The Valley Of Gwangi DVD, 1968

A wild west show boss ventures into Mexico's Forbidden Valley in search of Harryhausen's special effects dinosaurs. He finds them alright.

All the fantastic creatures that populate today’s films are mostly, of course, computer generated (with the addition of some animatronics work), and the effect (in suc... more >

All the fantastic creatures that populate today’s films are mostly, of course, computer generated (with the addition of some animatronics work), and the effect (in such movies as Spielberg’s Jurassic Park epics) is astonishingly realistic. But there are those who lament the passing the days of the great Ray Harryhausen, whose amazing stop-motion animation created the rampaging beasts that inspired the youthful Spielberg and co. And if you need to be reminded just how good his work was, take a look at these films from the beginning and end of his career. Gwangi is not vintage Harryhausen, but is graced by a marvellous Jerome Moross score – and, of course, a wonderful Harryhausen dinosaur. < less

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