Customer Reviews

Beast from 20,000 Fathoms

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was Ray Harryhausen's first major film work and to me his Rhedosaurus,aka The Beast,is arguably his most finest work.It is a simple and straight forward stop motion presentation that works perfectly,and actually serves to elevate a rather tepid story.
It involves a group of scientists who venture to the North Pole to observe and take measurements of an atomic bomb test.As they check their their device stations post-blast,one of the group hears and spies a huge dinosaur wandering the area.Injured he calls for help and is rescued by a Prof.Nesbit(Paul Hubscmhid/Christian) who also briefly spots the beast.Colonel Evans(Keith Tobey well known from The Thing)does not believe the story as well as Dr Elson(well known character actor Cecil Kellaway),back in New York.
When stories of boat sinkings start popping up along the Atlantic coast Prof.Nesbitts' story finally gets credibility.In fact Dr Elson takes a bathysphere down into the Hudson River Trench off of NYC to see if the creature has returned to that area(skeletons of a dinosaur matching the beasts description were found there).The beast has indeed returned there and Dr.Elson becomes a mid morning snack for the creature.Eventually the beast checks out the environs of the Big Apple spilling its' blood as it meets with stiff resistance from the local police and armed forces.They soon learn the beasts' blood carries a virulent strain of bacteria that along with the beast himself,is dropping people like flies.
When the beast arrives at Coney Island to check out the roller coaster there,the professor gets the idea to shoot a radioactive dart into the creature at the top of the ride,which they do.Amidst an engulfing fire the creature writhes and finally dies in agony.The world is saved.
On paper the story is a good one but in execution(direction and acting) it is generally wooden.The best parts of the film are the creature's appearances throughout,and they are spectacular.Its' various journeys through the city are excellently done and worked in seamlessly with the background.This is due to Harryhausen's great and meticulous work.
I would normally give a B-film like this around a three star rating but what bumps this DVD up is first and foremost,the wonderful print they have used.It is generally crisp and clear and a joy to watch.I have never seen it in better condition;a nod to Warner Brothers for such a great job.Second are the nice extras.Along with the usual trailer are two wonderful vignettes.The first one is a nice retrospective on the making of The Beast.The second is a nice interview with the two Ray's,Harryhausen and Bradbury.As you will learn,if you didn't know before,it was their love of dinosaurs(The Lost World,1925,specifically and Willis O'Brien's groundbreaking work),that brought them together those many,many years ago.The interview is in front of a studio audience and took place in 2003.
In conclusion despite The Beast's definite B-movie status,the titles' object of our affection steals every scene that it is in;a case of the special effects being better than the movie they inhabit.In other words because of the quality of Harryhausen's work the film is more memorable than it has a right to be.The print used here is magnificent and the two nice vignettes included definitely elevate this DVD release from a three star to a four.
For the current price this release is a definite steal and I recommend you get your copy today!

It may come as a surprise to many, but Godzilla was not the first ancient "monster" reawakened by the testing of nuclear weapons; in fact, there is reason to believe that Godzilla was influenced to a significant extent by this 1953 classic. Produced on a miniscule budget of some two hundred thousand dollars, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms features high quality all across the board: an intelligent script, some pretty good acting, and wonderful direction (by first-time director Eugene Lourie) - the film even showcases a rare example of beneficial stock footage. What make it particularly special and memorable, however, are the special effects by Ray Harryhausen, the veritable king of stop-motion animation. Remember the incredible animation of King Kong in the original 1933 film? Well, Harryhausen took those same animation techniques to a whole new level, using actual footage as the backdrops for scenes featuring the beast wreaking havoc in New York City. I actually prefer great stop-motion animation like this to today's CGI, as a Harryhausen beast such as this one seems more real to me.

The story opens in the Arctic Circle, where scientists are conducting nuclear weapons tests. Two scientists go out to check readings, but only one comes back. The survivor is rushed to a hospital in the States, and as soon as he is awake he starts telling people about the gigantic dinosaur he saw before he collapsed in the snow. Not surprisingly, no one believes his story. As a scientist, though, Tom Nesbitt (Paul Hubschmid) knows that what he saw was real. After hearing the account of a fishing boat up north being attacked by a "sea serpent," he goes to see Professor Thurgood Elson (Cecil Kellaway), one of the most renowned paleontologists in the world, but the professor refuses to believe the impossible. The same goes for all of Nesbitt's superiors, who dismiss his "hallucination" as a mere product of shock. Dr. Elson's assistant, Lee Hunter (Paula Raymond), is a little more sympathetic to Nesbitt's account (and not only because she's obviously attracted to him), though, and the two of them work to gather the proof needed to convince others of the prehistoric creature's existence.

Don't ask me how a cold-blooded reptile, no matter how large he is, can possibly survive the freezing temperatures of the Arctic for very long or how he can stay under water for as long as he wants without breathing. Just know that this beast, identified as a Rhedosaurus (not a real dinosaur, so don't bother looking it up), does these things - and he comes ashore in New York City about the same time that Nesbitt finally manages to get anyone important to believe his story. New York's finest quickly learn that standard guns and ammo just aren't going to work, and things only get worse when scientists discover that the creature's newly-shed blood is potentially even more dangerous than the physical destruction the beast leaves in his wake. The final showdown, which takes place at Coney Island, is actually rather sad and tragic, especially for those of us who sympathize with the beast.

The only thing I don't like about this film is the fact that it identifies Ray Bradbury as one of the writers. It just so happened that one scene in the film ended up sounding a lot like a scene from one of Bradbury's stories ("The Foghorn"), and so the studio bought the rights to it - to avoid a possible lawsuit, one must assume. It's also no secret that Bradbury and Harryhausen were good friends. My point, though, is that any reference to this film being written by Bradbury is a vast overstatement. In practical terms, he did little more than read over the script and remark that one scene sounded like a scene in one of his stories.

The bottom line is that The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms is one of the best - and certainly one of the most influential - monster movies ever made, and I find it regrettable that it gets far less attention than the monsters and monster movies that came after it. Despite (and in many ways because of) its comparatively small budget, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms more than deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Godzilla.

This film has all the 50's Sci-Fi standards except the flame thrower. We start off with a narrative that shows an atomic test taking place in the frozen north. Two people go out to take readings after the test. One does not come back and the other is delusional, talking of a monster. Naturally he needs curing and is almost well with a female paleontologist starts to believe him and offers to let him eat her sandwiches and look at mug shots of mobsters past. Can the authorities be convinced before it is too late?

Yes I know most people watched this movie because it has Lee Van Cleef playing a pivotal role. Yet we should not forget the many other familiar character actors that make this a true 50's monster picture. First there is that cute little monster himself curtseys of Ray Harryhausen; when he pushes over a lighthouse I can only think of one of my cats. He had the same mischievous look. Then there is Paula Raymond who has been in every TV play from "77 Sunset Strip" to several "Perry Mason's." Not to mention Cecil Kellaway, Dr. Chumley in Harvey (1950). Kenneth Tobey as Captain Patrick Hendry in "The Thing From Another World" (1951). There are way too many to mention here; so you will just have to watch for yourself.

This film is an okay horror entry that packed a wallop in 1953 but is rather tame by today's standards. The special effects of the rhedosaurus are quite good when the beast rampages through lower Manhattan, showing the ferocious prehistoric dinosaur to chilling effect as it lurches through the streets with frightened New Yorkers fleeing for their lives. In one scene, a blind man with a cane is literally trampled by panicked citizens as they race for safety. There isn't much of a story here, just the trite formula of a beast being awakened by an atomic blast after being frozen in the Arctic tundra for ages. The rhedosaurus makes its way down the Northeast coast, destroying fishing vessels and lighthouses until it hits the Bowery. The cast is comprised of veteran character actors who try to corral the monster and destroy it. A good part of the film shows scientist Tom Nesbitt trying to convince people of the dinosaur's existence but nobody believes him until it's too late.

The film's great; no two ways; a classic of the genre for sure. But folks, just as an FYI: To "review" a film means to give your opinion about it and to touch on a scene or two, NOT to reiterate the whole plot, sometimes in tedious detail, and ultimately ruin it for those who haven't seen it. Talk about the film, don't do a scene-for-scene description. Thanks

When I was a kid growing up in New Hampshire the only TV station we could get was WCAX from Burlington VT. They showed movies on Saturday afternoons and one Saturday they showed "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms". I was in heaven! It was the first science fiction movie I'd seen and I was hooked. Back then I never would have imagined that years later I would own a copy of this wonderful movie on a little disc and watch it any time I wanted to!
Of course, it probably didn't take much to impress an 8 year old kid from New Hampshire! But I've seen this film many times since and it has always stood the test of time very well. Sure, what were cutting edge special effects in 1953 aren't that impressive now. But one can still see how good they were for the time. And other movies that impressed me as a kid are revealed to be just junk when viewed by this grown up (maybe?) kid years later. For example, the 1957 Japanese film "The Mysterians" scared the hell out of me when I saw it in the theater. But when it showed up on the Science Fiction Channel (I think) a few years ago, it was laughable. Not so the Beast, which retains its charm over the years. By the way, the 1954 Them! is in the same class at the Beast.

Featuring the remarkable animation of Ray Harryhausen and based on a short story by Ray Bradbury, this 1953 film has been re-released and should bring pleasure to Harryhausen fans and devotees of classic monster films. The best things about this movie are that the monster appears early and often, and that there are lots of interesting scenes, such as the fictional Rhedosaurus's attacks on a lighthouse, New York City, and the Coney Island roller coaster. The acting and dramatic tension are only mediocre, but the creature is lots of fun.

DVD extras are brief but exciting -- trailers for Harryhausen films currently being released on dvd; a 6-minute making-of featurette; and a terrific 17-minute conversation between Harryhausen and Bradbury, reminiscing on their friendship and careers.

The film can be heard in English or French, and subtitled in English, French or Spanish.

Ray Harryhausen's masterpiece is a fun-filled monster fiesta! The beast arises after one of our top secret A-bomb tests wakes it from cryogenic slumber, under tons of ice at the north pole. Once this critter's atomic alarm goes off, the onslaught begins right away. Tom Nesbitt (Paul Christian) is a scientist who must watch his colleague get buried under an avalanche caused by the beast. Nesbitt sees the monster and gets knocked unconscious. He wakes up in the hospital, where everyone thinks his story is crazy, especially an army colonel (Kenneth Tobey), who searched the arctic site, finding nothing unusual. Nesbitt seeks out a leading paleontologist (Cecil Kellaway), who also thinks he's nuts, until Nesbitt brings in a man willing to coroberate his story. This is done with the help of a beautiful assistant paleontologist (Paula Raymond). Now, the real star makes his full-fledged entrance, coming ashore in NYC, crushing cars, smashing buildings, and eating people like so many dino-treats! The military moves in, unable to do more than scratch it's thick hide. Also, when the monster bleeds, it releases a deadly disease that causes coma and death! The behemoth's frenzy continues until it winds up at Coney Island, where only Lee VanCleef can save us! It's up to him to fire a radioactive isotope into one of the creatures open wounds. This is my favorite Harryhausen flick. Check it out...

Based on a story by Ray Bradbury, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1953) was directed by Eugène Lourié and serves nicely as the first real showcase of technical effects master Ray Harryhausen.

The film starts out with an atomic test involving detonating a big boom boom the artic, giving us an opportunity to view stock footage of a lovely mushroom cloud. Seems these test were pretty common back in the day, but wait! Something was released from the ice...something that has been frozen in a state of suspended animation for 100 million years...and me be thinking it's a might peckish, after so many years of icy slumber.

The beast, it's a big 'un alright, is spotted by two scientists, one being Tom Nesbitt, played by Paul Hubschmid (credited in the film as Paul Christian). The other scientist gets buried in like 20 billion tons of ice as the beast passes by, knocking into icebergs like a pregnant woman negotiating her girth around a china store, but Tom manages to escape, barely, with his life. He is badly injured, flown back to the states and makes a recovery, but no one will believe his fantastic tale of a giant monster.

Soon reports of boats being attack by a giant sea serpent along the eastern coast of North America trickle in, lending a little more credibility to Tom's story. Who's crazy now? Jerks...anyway, this drives Tom to investigate further and soon enough the big, prehistoric palooka (identified as a Rhedosaurus) makes its' way off the coast of New York. This prompts an old geezer of a paleontology professor, working with Tom, to go down in a diving bell and check out this beastie, giving us some more stock footage of a shark attacking an octopus (which, in fact, was really, really, cool). The old codger sees the primeval creature, and gets a little too close, if you know what I mean.

The gargantuan behemoth makes its' way on land, I guess to take in a show and grab a bite, and wreaks havoc among the current inhabitants of New York, with all its' stepping on cars and people and smashing into buildings and such. There's a scene around this point that's pretty famous, one involving a patrolman standing before the creature in the middle of the street, firing his handgun in an effort annoy the creature, I suppose, who, once he gets the ravenous beasts' attention, gets all ate up. "Officer down, officer down! We need back up!"

The army shows up, and begins to do what they do best, firing on the beast, but bullets have no effect on the thick hide of the creature. Use of a bazooka proves more effective, but opening a wound in the creature unleashes yet another threat, prehistoric cooties...yes, germs from the monster's blood has a negative effect on humans, causing illness and death. Ooops...Well, now this is a pickle. How to kill the beast without spreading its' germs? They corner the beast in an amusement park, and we get to see it rip the heck out of a rollercoaster (please keep arms and legs in the ride at all times). So, do they finally stop the beast? If so, how? By luring it to the middle of the city with a huge pile of fish? No, wait...that was another movie... I really liked the way the movie ended, tying things up nicely, linking the awakening of the beast with the destruction of the beast. That's a Bradbury touch, obviously.

There are a number of really decent performances in this film, but the highlight is Harryhausen's creature, which gets quite a bit of screen time. The story is also intelligent, but reaction of some of the characters to the situations seems a little out of whack. I would have expected much more shock and awe, but there you go.

The print on this disc is beautiful, and there are some really great special features included. There is a featurette called "The Rhedosaurus and the Rollercoaster: Making the Beast" that includes Harryhausen discussing how he brought the creature in the film to life and another featurette called "Harryhausen & Bradbury: An Unfathomable Friendship" which is basically the two Rays sitting before a small group talking about their professional and personal experiences with each other. Finally there are a like four trailers to other movies Harryhausen has worked on like Clash of the Titans (1981) and The Black Scorpion (1957), among others. On a side note, when the credits appeared at the beginning of the movie, I noticed Lee Van Cleef listed. I don't recall seeing him, but I later learned he was the sharpshooter near the end of the film.

Cookieman108

I seen this movie as a kid on late afternoon TV many years ago. That giant dinosaur scared the crap out of me way back then, but for some reason, every time "Beast" was on, I was there in front of our old TV watching this movie.

Between the end of the 1960s and the mid 1980s I had not seen this movie for a long time until I caught it one day on cable... and recorded it on my Betamax. That tape and the machine died years ago.

I was so happy to buy this movie on DVD.

Now I can relive all of the great moments this movie has to offer in glorious and crisp black and white. My favorite moment in the movie was when the beast ate the unfortunate police officer who was only doing his job protecting the public. This movie is way better than all of the early Godzilla flicks because it is a Ray Harryhausen classic. The animated beast is the real star here. The forgettable B-movie actors are just here to move the story and beast along to its fiery end.

I highly recommend this for good, clean monsterous fun!