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ASIN : B0001I55SS
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Editorial Reviews
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Disney's foray into big-budget science fiction, close on the heels of Star Wars, had some of the most impressive special effects to grace theater screens in the 1970s. Graced by handsome production design--most notably a glass and latticework interstellar craft that looks like a battleship crossed with a modern skyscraper--The Black Hole is in many ways the most beautiful science fiction film of its era. Unfortunately, the graceful and gorgeous picture is jarred by dialogue that wouldn't pass muster in a comic book and a silly conclusion that plays like a murky, dime-store knockoff of 2001. Too bad, because the visual realization of the film is a veritable haunted house of futuristic phenomena, from the cloaked zombie-like drones shuffling through corridors to the devilish, crimson robot Maximillian, the strong arm of the mad scientist played by Maximilian Schell (a kind of wild man Captain Nemo with an even more ruthless temperament). Only the way-too-cute robot V.I.N.CENT (voiced by Roddy McDowall), a merchandising gimmick that looks like a Fisher-Price toy, mars the technological landscape. Robert Forster is the quietly authoritative captain of an exploration ship that stumbles across the seemingly derelict ship, and Anthony Perkins, Yvette Mimieux, Ernest Borgnine, and Joseph Bottoms fill out his crew. This is one case of a triumph of art direction and special effects over story--it's worth sitting through it to see the magnificent scene of the fireball rolling through the ship's enormous hull alone. The rest is just atmospheric gravy. --Sean Axmaker
Customer Reviews
For the SF fan (2007-09-29)  This one belongs in your collection. The Black Hole is a solid SF film, ranking along those classic thinking SF films like Forbidden Planet (1956) or The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). If you are looking for "science" fiction, then you will appreciate The Black Hole (1979).Yes, it's not perfect, but this is a good science fiction film that deals with science, ideas, and space travel. If those concepts appeal to you, then you will appreciate having this film in your collection. The 1994 DVD release is adequate, with subtitles, trailer and a 16-min. featurette on the making of the movie. I wish that Disney would do a nice 2-disc special edition of this the way they did with Tron (1982). Perhaps once this gets re-released on a high definition format they will offer us some audio commentary tracks or extended bonus features.
A Flawed Classic, but Still A Classic (2007-09-20) Sure alot of scenes in this film defy the natural laws of physics and most science nerds will pick it apart as a result. But the bottom line is who really cares? I watched this film as a child and enjoyed it for it's sheer entertainment factor. The actors all do well despite the wooden script (Maximillion and Yvette give the most note-worthy performances). I blame this primarily on the writers. Apparently, the script had too many hands in it and it shows with inconsistencies throughout the film. And yes, I consider V.I.N.CENT and BOB to be a little on the cheesy side, but I loved them growing up. The hell sequence at the end was the scene that truly stuck with me. It's creepy to say the least. For those who don't understand the meaning, does it need to be spelled out? The symbolism is that Reinhart's eternal punishment was to be imprisoned in the shell (no pun intended) of Maximillion just as he imprisoned the crew of the Cyngus. Plan and simple. As to what happened to the survivors of the Palomino, I still believe they emerged from the black hole on the other side of the galaxy somewhere. Many have speculated that their survival was because of Kate's ESP.Anyways, I believe that had the film not been rushed and the script had gotten better treatment, this would've been one of the greatest sci-fi films ever made. Even still it's a flawed classic that I will enjoy over and over again.
A forgotten, gothic sci fi epic from the 1970s (2004-06-23)  OK let's get the bad things about the Black Hole out of the way first of all. Some of the dialogue is unbelievably naff. It has an overtly judgemental morality which runs throughout the film from start to finish. Very occasionally the SFX slip, and you see wires holding up robots etc. Some of the scenes are cloying, particularly involving the antics of the overly cute, heroic robots... Also the makers would have done better to remember what effect the vacuum of Space would have on people NOT wearing spacesuits... Put all that aside though and you are left with a minor sci fi masterpiece. Atmospherically the film is an outright winner - it is just so gothic, from its' sets, robots, and cowled and hooded undead crew. It also boasts one of the very best musical scores by John Barry. Visually it is stunning, Space has seldom looked this good. The blue/black background of space with its' dense clusters of stars looks as good as it did on the day that it was released. Unlike Star Wars and its' visibly dated mattes, this film has more than withstood the test of time.The film's visual pinnacle though is the giant space ship Cygnus.A cross between Brighton Pier and The Eiffel Tower, this gothic behemoth is like no other. The scene where its' lights are switched on suddenly and unexpectedly, is one of awe and beauty.The exploration of the ship, culminating in the arrival in the control tower is stunning. Ditto the firing up of the ship's Frankenstein Lab like reactors and huge engines for its' final journey to the Black Hole. Even in its' death throes, this huge vessel retains a sad dignity.Acting honours go to Maximilian Schell as an intergalactic Captain Nemo. Ernest Borgnine, Anthony Perkins, Yvette Mimeux, and Robert Forster all provide very able support though.The blood red robot Maximilian (I wonder how that name was arrived at...) is an inspired creation, and has a temperament to match its' colour scheme... The dvd is great, picture and sound are both superb. Playing the film in 5.1 Dolby Digital on your home cinema is something else, especially when your memory of the film in the cinema is in mono. All sound channels are free of distortion and nicely separated. Both Surround channels in particular are superb.Get this dvd if you can (it is due to be re released anyway) and add one of sci fi's most underrated films to your collection.
Worst Sci-Fi film ever! (2004-05-16)  How can anyone claim this film has any redeeming value? There are so many problems with it that it would be impossible to enumerate in less than a 1,000 words! The ending is utterly unbelievable and contains Christian symbolism evoking the Dark Ages! Ewwwwww! I'm scared!! Disney is about to release this film themselves in August, 2004. Two things: it should definitely be an anamorphic transfer in order to attain much better picture quality than this release and it should have the symbols of "hell" etc. edited out!
all right, let's get this straight: (2004-04-27) Okay, people, let us please understand something. The Black Hole started production before Star Wars was released. It was not a Star Wars rip off or something that was rushed out to capitalize on the Lucas craze. It's a completely different film. It has lots of problems, obviously, but you know what? It's *still* better than the Star Wars films. I'll let you figure out why.
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