SPHE Press Release: It Came From Beneath The Sea/Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers

Two More Ray Harryhausen Sci-Fi Classics Remastered
for the First Time in Both Color and Black & White

~IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA~
~EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS~
Each 2-Disc DVD Set Debuts January 15th

Both Include All-New Audio Commentary and Interview with Ray
Harryhausen – Specific to Each Film and Tons of Bonus Featurettes


CULVER CITY, CALIF. (December 10, 2007) – Two of Ray Harryhausen’s classic films It Came From Beneath the Sea and Earth vs. The Flying Saucers will be available in newly colorized and pristine versions from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment January 15th. Each title will be available as a two disc set in color and the original black & white, with viewers able to toggle between the two versions whenever they wish. A monstrous amount of new bonus features make these releases ‘out of this world’ sci-fi entertainment. Each title will sell separately for $24.96 SRP.

As previously announced, 20 Million Miles to Earth: 50th Anniversary Edition will be available on December 4 in high-definition, only on Blu-ray™ High-Def for $28.95 SRP.

It Came From Beneath The Sea
It Came From Beneath the Sea was the first collaboration between special effects wizard Ray Harryhausen and producer Charles H. Schneer. Directed by Robert Gordon (Tarzan and The Jungle Boy), the newly colorized film, depicting a giant octopus attacking San Francisco, stars Kenneth Tobey (The Thing From Another World), Faith Domergue (This Island Earth), Donald Curtis (Earth vs. The Flying Saucers) and Ian Keith (The Ten Commandments). The two-disc DVD contains all new audio commentary by Ray Harryhausen, Arnold Kunert, Randy Cook and John Bruno; a Tim Burton Sits Down with Ray Harryhausen featurette; a video discussion of It Came From Beneath the Sea’s 1955 marketing and advertising campaign by producer Arnold Kunert; plus video photo galleries, a sneak peek at the digital comic book It Came from Beneath the Sea…Again!, and more.

SYNOPSIS
A giant stop-motion-animated octopus attacks San Francisco. A pair of scientists and a nuclear sub captain try to stop the monster before it tears down the Golden Gate Bridge.

Complete DVD Special Features :
Audio Commentary by Ray Harryhausen, Arnold Kunert, Randy Cook and John Bruno
Featurette: Ray Harryhausen on It Came From Beneath The Sea
Video Photo Galleries
Featurette: Tim Burton Sits Down with Ray Harryhausen
A Video Discussion of It Came From Beneath the Sea’s 1955 marketing and advertising campaign by producer Arnold Kunert
Featurette: David Schecter on Film Music’s Unsung Hero
Featurette: A Present Day Look at Stop-Motion
Sneak Peek of Digital Comic Book It Came from Beneath the Sea…Again!
Audio: English
Subtitles: English

Earth vs. The Flying Saucers
Earth vs. The Flying Saucers, with its ground breaking visual effects techniques, was the second of several collaborations between producer Charles H. Schneer and special effects wizard Ray Harryhausen. The film about the invasion of earth and destruction of Washington D.C. was masterfully directed by Fred F. Sears (Crash Landing) and stars Joan Taylor (20 Million Miles to Earth), Hugh Marlowe (The Day the Earth Stood Still), Donald Curtis (The Ten Commandments) and Morris Ankrum (Invaders from Mars). The two-disc DVD features new commentary by Harryhausen; the featurette A Present Day Look at Stop-Motion; an advertising artwork video montage of the film’s ad materials by Producer Arnold Kunert; video photo galleries; a sneak peek at the digital comic book; plus an Interview with Joan Taylor, and the music and Tim Burton featurettes included on It Came from Beneath the Sea.

SYNOPSIS
Dr. Russell Marvin heads up Operation Skyhook, which is tasked with sending rockets into the upper atmosphere to probe for future space flights. Unfortunately, all the rockets are somehow disappearing. While investigating this strange occurrence, Russell and his new assistant/wife Carol Marvin are abducted by a flying saucer, where the aliens demand to meet with certain people in order to negotiate. But it was a trick; the aliens only wanted to kill them. The invasion has begun and if Russell and Carol can't find a way to get past their defenses and stop these creatures, it may be the end of the human race.

Complete DVD Special Features:
Audio Commentary by Ray Harryhausen, Arnold Kunert, Jeff Okun, Ken Ralston
Featurette: Ray Harryhausen on Earth vs. The Flying Saucers
Featurette: A Present Day Look at Stop-Motion
Featurette: The Colorization Process
Featurette: Original Screenplay Credits
Video Photo Galleries
Featurette: Tim Burton Sits Down with Ray Harryhausen
Advertising Artwork video montage of film’s ad materials by Producer Arnold Kunert
Featurette: Interview with Joan Taylor
Featurette: David Schecter on Film Music’s Unsung Hero
Featurette: The Hollywood Blacklist and Bernard Gordon
Sneak Peek of Digital Comic Book Flying Saucers vs. the Earth
Audio: English
Subtitles: English

It Came From Beneath the Sea has a run time of 79 minutes and is not rated.
Earth vs. The Flying Saucers has a run time of 83 minutes and is not rated.


It Came From Beneath The Sea
DVD Catalog # 22620
UPC Code: 043396226203
Order Date: 12/13/07
SRP: $24.96

Earth vs. The Flying Saucers
DVD Catalog # 22619
UPC Code: 043396226197
Order Date: 12/13/07
SRP: $24.96

Re: SPHE Press Release: It Came From Beneath The Sea/Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers

Even though it is hardly the 1st time I've purchased these titles, I'll be buying again for the Extras & the Blu-Ray release.

Re: SPHE Press Release: It Came From Beneath The Sea/Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers

might pick up if I find them cheap enough. Never did get Earth Vs. the Flying Saucers.

Re: SPHE Press Release: It Came From Beneath The Sea/Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers

Nice, I'm building up quite a collection of colorized films, he said proudly.


I'm still waiting for a colorized version of John Badham's Dracula.

Re: SPHE Press Release: It Came From Beneath The Sea/Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers

Damn it Christou! Your violating the HTF CHARTER AGAIN! We buy these not for the colour versions, but the spruced up B&W and the extras!

SHEESH! MODERATORS!! Where's the mods!!??!?

Re: SPHE Press Release: It Came From Beneath The Sea/Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers

Hey, Ray Harryhausen says it's safe to watch these films in colour, good enough for me. Don't worry I'll make sure I've drawn the curtains and locked the door before playing the dvds.

The last one they did 20 Million Miles to Earth was, apart from the usual pasty faces, quite watchable.

Re: SPHE Press Release: It Came From Beneath The Sea/Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers

Harryhausen is officially too old to make such judgement calls though...

Just kidding. and saying the other one is "quite watchable" is pretty faint praise.

I just saw the suggested retail, I'm not buying these. Why is Harryhausens stuff so expensive? The only titles of his I found cheap where the Sinbads. Those were some goofy discs too, one of them had a doc for Earth Vs. Flying Saucers on it.

Re: SPHE Press Release: It Came From Beneath The Sea/Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers

I respect Harryhausen big time, and I love most of his films, but his endorsements of the colorizing process seem... I don't know, perfunctory and ill-advised. I don't care how much the technology has "improved" since ten years ago, I still feel the colors are garish and the flesh tones pasty, not a lick better than the MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS release of quite a few years back. Why Harryhausen, who says he'd have filmed these movies in color had he had the budget (this doesn't seem right, either, since Dynamation hadn't ironed out many of its matte issues by 1957 and would have come across poorly in color) would be so whole-heartedly complimentary of a process that so badly debases the fine contrast and atmosphere of the original black and white films feels like studio influence to me, in order to push an inferior product they have invested lots of money in. I'll stick with the B&W. I can only hope that Sony and Harryhausen are investing as much (or more) energy in his subsequent films. I would love a 2-disc edition of 7th VOYAGE OF SINBAD for a 50th anniversary edition next year, and one for JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS in 2013 - hopefully Ray has already recorded commentaries for these, as time could well be short.

Re: SPHE Press Release: It Came From Beneath The Sea/Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers

Strange isn't it? With all the advanced technology we have today, they still can't get the skin tone right on these colorized films. I saw Beowulf on the big screen, the animation was incredible but again the skin tones looked off. Is it so difficult to get 'fake' skin colour to look real?

On the plus side these sets do offer cleaned up editions of the BW originals.

Looking forward to that 7th Voyage of Sinbad anniversary edition, it's my 2nd favorite Harryhausen flick.

Re: SPHE Press Release: It Came From Beneath The Sea/Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers

So is 20 Million Miles still the only one to come out in high def? Even though I still don't have a high def player, I'm trying to cut down on SD purchases when I know there's a better version available.

Re: SPHE Press Release: It Came From Beneath The Sea/Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers

When will EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS be on Blue-Ray?