The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad [DVD] [1958]

Innocent sailing trip turns into nightmarish battle for survival against a 50 foot giant.This is 50s fantasy at it's best. The first few minutes of the film and already we have to hide behind the sofa. That cyclops is scary - I mean real scary.It may look crude by todays CGI efforts but considering this is 1958 we're talking cutting edge technology.Ray Harryhause was the pupil of Willis H. O'Brien, the master animator of King Kong, from whom he learnt his trade (and tricks). Harryhausen employed stop motion animation techniques by building finely detailed models. Today Nick Park creates Wallace and Gromit, in 1958 Harryhausen created the cyclops.Harryhausen also coined the term "dynamation" and created the blue screen visuals used in this and the other films he was involved with. Again cutting edge technology for 1958 and something that had never been seen before.Can you imagine sitting in the theatre in 1958 and watching Kerwin Matthews battle the cyclops - that must have been awesome.Indeed even nearly 50 years later the film still has the ability to scare."Build me a wall between Sinbad and the cyclops" says Sokurah (played here to great effect by Torin Thatcher). Barani, the genie, does indeed create a magically invisible wall. First the cyclops starts pounding it with his fists and roars - one scary roar. He then throws a rock at it - of course the wall vanishes because the genie can't withstand that.And all of this happens in the first five minutes of the film and all for a small magical lamp. The object Sokurah has "liberated" from the treasure of the cyclops.Sokurah magically shrinks the heroine and whisks her away to the said same cyclops island. Sinbad of course gives chase after receiving the clues to the cure given by Sokurah himself.Sinbad of course has to overcome various obstacles placed in his way by Sokurah. The cyclops reappears to squash a few unwitting sailors under an uprooted tree, but Sinbad wins out by blinding the cyclops and luring him over a cliff.Later he reaches Sokurah's castle, wherein is a large dragon chained up. Sokurah conjures up a sword wielding skeleton and thus ensues one of the all time classic battles of cinema. Harryhausen used this motif again in a later movie using more skeletons. Again remember this is cutting edge stuff - nothing like this had ever been seen before.With the princess rescued, Sinbad escapes the castle, frees the genie and encounters cyclops number 3. Our quick thinking hero releases the dragon from it's shackles (well it breaks free) and a "royal rumble" ensues outside the cave between the cyclops and the dragon.Just a fantastic movie - one to watch many times over.

Great dvd.

I watched this probably over 50 times as a kid. When I found it on Amazon I was so happy to watch it after all these years. I sat with my kids watched and was transported back in time. Great film and story line.

Captain Sindbad and his crew land on the island Colossa and come under attack from a Cyclops. Aided by the magician Sokurah and his magic lamp, they manage to escape back on board with their lives intact . However, the lamp which contains a helpful genie, is left behind in the Cyclops' hands. Once back in Bagdad, Sokurah sets about getting a crew together to reclaim the lamp off Colossa, but the chiefs of Bagdad refuse to sanction such action. After failing to impress all with his magic tricks, Sokurah shrinks the princess to the size of a hand, then craftily offers to restore the princess to normal the next day. Only trouble being that the ingredients needed for the cure are of course on Colossa. So Sinbad and his men, and the dastardly magician, set sail for an adventure that is fraught with danger......Stop-motion maestro Ray Harryhausen, for his first film in colour, delves into the mythical legend of Sinbad The Sailor. Thus, along with director Nathan Juran, putting life into the Sinbad legacy that had been viewed as a no go area after luke warm responses to prior attempts at the legend. Tho not adhering to the Persian source fable, the 7th voyage was nothing like this one and The Rocs for instance actually appear in the 5th voyage fable, Juran and Harryhausen turn the merchant seaman of the origin into a dashing hero figure. Someone that children and adults of both sexes can easily get on side with.Visually it's a treat, admire as Sinbad {in the form of a handsome sword swashing Kerwin Matthews} does battle with Cyclops', Rocs and a Harryhausen calling card, the Skeleton. Throw in a fire breathing Dragon, a genie of the lamp, a pretty princess {Kathryn Grant} and a devilishly creepy magician villain {the always great value Torin Thatcher} and the result is unadulterated joy. Some churlish folk will point to being able to see the lines between the real footage and Harryhausen's marvellous creatures. Quite frankly those people should be rounded up and sent to live on Colossa with all the other monsters. For to not appreciate the craft and genius on offer here is as sad as it is foolish. And with master composer Bernard Herrmann laying a brisk mystical flecked score over procedings, it's a treat for the ears as well. This is brilliant considering the budget afforded it, and it's now, along with the two sequels that followed it, still being enjoyed by those of us who remember before computers controlled such magical things. 8/10

First time I have downloaded a film from Amazon to rent . It was very good quality and will rent or buy again

Great Adventure film and was in English despite the cover art

Really bad affects but thought it was great when l was a nipper laughable now but still love it

This is how special effects were done in the early days when I was a kid, I would advise any youngster to watch this movie, you won't be disappointed. The Cyclops will petrifie you, It still scares me to this day.

Je trouve le film kitsch.La qualité et la rapidité de l'envoi sont au rendez-vous. Merci.

KULT,gehört Weihnachten 🎄 zum Abend Programm

非常におもしろくよかった。オススメ!

Bonjour,tout le monde,Ce voyage,est extraordinaire.Des reconstitutions de "monstres",grandeur nature,vraiment,c'est à voir,le cyclope,est magnifique,au point de vue du réalisme,qu'il impressionne.Et,surtout,la fiancée de Sinbad en miniature,est plus que réussi.En définitive,c'est un tres beau film,qu'on peut regarder en Famille,à éviter si possible les enfants tres jeunes et sensibles,pouvant avoir des cauchemards,mais c'est tres rare de nos jours.Tres jolies prises de vues,tres belles couleurs,avec des dialogues corrects.

Klasse 60erHatte damals echt schissGute Qualität