The Black Hole (DVD)

...know, a black hole is the remains of a supergiant star that has collapsed into itself; it is so dense and has such an intense gravitational field that nothing can escape it, not even light. In 1972, the first convincing candidate for a black hole was discovered by astronomers, and it was called Cygnus X-1; of course, the public still had a lot to understand about the mystery of black holes, as hardly anything was published in book form on the phenomenon. ...
...film to cash in on the STAR WARS craze, I’m one of those individuals who feels there is more to THE BLACK HOLE then meets the eye.

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THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE FORCE IN THE UNIVERSE
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The starship Palomino is doing patrols far away from Earth; the crew consists of only five people: ... more

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TITLE: Black Hole, The

RATING: ***½

CAST: Maximillian Schell, Anthony Perkins, Robert Forster, Joseph Bottoms, Yvette Mimieux, Ernest Borgnine, Tommy McLoughlin, Gary Nelson; unbilled voices of Roddy McDowall and Slim Pickens.

DIRECTOR: Gary Nelson

SCREENWRITERS: Jeb Rosenbrook & Gerry Day; Jeb Rosenbrook, Bob Barbash, & Richard Landau (story)

STUDIO: Walt Disney Studios / Buena Vista Distribution

RUNNING TIME: 98 min.

RATED: PG (US & UK); for sci-fi violence.

DVD AVAILABILITY: 5 GBP from Amazon; ASIN# B000094P3Q

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INTRODUCTION
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In 2005, author Stephen Hawking proved---mathematically, at least---that black holes do indeed exist in his book “A Briefer History of Time.” Before then, it was largely believed that they are real, though there was still no hard proof. As most of you know, a black hole is the remains of a supergiant star that has collapsed into itself; it is so dense and has such an intense gravitational field that nothing can escape it, not even light. In 1972, the first convincing candidate for a black hole was discovered by astronomers, and it was called Cygnus X-1; of course, the public still had a lot to understand about the mystery of black holes, as hardly anything was published in book form on the phenomenon. It was in 1979, that the Walt Disney Studios---of all film companies---decided to release a film about a black hole; while critics dismissed it as being another film to cash in on the STAR WARS craze, I’m one of those individuals who feels there is more to THE BLACK HOLE then meets the eye.

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THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE FORCE IN THE UNIVERSE
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The starship Palomino is doing patrols far away from Earth; the crew consists of only five people: Captain Dan Holland (Robert Forster), his second in command Lt. Pizer (Joseph Bottoms), physician Dr. Kate McCrae (Yvette Mimieux), scientist Dr. Alex Durant (Anthony Perkins), and reporter Harry Booth (Ernest Borgnine). Oh, there is also a sixth crew member known only as V.I.N.CENT., who is a cute little robot that is able to levitate off the ground; it is Vincent who discovers the largest black hole that has ever been seen before, as well as a huge ship that is hovering over the event horizon. The ship is identified as, ironically, the U.S.S. Cygnus, and it appears to be desolate and abandoned when they pass by, but then the Palomino is almost sucked into the black hole. While they manage to get away before its too late, they suffer some damage---and it is at that point that the Cygnus lights up completely.

The Palomino lands and decides to find out what is going on, and in the control tower, the crew meets the Captain, Dr. Hans Reinhardt (Maximillian Schell). In a detailed story, Dr. Reinhardt explains that the Cygnus was attacked by a meteor shower, which disabled the ship, and much of the crew had left to journey back to Earth; Reinhardt decided to stay onboard with Frank McCrae, Kate’s father, who had died shortly afterward. He had then created a new assistant, in the form of a large, potentially dangerous robot named, Maximillian. Apparently, Dr. Reinhardt has been waiting onboard the Cygnus for over 20 years alone to fulfill his lifelong dream: to explore a black hole and record what he has discovered. However, the crew of the Palomino begins to doubt Reinhardt’s story and feel he may be insane…except for Dr. Durant, who wants to share his obsession and take the journey with him into the unknown.

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NOW THAT’S A HELL OF A METEOR!!!
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I’m going to do something different with this review by first talking about the greatest asset of THE BLACK HOLE: the special effects. Considering this film came out in a time when CGI (Computer Generated Image) hadn’t even been tested yet, I think the effects hold up extremely well. The studio was determined to make THE BLACK HOLE, if anything, visually spectacular, and they turned to Peter Ellenshaw, a native of England, to accomplish that. A highly respected expert in matte paintings as well as visual effects, Ellenshaw was nominated for several Oscars, and won for MARY POPPINS. Joining him on THE BLACK HOLE were some of the best in the business in the pre-CGI era, including Art Cruickshank, Danny Lee, Eustace Lysatt, and Joe Hale; they were all Disney veterens and were all nominated for Academy Awards for their truly impressive work here…and I think they would have won if they were not going up against ALIEN.

I’m not a big fan of pictures that place their emphasis on CGI because it all to obvious it IS CGI, though it is now dominating the business today; before that revolution, all of the special effects artists did everything by HAND, by means of opticals, models, paintings, miniatures, animation and mechanical effects---and I personally think it looks more real than CGI. The film incorporates 150 matte paintings and over 600 visual effect shots, which I believe is a record that remains unbroken; I mean, look at the control tower where Reinhardt is when the crew comes out of the elevator, and the camera goes up to see how massive it is….that was all a beautiful matte painting, and it looks just seamless. There is an eye-popping sequence involving a meteor shower that attacks the Cygnus later on, as well as a gigantic meteorite that enters the ship and almost rolls over the crew as they attempting to escape---a prelude to the giant rock ball in the beginning RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, perhaps?

Because Disney wasn’t able to get assistance from George Lucas’ Industrial Light and Magic (ILM), they were forced to create their own system which is listed in the credits as A.C.E.S.--- Automated Camera Effects System which was, according to www.imdb.com, technically superior to ILM at the time because it enabled the camera to move on a matte painting which was previously impossible. This was likely used especially for the true highlight of the piece, which is the climactic journey into the black hole; I’m not going to dare describe for first time viewers. I should also mention the excellent graphics used in the film, particularly in the opening title sequence, which were accomplished by Barry Seybert and Thomas Baker; in fact, them and this film led to the next special effects hit by Disney, which was called TRON.

I think it’s a shame that most audiences now have to see this film on the small screen, because it should be seen in a theater for maximum impact. I’m sure at least a few readers out there did see THE BLACK HOLE in 1979, and I want them all to know I’m truly jealous of them, as I was only 9 months old at the time. Peter Ellenshaw and his team---including his son, Harrison---truly did contribute so much to the THE BLACK HOLE; a true genius, Ellenshaw recently passed away on February 12 of this year at 93 years old.

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A SKYSCRAPER OF A SPACE SHIP
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Even though THE BLACK HOLE works best as a special effects extravaganza, there are other kudos I would like to dole out. Peter Ellenshaw was also responsible for the film’s unique production design, especially that of the Cygnus; using a New York skyscraper as a reference, he was able to design and build an awesome ship that actually looks like it was built by scientists. There are many corridors that seem endless and are carefully constructed, and cinematographer Frank V. Phillips gives an almost dizzying quality to everything you see on the screen. Phillips also uses color to great advantage here, with a heavy supply of reds and blues, making the film look nightmarish and hypnotic, most notably in the final half hour.

I also happen to love the score of THE BLACK HOLE, which was done by the great John Barry; another native of England, Barry did scores for many James Bond films, including MOONRAKER, which came out the same year. I was glad that the newest DVD of the film reincorporated for the first time since the film’s theatrical run the original overture before the opening credits. There are three themes in the film: the piece that opens and ends the film, which is genuinely haunting, as well as another serving the action scenes and overture, which is riveting, and the final one is gentle and ethereal, and has almost a Biblical tinge to it. I hope you all have stereo surround sound with several subwoofers because when you play THE BLACK HOLE the music is certainly powerful and makes it a great viewing experience, despite the doldrums that are present underneath.

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HEY MAXIMILLIAN, DON’T PICK ON SMALL PEOPLE!
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Those doldrums I mentioned happened to be the negative aspects of the THE BLACK HOLE, which could have been fatal if not for the extraordinary technical achievements. The truth of the matter is that the acting and writing leave a lot to be desired; many people found the film disappointing on those aspects, including me, because overall the film could have been---and should have been---much better. In terms of the writing, the film reads like a cross between STAR WARS and 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, and does use several elements from both of those groundbreaking films. According to Disney, the story for THE BLACK HOLE was actually thought up before STAR WARS, but did they still have to make it so similar on many levels? Let’s take V.I.N.CENT. and B.O.B. for example, which are two robots that are both the size of R2-D2, yet speak with philosophical banter that is typical of what C-3PO says. Plus, Reinhardt’s army of robots---which look they were shipped from the set of “Dr. Who”---shoot guns which emanate laser power like the weapons that Han Solo and Luke Skywalker have.

The screen and story writers are all from television and clearly have no experience whatsoever in science fiction, although it is clear that so many ideas were thrown out there that it had been cobbled together into something rather uneven and mediocre; the writing and dialogue is drawn so much from B-movie and TV sensibilities, that it plays like an episode of “Star Trek” or “Battlestar Galactica.” The direction by Gary Nelson (who also helmed the original FREAKY FRIDAY for Disney), is OK, but not significant enough to be memorable in anyway. One creation that does standout in the film though is Maximillian, which is this maroon metal hulk of a robot that did create nightmares for me when I was kid. He is as evil as Darth Vader, but every different on every level, as he doesn’t speak and has a weapon of what appears to be flying blades as fingers; in other words, he is not a robot you want to piss off, lol.

As for the acting, well, let me just say that the film has a better cast than the film deserves. Anthony Perkins (Norman Bates himself) as Dr. Durant gives one of the better performances, as well as Oscar winner Ernest Borgnine (MARTY); however the characterizations are so contrived, cardboard, and dull that they feel like they were recycled from one of those horrible 1950s sci-fi films. Maximillian Schell (who won an Oscar for 1961’s JUDGMENT AT NUREMBURG) trys really hard, as he constantly chews dialogue; he is so over-the-top as Dr. Reinhardt that he is occasionally effective but borders on laughable at other times. Incidentally, the voices of V.I.N.CENT. and B.O.B. were both done by Roddy McDowall and Slim Pickens, who both took no credit; they are both quite funny, considering they have the best lines.

Despite all the problems with THE BLACK HOLE, I still find it enjoyable and even consider it one of the best films ever made in terms of the special effects; if only the story, script, and performances were up on that level, then this film might have turned into a classic. What we have today is a seriously flawed film that is technically brilliant on every level, but still suffers from the doldrums I discussed. Hope you all enjoyed reading this review, and the DVD is available on Amazon for only 5 GBP.....Chris x

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SOME QUOTES THAT WENT INTO THE HOLE
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1) “I had a professor who predicted that black holes would eventually devour the entire universe.” --- Yvette Mimieux “Why not? When you can see giant suns vanish in there without a trace.” --- Anthony Perkins

2) “Every time I see one of those things I expect to see some guy in red with horns and a pitchfork.” --- Joseph Bottoms “It’s a monster all right, a rip in the very fabric of space and time.” --- Roddy McDowall

3) “Can you speak? Are you programmed to speak? Hmm, no, I guess not. No, that would have made you a bit too real wouldn’t it? That Reinhardt sure loves to play God, doesn’t he?” --- Ernest Borgnine

4) “Are you interested in black holes?” --- Maximillian Schell “How can one not be turned on by the deadliest force in the universe?” --- Anthony Perkins "That long dark tunnel to nowhere…” --- Yvette Mimieux “Or somewhere! These are answers yet to be explored!” --- Maximillian Schell

5) “Come on, hurry up Vincent!” --- Joseph Bottoms “A pint can’t hold a quart, Mr. Pizer, but the pint is doing the best it can!” --- Roddy McDowall

6) “Hey, Vincent, you are going to have the time of your life in there!” --- Joseph Bottoms “I don’t mean to sound superior, but I just hate the company of robots!” --- Roddy McDowell

7) “Who is the flashy black hat?” --- Roddy McDowall “S.T.A.R.--- Special Troops Arms Regiment---Reinhardt’s prototype for the century robots; he was number one until Reinhardt built Maximillian.” --- Slim Pickens

8) “Tonight my friends, we stand on the brink on a feat unparalleled in space exploration. I will travel where no man has dared to go.” --- Maximillian Schell “Into the black hole?” --- Anthony Perkins “In, through, and beyond! The word ‘impossible’ is only found in a dictionary of fools!” --- Maximillian Schell

9) “You told us the crew had left the ship!” --- Anthony Perkins “Some causes must have caused all this…but what caused that cause?” --- Maximillian Schell (who writes dialogue like this???)

10) “Hey, S.T.A.R.! Vincent is my name, sharpshooting is my game! Try me!” --- Roddy McDowall

11) "Protect me from Maximillian!" --- Maximillian Schell "If there is any justice at all, the black hole will be your grave!" --- Yvette Mimiuex

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TRIVIA AND CRITIC’S CORNER
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TRIVIA NOTE #1: Tommy McLoughlin, who plays Captain S.T.A.R., was also the uncredited mime trainer for the century robots.

TRIVIA NOTE #2: V.I.N.CENT. is acronym for Vital Information Necessary CENTralized; the other robot is just known as B.O.B.---dont ask me!

TRIVIA NOTE #3: Incidentally, that is director Gary Nelson as the crew member who gets his mask is taken off; his face is covered with black material.

TRIVIA NOTE #4: This was the very first Disney film to receive a PG rating in the US, for the sci-fi level violence; 25 years later, PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN would become the first Disney film to get a PG-13 rating.

CRITIC’S CORNER #1: “It’s all fairy ludicrous with wooden dialogue and wild leaps of logic. Yet this movie fascinated me a child and it still holds a certain nostalgic value.” --- Jeffrey M. Anderson (2004)

CRITIC’S CORNER #2: “Released to take advantage of the sci-fi craze created by STAR WARS, this Disney feature fails to measure up to its contemporaries; that being said, there are flashes of brilliance to the film.” --- Andrea Chee (2007)

CRITIC’S CORNER #3: “Spectacular! It simply blows one away, with some of the most deliciously imaginative special effects ever put on film!” --- Time Magazine (1979) 

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