Mysterious Island

Director: Cy Endfield, Cyril Endfield Cy Endfield

Overview

"Adventure is the key to the special effects extravaganza Mysterious Island. This 1961 feature is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and appears to be in excellent shape considering the film's age. The bright colors and solid black levels are all well represented with only a small amount of grain penetrating the image. Overall Columbia's work on this golden age title is very good. The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono in English and is very apt for the film it is supporting. While directional effects and fidelity are sorely lacking, the bulk of the track is free and clear of any excessive hiss or distortion. Also included on this disc are English, French and Spanish subtitles. A few extra features have been included on this DVD, starting with a short promotional featurette titled ""This is Dynamation"" which looks at the special effects created by Ray Harryhausen. ""The Harryhausen Chronicles"" (narrated by actor Lenoard Nimoy) is a nearly hour long history on special effects artist Harryhausen and his work in Hollywood. Filled with various interviews, including the effects master himself, this documentary should please any fan of stop-motion effects. ""Mysterious Island Featurette"" is a fluffy look at the making of the film and includes some interview footage with Harryhausen, rare behind-the-scenes photos and storyboards from the film. Finally there are a few short photo galleries with production and artwork stills, as well as other theatrical trailers for other Columbia Tristar DVDs."

Product Details

Release Date:	10/29/2002
UPC:	0043396078949
Original Release:	1961
Rating:	NR
Source:	SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMT
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Language:	English
Time:	1:40:00
Sales rank:	4,572

Special Features

Closed Caption;Digitally mastered audio & anamorphic video; Remastered in high definition; Photo gallery; The making of Mysterious Island; The harryhausen chronicles; "This is dynamation featurette; Widescreen presentation; English audio; English, French, and Spanish subtitles; Theatrical trailers; Interactive menus; Scene selections

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Michael Craig	Capt. Cyrus Harding
Joan Greenwood	Mary Fairchild
Michael Callan	Herbert Brown
Gary Merrill	Gideon Spillet
Herbert Lom	Capt. Nemo
Beth Rogan	Elena
Percy Herbert	Sgt. Pencroft
Dan Jackson	Neb
Nigel Green	Tom
Harry Monty	Actor
Bernard Herrmann	Composer

Technical Credits

John Prebble

Daniel B. Ullman

Crane Wilbur

Jules Verne

Cy Endfield	Director,Director
Ray Harryhausen	Special Effects
Charles H. Schneer	Producer
John Prebble	Screenwriter
Daniel B. Ullman	Screenwriter,Screenwriter
Crane Wilbur	Screenwriter
Jules Verne	Screenwriter
John Cox	Sound Effects
Peter Handford	Sound Effects
Bob Jones	Sound Effects,Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

The cinematic equivalent of a good old British "ripping yarn," Mysterious Island takes a great deal of liberties with the Jules Verne story upon which it is based. The result is not vintage Verne, but it's a fun-filled Saturday afternoon-type adventure film that young boys (of all ages) will enjoy. The plot doesn't make a lot of sense, but it's not really supposed to; all it needs to do is provide a few excuses for some neat-o Ray Harryhausen giant animals. While these are far less sophisticated than what one expects in current films, they are very good for the period and have a certain strange power to them. The sequence involving the giant bees is especially well done. Equally impressive is the lengthy balloon flight/storm sequence that opens the picture. In between the adventure sequences, the film bogs down; dialogue and character development are not among its strong points, nor is the explanation for why these giant creatures exist particularly credible. In general, the acting takes second place to the special effects, although Herbert Lom is quite amusing and Joan Greenwood has some very good moments. Bernard Herrmann's score is excellent, as always, and adds tremendously to the adventure segments. Mysterious Island is not a great film, but it's a great deal of fun.