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The Black Hole

The Black Hole

List Price: $14.98
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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Just plain fun, not to be taken seriously
Review: This movie is definitely for people who saw it originally on the big screen and were fixated on it. As a kid I ate this stuff up. Now, it's more of a nostalgic trip and historical snapshot of special effects than anything else to me. If you have never seen it, you probably will think it's "cheesy", "campy", and all the other observations made about movies people don't like. It's nice "popcorn" entertainment that your kids will also enjoy.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Loved it and have waited years for it's return!
Review: Finally the Black Hole returns! No more trying to steal old VHS copies from the video store or transfer tape to tape. The visuals are stunning, the music is awesome and the story, just so so. Buy it NOW!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Rip off but good
Review: After years of this movie not being available ITS BACK and on DVD also.After watching a ADVANCED copy of this on DVD (yes i have connections) I realize how much of a rip off this movie is on 20,000 legues under the sea and 2001.But for the time period this movie is visual amazing remember we are talking before digital effects like we see now.True the story is good and some dialoge very bad and some acting bad it is still a timeless movie and deserves respect and a look at.I applaude Acher bay for picking up this title from Disney who did not want to have anything to do with a re-release.Its a great old sci-fi movie and the kids will love it too.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The movie to see...
Review: This is one of the greatest and most remembered of all sci-fi films. It is sure to go down in history. Others have given it bad reviews but I think than no other film has captured the horror, intrigue, and adventure of the unknown quite like this. The adventure of "The Black Hole" truely begins were everything else ends.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Visually stunning, techno-gothic set design, captivating.
Review: The special effects hold up well in the age of computer graphics. The sets and design are haughntingly gothic and give to the films sense of dread and foreboding. While the plot and the acting may not be spectacular, since when did Disney worry about such things, from the perspective I had as a child seeing this film, the subject matter is still intriguing and captivating. I love this movie and have waited anxiously for its return to video.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: See it for the special effects
Review: What a weird movie. In a lot of ways the special effects in THE BLACK HOLE are still better looking than most of the computer-generated and, supposedly, flawless stuff that is cranked out today. The only problem is that everything else in the movie is pretty sorry. As more than one reviewer has pointed out, the script is nothing more than a deep-space ripoff of 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA. That wouldn't be so bad except that Disney felt the need to top-load the story with "family friendly" garbage like the two nauseatingly cutesy robots and idiotic, laughter inducing gimmicks like the chick who has a psychic link (!) with one of the talking trashcans. Not only that, but the titular black hole serves as nothing more than background scenery up until the end where it then becomes simply a mechanism for ending the story, which is going nowhere (this is the only sci-fi film I know of that's brave enough to rip off 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY this blatantly -- the comparison is, to say the least, unfavorable). But, you know what? I still dig this movie. Maybe it's just nostalgia or maybe I'm just a fool. What the hell, I still dig it. If nothing else, see it for the opening sequence where the heroes first discover the villain's huge spacecraft floating at the rim of the black hole. It's super spooky, like Kubrick's Overlook Hotel transported into deep space. Besides, you'll have a good time laughing your butt of at the rest of this nonsense. What more could you ask for?

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: It's a case of style over substance
Review: Yes, this movie does have some problems, including some creaky dialogue that sounds like it came from a 1950s sci-fi film. But the stuff in this movie that works works so well, it makes up for the flaws. Visually, this is one of the most haunting outer space films ever made, with the eerily beautiful ship the Cygnus, a huge monster with a skeletal outer layer. The evil robot Maximilian is a dark, overpowering menace of demonic red metal while the humanoid robots are tragic but with a classic gothic look to them.

The film has some truly spectacular effects, including a meteor storm -- the moment when one of the meteors barrels through the ship's hull is absolutely unforgettable -- and the final descent into the black hole itself. Even the opening credits, which depict a computer-animated representation of the black hole set to John Barry's swirling musical score, are first-rate.

The sheer beauty of the visuals and the moodiness of the piece transcend the uneven perforamnces, which range from brilliant (Maximilian Schell) to workmanlike (Robert Forster) to atrocious (the absolutely wooden Anthony Perkins, who acts like he's in a trance throughout the whole film). This is not a perfect film, by any means, but it's one that deserves far more credit than it's received. And the wide-screen transfer is gorgeous, with the movie looking better than it ever has before.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: At last, The Black Hole returns to video!
Review: After approximately 12 years in limbo, The Black Hole returns to video. As I and other fans of this film had hoped, it has been transferred retaining all of it's spectacular sights intact. The transfer comes from a pristine 6-track 70mm blow-up print in the 2.20:1 - 2.35:1 ratio area. Frame edges are slightly clipped as a result of the blow-up process, but the clarity is unsurpassed. Disney/Anchor Bay must be applauded for their efforts, for this edition has been awaited for a long time. Colors are accurately represented and surround tracks are quite active. Only gripe: the transfer is SO clear that now we can see the join lines of the matte shots and the "flying" robots' strings are brought into focus! However, for a film inspired by cliffhanger serials and old sci-fi movie plot devices, it gets the job done. For those who remember when movie studios were still taking risks and sci-fi movies were not only entertaining but thought-provoking, The Black Hole can be viewed as a refreshing change of pace from today's empty-headed, cookie-cutter, non-original, digital-effects-bloated sci-fi "epics". Fans of great production design will also be pleased, as will those who appreciate John Barry's haunting film scores. This film is certainly campy and far-fetched, but a worthy effort: it not only features the FIRST EVER cinematic use of a computer graphic, but it is also Disney's first PG-film! If you've never seen it, I recommend it...but ONLY if you're a fan of sci-fi in the "Forbidden Planet" arena or appreciate the fact that older films used different techniques to get their visuals across. Not that this film's visuals are bad. Far from it. They're one-of-a-kind. Those who know what I mean will not be disappointed, but if you only like fast-paced filler...don't bother. This movie is available on videotape and DVD, but WHERE'S THE LASERDISC?! P.S. This film should ONLY be viewed in widescreen format. Anything else, and you'd be getting cheated.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Terrible waste of time and money!
Review: Both for the creators of the movie and anybody who buys it. This movie is so bad that it is painful to watch. The only mystery is how could talented actors and special effect people produce something this horrible.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: At long last...
Review: Is THE BLACK HOLE a movie with a sub-par script and mediocre acting? Yep, no doubt. But it is also the most hauntingly beautiful of all the late seventies sci-fi movies, lovingly crafted with dazzling special effects and an almost medieval set design. The score is perhaps the best sci-fi score of the period, and it all contributes to a visually and aurually stirring experience that transcends the rather wretched nature of the narrative. Quite an artistic achievement, and this DVD is the first time since the theatrical release that we'll be able to appreciate the film's qualities in a crisp, widescreen presentation. (the previous video and laserdisc transfers were cropped and close to unwatchable).


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