for Industrial Light + Magic] and Tom Bertino [Animation Director for Industrial Light + Magic]. Special Feature: Gwangi and Vanessa [2003] [480i] [1.33:1] [1:03] Here we have a little story about Ray’s wife Diana, daughter Vanessa, and certain dinosaur. This is a quick story about the time Ray Harryhausen's young daughter Vanessa who first saw the Gwangi model. Ray Harryhausen laughs at how his daughter Vanessa played with a Gwangi mock-up as she would with any other doll, and informs us that Diana and Vanessa were in Harrods Food Hall and two old fashioned women pensioners passers-by did not know what to expect when they would take a peek inside daughter’s baby pram, and were totally shocked what they saw, and indignantly told Diana that the child should have a proper doll, as Vanessa would grow up to be a delinquent. So as you can imagine Ray Harryhausen, Diana and Vanessa had a good laugh about the incident. Theatrical Trailer [1969] [1080i] [1.78:1] [2:44] Here we get to view the Original Theatrical Trailer for the film ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI.’ This is a totally brilliant presentation and really gives you a flavour of what to expect when you view the actual film. On top of all that, the length of the trailer is more like a mini film that really holds your attention throughout the 2 minutes and 44 seconds running time. Finally, unfortunately ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI’ was a massive box office flop, because it was deserted by its marketing team, because the American audiences were put off by the odd title, those who did go to see the film were treated to a sort of rehash of ‘King Kong’ disguised as a Western. Despite such obstacles and especially with Ray Harryhausen's enduring appeal and especially the wonderful charm with which Ray Harryhausen always imbues with every one of his Dynamation films. ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI’ found a place in the hearts of the many fans around the world of the wonderful Ray Harryhausen magic, and especially me and despite the negativity that this film received, I personally still love it and especially if you really think about it, every movement of these miniatures was miniscule, methodical and especially the dedication that Ray Harryhausen always put so much love into his films. The work was so maddeningly intricate, even as much as a telephone call could derail Ray Harryhausen. On some projects, the level of complexity permitted him to record just 14 frames in an entire day's work, that's barely half a second, in case you were wondering. So saddle up and join the excitement. Highly Recommended! Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado Le Cinema Paradiso United Kingdom Review: Cowboys AND dinosaurs?! Yeehaw!! What more could a kid want? One of Harryhausen's best! - BOTTOM LINE: Dream combination of tough-as-leather Wild West cowboys + dynamic Dynamation dinosaurs = an ALMOST sure-fire winner. Bland-as-paste leading man James Franciscus and a bored-looking dubbed Gila Golan drag the otherwise thrill-filled proceedings down a notch. Blu-ray presentation features much-improved picture & sound. Marginally worth a double dip if you already have this; a must-buy if you don't. 4 STARS THOUGHTS: Enjoyable old school adventure flick full of stop-motion thrills & chills. Winning mix of cocky cowpokes & Cretaceous critters is a hoot. Film showcases one of legendary stop-mo animator Ray Harryhausen's most ambitious sequences, as he creates an encounter between a half dozen cowboys on horseback attempting to lasso a seriously pissed-off Allosaurus. So many other amazing dinosaurs on hand as well, and the tiny Dawn Horse/Eohippus is just so cute -- every kid'll want one! Our square-jawed hero James Franciscus postures well enough but he's just stiff as a post, like a living Ken doll. Leggy redhead Gila Golan looks plenty sexy in her spangly tights, but her dubbed voice is hollow and her mostly cold stares make her overall performance come across rather stilted & awkward. And that one-eyed Gypsy hag and her ever-cackling midget henchman are irritating as hell. You'll wish they'd get eaten by Gwangi before the end of the first reel. And this film has one of those annoyingly adorable ragamuffin little kids that you're almost instantly sick of (BLACK SCORPION, DINOSAURUS!, etc. etc.). Scrappy little orphan Lupe' is like the Mexican cousin of Gamera's Kenny. LOL. Thank goodness for the presence of genre vet Richard (Creature for the Black Lagoon, et.al) Carlson, and the delightfully devious turn by Laurence Naismith as the befuddled Professor Bromley. Still, it's the rampaging pre-history reptiles that are the real stars here, and there are more than enough of them scattered throughout the film to keep young children (and Harryhausen fans) sufficiently entertained. THE BLU-RAY: Warner's coughs up yet another by-the-numbers hi-def offering from their Harryhausen catalog. Improved video & audio make it look much cleaner & sharper than any previous version but the format also has strike against it, in that many of the inherent flaws in Ray's Dynamation F/X process are highlighted by the crispness of the 1080p resolution; matte lines are more noticeable, as are wires and compositing work. Yet the rest of the film benefits quite a bit from the HD remaster. Six of one, half dozen of the other, I suppose. There are a few bonus goodies but nothing new or of real value. The film itself is the reason to pick this up.



| Contributor | James Franciscus, Laurence Naismith, Richard Carlson |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,604 Reviews |
| Format | Subtitled |
| Genre | Action & Adventure, Action-Fantasy |
| Language | English |
| Runtime | 1 hour and 35 minutes |
A**R
THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI [1969 / 2017] [Warner Archive Collection] [Blu-ray]
THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI [1969 / 2017] [Warner Archive Collection] [Blu-ray] Exciting! Brilliant Stop-Motion Effects! Up There With The Best of Ray Harryhausen’s Work! Cowboys Battle Monsters in The Lost World of Forbidden Valley! Cowpokes head into a mysterious Mexican valley to head ’em up and move ’em out. But they’re not looking for little doggies. They’re looking for great big dinosaurs. James Franciscus stars in this thunderous adventure featuring amazing special effects by Ray Harryhausen [‘The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms’ and ‘Clash of the Titans’]. James Franciscus plays a Wild West showman who leads his riding and roping crew into the title region, where prehistoric giants still roam. Thanks to Ray Harryhausen wizardry, fantastic creatures lunge, fight and rampage in scene after dazzling scene, including an awesome sequence where the cowboys rope Gwangi, a razor-toothed Allosaurus. Saddle up and join the excitement. FILM FACT: ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI’ was the last dinosaur- themed film that Ray Harryhausen animated, and he made much use of his experience in depicting extinct animals from his earlier films. Close to a year was spent on the special effects and there were more than 300 “Dynamation” cuts in the film, a record number for Ray Harryhausen, especially with the roping of the Gwangi being the most labour-intensive animated sequence ever. The ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI’ was filmed in Almería and Cuenca in Spain. The bullring scenes were shot in Almería in the Plaza de Toros and the finale at Cuenca's cathedral. Some scenes with dinosaurs like the Pteranodon scene or the fight between the Allosaurus and Styracosaurus were filmed in Almería in the Tabernas Desert. The unusual rock formations of Ciudad Encantada, which is a geological site near the city of Cuenca that were used for the forbidden valley scenes in the film. Cast: James Franciscus, Gila Golan, Richard Carlson, Laurence Naismith, Freda Jackson, Gustavo Rojo, Dennis Kilbane, Mario De Barros, Curtis Arden, Jose Burgos (uncredited) and Robert Rietty (voice) (uncredited) Director: James O'Connolly Producers: Charles H. Schneer and Ray Harryhausen Screenplay: William E. Bast (screenplay), Julian More (additional material) and Willis H. O'Brien (earlier film project "Gwangi") (uncredited) Composer: Jerome Moross Cinematography: Erwin Hillier, B.S.C. (Director of Photography) Video Resolution: 1080p [Technicolor] Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 [Dynamation] Audio: 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio Mono Subtitles: English SDH Running Time: 95 minutes Region: All Regions Number of discs: 1 Studio: Warner Bros.-Seven Arts / Warner Archive Collection Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI’ [1969] finds Tuck Kirby [James Franciscus], Teresa (nicknamed T.J.) [Gila Golan] and Champ [Richard Carlson] star in this James O'Connolly directed helmed cult hit, featuring the animation work of Ray Harryhausen, where at the turn of the century we find a Wild West show struggling to make a living in Mexico where they come into the possession of a tiny prehistoric horse. This leads to an expedition to the Forbidden Valley where they discover living dinosaurs and they capture one and take it back to be put on display, where we find a team of cowboys, led by the impresario figure Tuck Kirby, capture a Tyrannosaurus Rex in a hidden valley in Mexico and they then decide to reveal as the chief attraction in their circus with very bad results, leading to inevitable mayhem. Directed by Jim O'Connolly and written by William E. Bast, and there are few films as influential as ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI’ when it comes to thrilling anti-hero antics and special effects, especially the filmmaking is dazzled by the visual thrill of cowboys lassoing dinosaurs and the film’s influence can be seen in everything from ‘Jurassic Park’ to the even more brilliant ‘Cowboys & Aliens’ and the artists who worked on these films studied each and every frame to understand the what and the how in Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion creations. ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI’ is based on an original idea from a scrapped project by the brilliant Ray Harryhausen’s mentor, Willis O'Brien, and of course was the man behind the stop-motion effects in the film ‘King Kong’ itself. Ray Harryhausen, who perfected what Willis O’Brien began, and was a certifiable star himself by the time this film began its life and of course Ray Harryhausen was acting out through the amazing creations he brought to life; each possessing a character all its own. Audiences loved it, especially young children. The intricacy in his work was often taken for granted, though, that didn’t change with the arrival of this film in 1969. ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI’ would not exist without Ray Harryhausen, and neither would it be any good without his tireless work. From the beginning, this was a personal project for the animator, in bringing to life a film that had personal connection that shows throughout the film. With stop-motion special effects that took nearly a year to complete, this is some of Ray Harryhausen’s finest work. The subtlety of characterisation and movement is remarkable. Forget the actors; the “monsters” are the stars of this brilliant film. The Gwangi, as a character, holds our attention from the minute the dinosaur monster appears on screen and says something about the production value and especially about the Ray Harryhausen's professional artistry when we realise that the Gwangi, the snarling dinosaur created from a table top model, is the most realistically alive character on the screen, and the same goes for the creature that sparks off the foray into the secret valley, especially the tiny Eohippus (Dawn Horse) which is so cute and adorable. ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI’ is full of all sorts of jaw-snapping dinosaurs, the show-stopping “cowboys versus dinosaurs” set-up, where our loyalties are undeniably with the dinosaur. The cowboys themselves and all the characters actually, with the exception of Tuck Kirby’s young sidekick Lope are pretty objectionable, doubly so for a contemporary audience. Gwangi, on the other hand, is just so full of life. His movements are fluid and intricate and it’s easy to forget that he’s a creation of a painstaking frame-by-frame process. Yes, he’s a roaring, snarling, stampeding dinosaur. And it is this scene in which Ray Harryhausen combines live-action with intricate animation skills and creates a truly unforgettable cinematic wonder that has grown in influence to become the benchmark of important and lasting visual effects. Many visual artists have studied this scene to help with their own understanding of the articulation their own work who were heavily influenced by the master that was Ray Harryhausen, who honestly creates one of his most fully realised monsters with the Gwangi, who does not disappoint. Cue some brilliant Ray Harryhausen set pieces: Gwangi versus the Elephant! Gwangi versus the Styracosaurus! Gwangi rampages around a cathedral! The scene where the cowboys lasso the Gwangi’s neck multiple times deserves special mention too; it was a lengthy and tricky process for Ray Harryhausen, and meant exactly matching animated ropes to real ones. All in all, Gwangi is the real hero, the victim and the antagonist of the film. Not only do we sympathise with the Gwangi, we come away with the impression that although nature might be savage, we humans are the ones who are barbarous. ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI’ is a very likable fantasy-western, full of nostalgic value for big kids who remember it and quite enjoyable for new audiences that are discovering it for the first time on this Blu-ray format. But it is a totally pleasant fare all the same and definitely a guilty pleasure from a bygone era. There are some fantasy, science fiction, and horror films that not every fan has seen. Not every film ever made has been seen by the audience that lives for such fare. Some of these deserve another look, and not every film should remain obscure, and that is why ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI’ should be a must view and to also enjoy the master of magic fantasy that is Ray Harryhausen. ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI’ is a very likable fantasy-western, evoking nostalgia for who remembers the film from their childhood and providing solid entertainment for new audiences who are discovering it for the first time. There are a few shortcomings but this is enjoyable fare nonetheless. ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI’ should have hit big when it came out; it is imaginative and exciting. However, the film flopped for two reasons, neither having anything to do with its quality. And even the film’s failure on its initial release had a positive effect: Ray Harryhausen and Charles H. Schneer re-grouped and came back six years later with possibly their greatest film, ‘The Golden Voyage of Sinbad.’ So despite this, it is best summed up as a total guilty pleasure from a bygone era! Blu-ray Video Quality – Warner Archive Collection has brought us another classic film in their Blu-ray format in a stunning 1080p encoded solid image. It has been transferred in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio to really show off the Special Effects by wizard Ray Harryhausen film in the best way possible and it looks really fantastic and totally excellent with great Technicolor visual experience for a film that was released in 1969. There is also a beautiful grain reproduction effects that highlights this gorgeous Blu-ray disc presentation. But most important there is a generous amount of Technicolor saturate colours for the primaries; and the coating of the Gwangi skin is splendid with his reds, greens, and blues. Never too intense, and the Technicolor are very accurate for the flesh tones. But most importantly all the monsters look totally brilliant in this Ray Harryhausen’s special effects thrilling film in the brilliant Dynamation. There are not any visible signs of age-related wear and tear, so all in all this is an all-around terrific looking visual transfer and is another big win for another Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray disc release. Blu-ray Audio Quality – Warner Archive Collection has been only able to supply a 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio Mono because of the original soundtrack available when the film was released in 1969. It doesn't have any flaws and the effects carry some weight in the dinosaur and horse’s sound effects, especially the roars have that terrific guttural sound to them and really punch things up when the big bad Gwangi breaks loose and runs amok and there really isn't anything to complain about with this audio mix, especially for the age of the film, because it really holds up very well. Also very pleasant and enjoyable is the western original music score by Jerome Moross that really enhances the ambience enjoyment of the film to great effect and enjoyment. Blu-ray Special Features and Extras: Special Feature: Return To The Valley Documentary [2003] [480i] [1.37:1] [8:04] With this special retrospective feature we get Associate Producer/Creator of Special Effects wizard Ray Harryhausen discusses his animation of the Eohippus and Allosaurus in the film ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI’ [1969]. We find out that Charles Scheee [Producer] and Ray Harryhausen were on the lookout for a new project, and Ray found an in his garage an old script for the film ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI,’ which was the original script that Willis H. O'Brien [Visual Artist] had developed in 1942, and so Ray got hold of scriptwriter to bring the storyline up-to-date, but at the same time keeping in the time period of 1900, but Ray also informs us that the pivotal part of the scenario was the tiny Eohippus (Dawn Horse) featured in the film. Ray Harryhausen also informs us that when the cowboys lasso the Gwangi dinosaur, in reality the cowboys on the horses had a jeep between them with a pole sticking up so the cowboys had something to aim at with their ropes, then Ray Harryhausen had to meticulously match shot for shot with the animated model of the Gwangi dinosaur, that is why people today say that Ray Harryhausen was a total genius. With this extra bonus mini-feature, it features Ray Harryhausen, still hale and hearty at the age of 83 at the time of filming, talking about the film's conception and development. Joining him are several star struck young SFX professionals from Industrial Light + Magic, who they view him as the father of visual effects and appropriately reverent, as they discuss the inspiration that Ray Harryhausen and the Gwangi gave to them and to their work on the film ‘Jurassic Park,’ and remain awestruck as they examine how to lasso an Allosaurus dinosaur, you really get to appreciate what genius work is on display here. Contributors include: Ray Harryhausen [Special Effects Creator], Danny Gordon Taylor [Animation Director for Industrial Light + Magic], Glen McIntosh [Lead Animator for Industrial Light + Magic], Ned Gorman [Visual Effects Producer for Industrial Light + Magic], Peter Daulton [Lead Animator for Industrial Light + Magic] and Tom Bertino [Animation Director for Industrial Light + Magic]. Special Feature: Gwangi and Vanessa [2003] [480i] [1.33:1] [1:03] Here we have a little story about Ray’s wife Diana, daughter Vanessa, and certain dinosaur. This is a quick story about the time Ray Harryhausen's young daughter Vanessa who first saw the Gwangi model. Ray Harryhausen laughs at how his daughter Vanessa played with a Gwangi mock-up as she would with any other doll, and informs us that Diana and Vanessa were in Harrods Food Hall and two old fashioned women pensioners passers-by did not know what to expect when they would take a peek inside daughter’s baby pram, and were totally shocked what they saw, and indignantly told Diana that the child should have a proper doll, as Vanessa would grow up to be a delinquent. So as you can imagine Ray Harryhausen, Diana and Vanessa had a good laugh about the incident. Theatrical Trailer [1969] [1080i] [1.78:1] [2:44] Here we get to view the Original Theatrical Trailer for the film ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI.’ This is a totally brilliant presentation and really gives you a flavour of what to expect when you view the actual film. On top of all that, the length of the trailer is more like a mini film that really holds your attention throughout the 2 minutes and 44 seconds running time. Finally, unfortunately ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI’ was a massive box office flop, because it was deserted by its marketing team, because the American audiences were put off by the odd title, those who did go to see the film were treated to a sort of rehash of ‘King Kong’ disguised as a Western. Despite such obstacles and especially with Ray Harryhausen's enduring appeal and especially the wonderful charm with which Ray Harryhausen always imbues with every one of his Dynamation films. ‘THE VALLEY OF THE GWANGI’ found a place in the hearts of the many fans around the world of the wonderful Ray Harryhausen magic, and especially me and despite the negativity that this film received, I personally still love it and especially if you really think about it, every movement of these miniatures was miniscule, methodical and especially the dedication that Ray Harryhausen always put so much love into his films. The work was so maddeningly intricate, even as much as a telephone call could derail Ray Harryhausen. On some projects, the level of complexity permitted him to record just 14 frames in an entire day's work, that's barely half a second, in case you were wondering. So saddle up and join the excitement. Highly Recommended! Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado Le Cinema Paradiso United Kingdom
S**Y
Cowboys AND dinosaurs?! Yeehaw!! What more could a kid want? One of Harryhausen's best!
BOTTOM LINE: Dream combination of tough-as-leather Wild West cowboys + dynamic Dynamation dinosaurs = an ALMOST sure-fire winner. Bland-as-paste leading man James Franciscus and a bored-looking dubbed Gila Golan drag the otherwise thrill-filled proceedings down a notch. Blu-ray presentation features much-improved picture & sound. Marginally worth a double dip if you already have this; a must-buy if you don't. 4 STARS THOUGHTS: Enjoyable old school adventure flick full of stop-motion thrills & chills. Winning mix of cocky cowpokes & Cretaceous critters is a hoot. Film showcases one of legendary stop-mo animator Ray Harryhausen's most ambitious sequences, as he creates an encounter between a half dozen cowboys on horseback attempting to lasso a seriously pissed-off Allosaurus. So many other amazing dinosaurs on hand as well, and the tiny Dawn Horse/Eohippus is just so cute -- every kid'll want one! Our square-jawed hero James Franciscus postures well enough but he's just stiff as a post, like a living Ken doll. Leggy redhead Gila Golan looks plenty sexy in her spangly tights, but her dubbed voice is hollow and her mostly cold stares make her overall performance come across rather stilted & awkward. And that one-eyed Gypsy hag and her ever-cackling midget henchman are irritating as hell. You'll wish they'd get eaten by Gwangi before the end of the first reel. And this film has one of those annoyingly adorable ragamuffin little kids that you're almost instantly sick of (BLACK SCORPION, DINOSAURUS!, etc. etc.). Scrappy little orphan Lupe' is like the Mexican cousin of Gamera's Kenny. LOL. Thank goodness for the presence of genre vet Richard (Creature for the Black Lagoon, et.al) Carlson, and the delightfully devious turn by Laurence Naismith as the befuddled Professor Bromley. Still, it's the rampaging pre-history reptiles that are the real stars here, and there are more than enough of them scattered throughout the film to keep young children (and Harryhausen fans) sufficiently entertained. THE BLU-RAY: Warner's coughs up yet another by-the-numbers hi-def offering from their Harryhausen catalog. Improved video & audio make it look much cleaner & sharper than any previous version but the format also has strike against it, in that many of the inherent flaws in Ray's Dynamation F/X process are highlighted by the crispness of the 1080p resolution; matte lines are more noticeable, as are wires and compositing work. Yet the rest of the film benefits quite a bit from the HD remaster. Six of one, half dozen of the other, I suppose. There are a few bonus goodies but nothing new or of real value. The film itself is the reason to pick this up.
E**O
GREAT CLASSIC !
I LIKE IT A LOT !
J**9
Fear not, fellow fans: Warner Archive has treated Gwangi well.
Ah, "The Valley of Gwangi"; Ray Harryhausen's final foray into the world of the dinosaurs. Well, he sure goes out with a bang. While it's my opinion that "Gwangi" isn't a particularly GREAT film, it's certainly worth watching if only for Harryhausen's fantastic stop-motion effects and a novel premise. The human characters are a bit of a bore, with the writing relying on too many cliché plot tropes. The overarching plot itself is little more than a retread of "King Kong" with western elements and without the central beast's fascination with blondes. However, the enjoyable special effects and absolutely thrillng musical score by Jerome Moross more than make up for the film's drawbacks. The best and most memorable sequence in the movie is when the cowboys begin roping Gwangi, the titular Allosaurus, as if he is cattle. The film isn't a classic in the normal sense of the word, given that it is less than perfect (no one remembers this film for anything besides the special effects, after all), but it IS a great example of vintage dinosaur filmmaking. All of this said, I still think it's a GOOD film at the very least. As for the DVD, the Warner Archive Collection version is the exact same disc as the 2003 release. For those of you that are unfamiliar with that release, it features a decent widescreen transfer with a few extras. Personally, I was a little worried when I ordered my copy; given Warner Archive's low budget origins it seemed like the disc might just feature a bare menu and play option, as most of their discs do. I need not have worried, for as stated this is simply a reissue of the 2003 DVD under the Warner Archive banner. It features the same menus, extras, widescreen presentation and audio options that the original release did (including the short featurette "Return to the Valley"). The only difference is in the packaging: the cover art has been updated to reflect the fact that this version is produced by Warner Archive and the disc comes in a plastic keepcase as opposed to the terrible cardboard snapcases that Warner used to issue all of its releases in. The disc itself has slightly updated art as well and is printed on a DVD-R as opposed to the discs used for premiere releases. So, fear not, potential buyers. If you're looking to acquire a copy of this film, this version is the way to go. The original release is long out of print and the prices as of this writing are ridiculous. You will only be paying more for an older version of the same thing. Unless you just can't bear the thought of having anything but an original copy, save your money and get this release instead.
B**S
Not your average Western.....
At the turn of the century, in a sleepy Mexican town, a Wild West show struggling to make ends meet, makes a discovery of the coming century when they acquire a tiny creature called an Eohippus,a "Dawn Horse", and make plans to showcase the little wonder to the world in a new act. The problem is, for such a tiny animal,he manages to bring a huge bag of trouble for his owner, Miss TJ Breckenridge. Enter Tuck Kirby, a man who seeks a fast buck, and TJ's interest seeking to buy the horse she has in her featured act. The other man in her life, Carlos, is jealous and quietly seething at Kirby's return and the fact that he has walked in so smoothly.In the meantime,Kirby sees the little horse, but doesn't realize its significance until his young guide and friend little Lopez leads him to make the acquaintance of Professor Bromley.Throughout this Tia Zorina,an old blind Gypsy woman comes upon them at times threatening them that Gwangi's curse hangs over all of them unless they release the little horse back from where they got him.When they refuse, she takes matters into her own hands and with the sly professor's help, she has the gypsy band kidnap the little horse. In the chase to get him back, the circus hands discover the Forbidden Valley and one surprise after another, none of them really good.When they try to capture an Ornithomimus, they discover the true beast of the valley, an Allosaurus.Several attempts to catch it fail and Carlos is killed as they try to flee from it. It manages to knock itself unconscious in a rockfall and they finally cage it to bring it into town. When the old Gypsy appears again, she repeats her curse and during the opening act, she again takes matters into her own hands once more, this time to truly disastrous results as the freed creature goes on a rampage through the town. This was a rather unusual movie with a western theme and HarryHausen's effects were never better, especially in the fight with the elephant and earlier, the Styracosaurus back in the valley. This is one of his best, a true classic, along with "Beast from 20,000 Fathoms", "Clash of the Titans" and many others that brought viewing pleasure both in the theatre and at home on Movie Monster nights. This is a collectable gem with a great story. The Eohippus and Gwangi have never been livelier.
F**R
Don't miss it!
***Attention SPOILERS!I love Hammer's One million years B.C. with Racquel Welsh and When dinosaurs ruled the earth with love Victoria Vetri, but i think The Valley of Gwangy is my favorite classic dinosaur movie with this unique twist mixing western cowboys with Ray Harryhausen excellent stop motion animation monsters. The previous dvd had a problem with the night scenes where you didn't see much. Now this brand new transfer restoration blu ray is marvelous and very enjoyable as it renders for the first time all the glory of Gwangy in hd. Don't hesitate as you will enjoy all the action and adventure and every minute of it! The extras are cool too. Jerome Moross's soundtrack music is very inspired (i have the soundtrack cd compilation "The classic film music by Jerome Moross") and if i'm not mistaking, this was the first western movie ever including dinosaurs. There are lots of dinosaurs in here and for a rare occasion, the principal monster on the film (Gwangi) really steals the show. The scene with all cowboys trying to capture the tyronausorus is so well done and coordinated; up until the spectacular endind inside the cathedral in flames. The end scene with the powerful Gwangi themes music gave me chills down the spine, while you see the reaction of the crowd but mostly the principal characters, watching the destruction of the cathedral and Gwangi, with a focus on the boy's sadness. Lovely movie! Stars James Franciscus (Beneath the planet of the apes/ The Concorde affair) in one of his best heroic roles ever. A true classic!
T**T
Great movie
Great sci-fi! All done without computer enhancement.
F**Y
Ray Ray Ray Ray Ray!
James Fransicus can't act. He tries hard though and that's a good thing. It's fun watching him try and try. But he doesn't matter, just like a preacher matters not in church during the rapture... there is no preacher at that point, is there? And the rapture in the case of Valley of the Gwangi is the last half of the movie when all the cowboys, Fransiscus one of them, gets chased by Harryhausen's dinosaurs. The meanest of these prehistoric nasties is a big purple T-Rex. He's related to Barney, perhaps; I haven't seen that many other purple dinosaurs... But this is no Barney... He's a mean motorscooter and it's just amazing seeing this Rex battle cowboys and one scene in particular that's very, very nice is when the cowboys actually pull off lassoing this big purple brute, sticking him in a cage, and bringing him back "home". Then they take him to town and display him in front of many people (in a bull ring) and he gets mad and breaks free and reeks havoc ala King Kong. Mean Purple Dino even battles a Harryhausen elephant that looks fantastic. There's also a small horse in the film that's the size of a toy, and it's a little corny, but it doesn't matter because of Ray Harryhausen and his awesome stop-motion effects, making this flawed film into one heck of a masterpiece... as Ray does so well.
A**O
Dinosaurios en Cuenca
A ver dinosaurios en stopmotion en CUENCA. se puede pedir mas. Si wue fuera buena pelicula. Pero es difrutable para amantes del genero como yo y tenerla en fisico u caramelito
C**M
Valley of Gwangi is a must see Movie!
When I was a child in the 1970's Valley of Gwangi was shown quite often on the TV and I was always enthralled... It was this movie and the amazing 1933 King Kong that created my love of dinosaurs and fantasy, and gave me a life long interest in the movies of Ray Harryhausen. I hadn't seen Gwangi for years until I located the DVD, but as soon as I put it on and heard the thumping theme music I was a kid again, watching with awe and wonder. Although I admit the movie is pehaps not perfect, it is for me! Harryhausen's creations are still wonderful and the sheer beauty of his animation is a joy to behold. The famous lassoo scene of the Allosaurus is simply awesome as is the demise of Gwangi in the burning cathedral. It is very entertaining and a very much underrated film... They re-made Clash of the Titans recently, so how about a remake of Gwangi in CGI? A little known fact is that Kong animator and Harryhausen's mentor Willis H O'Brien wanted to make this movie for RKO back in 1942. It never happened of course, but Ray re-discovered the script in his garage and finally made the movie in 1969. If you like Ray Harryhausen and love fantasy movies then I can recommend Valley of Gwangi... Enjoy.
D**N
Finally a blu ray version
This was excellent; colours, sound, etc. were the way they should be. This is an entertaining movie, and I was waiting to get a blu ray version as the DVD was poor quality picture and the voices sounded like everyone was talking through a bullhorn, it was terrible. The blu ray is from an excellent film master and the sound is now natural. Highly recommend this Harryhausen classic.
V**A
Très bien
Pour les connaisseurs des classics
T**M
Quanto il Western incontra i dinosauri.
Era ada anni che attendevo una edizione Italiana di questo film . Circa un decennio fa mi accontentai di una edizione estera , con audio inglese pagata cifre improponibili . Finalmente esce anche l'edizione in lingua Italiana grazie alla Golem Video che fra l'altro ha un ricco catalogo di Film di fantascienza ( assieme alla Sinister Film) Un classico della Fantascienza tardivo (film del 1969) che si avvale degli effetti speciali del mitico ed ineguagliabile Ray Harryhausen unico vero grande maestro del Frame to frame .... ( fra l'altro credo sia l'ultimo vero film di Fantascienza di Harryhasuen con i mitici dinosauri manovrati a passo uno) . La storia è un classico dei classici dei Film con creature preistoriche miracolasamente scampate alla civiltà , catturate per essere esposte come Fenomeni da Baraccone ... con l'inevitabile finale della ribellione e successiva uccisione della creatura stessa . King Kong - Il risveglio del dinosauro - A 30 milioni di Km dalla terra sono i primi film che mi vengono in mente come Film paragone . Questa volta il West classico ovvero i Cowboys incontrano il classico mondo perduto invaso da Dinosauri - Pterodattili e quant'altro di immaginabile ... Riusciranno a catturare un pericoloso Allosauro detto appunto Gwangy e lo porteranno in città per una epica esibizione pubblica. Quello che succederà nella cittadina è facilmente immaginabile ... Edizione della Golem Video ( che ringrazio pubblicamente per lo sforzo espresso nella realizzazione di queste edizioni Cineclub Fantastico) di decente qualità audio video - Molto bella e condivisibile l'idea di mantenere in copertina le immagini dei manifesti delle edizioni cinematografiche . Ammetto di essere un pò di parte ma a mio parere questi film sono delle vere e proprie chicche imperdibili per i cultori della Fantascienza prima maniera per cui il mio voto è di 5 stelle ( non fosse altro per il coraggio di pubblicare film poco amati e conosciuti) .
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