Harryhausen Week, Day 6: Clash of da Titans

In Harryhausen's "farewell" film, he would create some of the most memorable scenes in his library. The plot concerns greek hero Perseus, the son of Zeus. Guided by the gods, he follows the path of destiny, which, of course, crosses him with political intrigue, witches, true love and a shit-load of monsters.

There's 3 or 4 incredibly well done stop-motion sequences, with a smattering of lower quality stuff thrown in here or there. Arguably the best scene Harryhausen has ever done is the battle with the Medusa. There's a well animated fight featuring a two-headed dog, a cool battle between soldiers and some over-large Scorpions. Recurring Harryhausen creations include Pegasus, the ubiquitous flying horse, and a robotic owl that seems to take some cues from Lucas's droids. This film probably has the highest MPM (Monsters per minute) count out of all Harryhausen films, and while monsters aren't always on screen, there's usually breathtaking scenery or the soaring musical score to grasp the viewer's attention.

The actors do the best they can with the weak material they're given. Harry Hamlin as Perseus is suitably untested and heroic, and the gods are all played by well known names, such as Lawrence Olivier, Maggie Smith and Ursula Andress.

It's one of the better looking and superiorly produced of any of the Harryhausen films, and definitely worth a watch, whether you like campy fantasy or not. Tomorrow I'm reviewing the one all (2) of you have been waiting for: Jason and the Argonauts. 'Til then!