While other kids were afraid of Darth Vader, I was deathly scared of Maximilian. As one reviewer put it, "...silent, menacing, and always a thread-width away from killing you in the most horrible fashion."
I was scared of them both when I was a boy, but I still agree with you. At least you could _reason_ with Darth Vader, talk with him, maybe try to convince him to _not_ cut your head off. No such luck with Maximilian! Like a Terminator, once Maximilian decides that it's time for you to die, there's no talking him out of it. Combined with that were both Maximilian's appearance and his invulnerability (and the apparent unstoppability which comes with that). The moment Maximilian floated into the room, you _knew_ what he was about. There was no room for moral ambiguity; Max was bad news, full stop. And then, after the Palomino's crew had just gotten done whipping out their cool double-laser-pistol pistols and mowing down a _legion_ of the rank-and-file enforcer droids, they try shooting Maximilian...and the shots just bounce right off him. Cue the "Uh oh" churning-in-your-gut reflex. I do hope that Disney eventually gives us a Black Hole remake. If they made Maximilian look _that_ straight-from-Hell scary with 1979's technology, I wonder what they could do with him _today._
I always wondered why he was designed with a salad shooter set of hands, unless Reinhardt was expecting the lobotomized converted members of his former crew to up-rise some day?
No. The lobotomized crew is no danger for even the red security robots roaming around. They have some decent IA and they could up-rise. Also Maximilian is good for combats in "Danger zones" such as rooms filled with fuel cells, cables, Gas cells.
"A haunted house film in space" - I would never have thought to describe it that way but you're exactly right! I like this movie as well. There is something very dark and compelling about it despite its flaws.
And that notion (Haunted house in outer space) was applied later to another film dealing with black holes... Event Horizon. Although made by a different company, I almost consider Event Horizon as a sort of spiritual successor to The Black Hole.
It *is* a great film. The uniforms are a bit pajama-esque... but other than that, this really stands out as a great Star Trek film. It also has (Star Trek 2009, notwithstanding) the best opening moments of *any* Star Trek film. :)
Nice review! This movie had incredible visuals, and a fascinating premise. I can't respect those who dismiss this movie as "corny" or whatever. Tonight, I just got the MPC plastic model kit of V.I.N.CENT! I'm happy about that.
I would love to see this movie on Blu-Ray...if only they clean up the visible fly-wires for the floating/levitation scenes. BTW, Timothy Dalton was my favorite James Bond until Daniel Craig. :)
The destruction of the Cygnus by gravity and meteorites is very scary specially with the John Barry soundtrack. The "in through and beyond" the black hole sequence is a surreal set of imageries with no defined answers. That's why this film lives on in people's minds. It's been said they returned to Earth, a paradise? at the end but we don't know in what time frame, century, or perhaps dimension.
Honestly, nicely done dude. Inclusion of rollerball and mention of Solaris gives this review it's place. You're right, Star Wars ended the 70's, and is fantasy. I've never been able to put my finger on what the 70's did for sci-fi, and how important it was. Or why black hole stayed so long in my consciousness, but you nailed it, HAUNTING, and the lack of fear to be so from films then. You illustrated it's importance also in being so, as well as citing tron as among films that exemplify sci-fi's singularity in being able to express this kind of mirror of society and cautioning futurism. Cinemotologists nailed it for a 2nd watched review today. I raise a glass high, who knew someone could make sense of the 70's that's stuck with me and inexplicable, but somehow so, so Freakin important, perhaps only the children that saw these can understand. Rollerball. Fuck me. And that is the most beautiful ship ever put on film.
I remembered this show as a kid, and I agree with most of your comments. MY biggest beef with the show was Yvette Mimeux. She's supposed to be young and innocent, but she'd have fit that ideal had Black Hole been made when Time Machine came out, not 20 years later... Maybe 20 years was the problem in general--it would have rocked in the 60's, but we'd seen Alien by then, (same SFX people as Star Wars, incidentally!) and they did a better job on half the budget!
This movie is also part horror. A Disney film about an evil genius turning humans into robots, leaving their souls in some unknowable limbo hell. Thats darker than just killing them. I love how the Cygnus mirrors this lack of soul. Its empty sparce areas are tomb like, combined with that dark howling music, sounding like the souls of the crew in ever tourment. And a PG Disney movie ? How did that happen ? Loved this movie in cinemas when i was 8. Love it now.
I watched this movie when it came out in the theaters, when I was 11, and instantly loved it. Even today, it is easily one of my top 20 films of all time. The Gothic design of the Cygnus was incredible and so unique at the time.
Btw one of Barry's themes when the Palomino approaches the Cygnus is a waltz which reflects the dance between the Cygnus (latin word for swan) and the black hole, a dance of death 🙄
I like this film. While I do agree there are elements of a 'haunted house in space' to me at least, it's more like a '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' in space. Everything from the maelstrom-like depiction of the black hole and the loner commander Reinhardt being a Captain Nemo in Space and Anthony Perkins' character being a Professor Arronax analog, far too overwhelmed by Reinhardt's achievements to face what he has really become. I really don't like the chatty robots though. FFS Vincent, shut up already. USS Cygnus on the other hand is a beauty. I love how the exoskeletal structure, when combined with the expansive windows and lights create a Victorian look. It's like a Crystal Palace or Centre Pompidou in space. İf you look at the pictures of the Crystal Palace, you'll even.notice a tower nearby that looks very much like the cintrol tower on the Cygnus. It is a very very haunting look. It almost comes as a surprise that it has such powerful thrusters.
I got to see it in the theater, as a 9 year old. After Star Wars, all kids were suckers for anything space based. But this wasn't bad, it was a bit over my head at that age. But now I really like the look of it. It was very ambitious of Disney. I just think that with a couple more script revisions it could have really been a stellar movie, more in the vein of 2001 than Star Wars.
Insightful and entertaining review of an underappreciated film. Sure the script and (especially) dialogue are often dodgy but the whole set-up, the dark mysterious atmosphere, the design, I've always found impressive. And Maximilian the robot always scares the bejasus out of me
I was 13 in January 1980 when my dad took me to the cinema to see The Black Hole. I didn't want to go because I wasn't at all into sci-fi at the time, wasn't interested in Star Wars, Star Trek, etc. But after having watched the film, I instantly fell in love with it and is what got me into Sci Fi afterwards with Star Trek (and yes, agree with you about The Motion Picture) and Doctor Who. I still get the feels whenever I watch B.O.B. got shot and died in front of V.I.N.CENT, those two robots are really what made the movie. Today, I have the DVD and the vinyl LP of the soundtrack and it's only very recently that I've been able to get hold of model figures of the two robots. The Black Hole is such an underrated film that I still have a lot of love for today. PS: Yes, RUclips has just recommended your video today. :-D
I was six years old the first time I saw _Star Trek- The Motion Picture,_ and honestly it scared the shit out of me and invoked nightmares for almost two decades. The dark and intentionally under-defined visuals of the _V'ger_ spacecraft, combined with the haunting and bizzare original score of the-late Jerry Goldsmith made for a potent combination to my impressionable/afraid-of-things-going-bump-in-the-night child mind. It was into my late-20s that I had matured enough to watch and actually _enjoy_ the movie without causing a literal anxiety attack.
Thanks for showing a clip from Watership Downs. I've spent years of therapy trying to forgot that movie after I saw it as a kid. I can't hear the song 'Bright Eyes' without rocking in the corner.
Finally someone else who enjoys this film! Great review , so glad to see new fans . To me , I enjoy the work and time put into these movies that I can look beyond certain elements that some may call cheesy or ridiculous. I enjoy a matte painting over some CGI even though this was the first in history to use a computer rendered shots. It's the reason JAWS is still scary even though you know it's a mechanical shark. Movies are so much more than what's on the screen .
I googled "Habitable Life" and got this article from the year Twothousand and Eight-Freaking-Teen "Scientists discover over 100 planets that may host habitable life"
Many thanks for a good and well considered review. The rich and mysterious melancholy of the film haunted my childhood back in the day when you saw a film once. It left much to think about and rich imagery to reflect on. Still one of the under appreciated greats.
Gonna have to correct you on a point: MGM produced The Wizard of Oz, not Disney. Warner Brothers now owns the rights, so it never has been a Disney film. Even if Disney were to acquire the rights it STILL wouldn’t be a Disney film, it would be an acquisition or property. As for those claiming The Black Hole’s ending is a knock-off of 2001, “inspired by,” maybe... because 2001 was produced 11 years prior. The ending is actually the first runner-up, and Harrison Ellishaw came up with both the original and the one that made it to the screen. Without knowing the exact things going through Ellishaw’s mind, I’d say the ending is “inspired by” or “an homage to 2001. I would also have to say that The Black Hole is a science fantasy trying really hard to be science fiction. There are the references to Einstein-Rosen principles, but conveniently ignores the effects of the vacuum of space on a body, the strength of catastrophic hull breach and the ability of bodies (human AND mechanical) to resist it when it is beneficial to furthering the plot; as well as the selective and variable effect of the gravitational pull of the black hole. Not to mention: the color effects of the black hole’s accretion disc turns to red by the tiny (and, one assumes with some relativity), distant destruction of the Cygnus. Since light is absorbed by the very nature of the black hole and the disc is quite large, that sort of effect would be negated by the ship’s destruction. I did like the blue nature of space rather than the absolute black normally used to portray that vast void. And, I do like your description of the movie as a “haunted house movie in space is pretty good. Also so very common through the ‘80’s and into the ‘90’s, robots having that stiff way of moving as if it was waaaay beyond imagining that waaay into the future, people wouldn’t be able to build more fluid and human-like robots. Just like Star Trek the original series couldn’t have a computer that didn’t whir, beep and click, also having a voice that was stilted and mechanical. While it may not have been a blockbuster, I wouldn’t say it was a failure, but I’d have to go with “disappointment” or “critical failure.” Also, why does Reinhardt say to Kate, “Save me from Maximilian!”? Throughout the whole movie, he commands him and seems not to be frightened or intimidated by him at all.
I was first introduced to this film and others via the Disney Channel back in its commercial-free golden years. There are certain scenes that still give me a jolt to this day.
As well as the film, I loved the music from it and bought the LP for one particular piece. I was gutted it wasn't on it, so was well pleased that more than THIRTY years later they brought out an album which contained all of the music, including that track which they called Hot & Heavy / Hotter & Heavier.
Mysterious, disconcerting movie. Made a huge impact on my psyche as a child. Wasn't much merchandise around in my small town, besides colouring and audio books. The incredible intro track remains as ominous as ever. Sunday afternoon and fish chips. This was my type of Disney.
+brentalfloss "When you said you weren't bored by Star Trek: TMP at the age of 8... ya lost me :)" That's funny, cuz that's where he HAD me interested...;)
+brentalfloss I turned 9 less than a month before TMP came out. I wasn't bored at all. It's still my favorite Star Trek film, and when I was 9 years old it cemented me as a Trekkie. "Glued to the set in wonderment" describes my 9-year-old reaction to TMP well.
Excellent commentary. I saw this in my hometown theatre in 1979 in Liverpool, Nova Scotia, and enjoyed it tremendously. I still use one of V.I.N.C.E.N.T.'s quotes to this day to knock anyone down to size who demands more from others so they can get away with doing less... "You do not ask a pint to hold a quart. If it's holding the pint, it's doing it's best!" Priceless!
Thanks for your insightful review. You're right, this is a memorable movie. Very dark, somber, and frightening. I'm surprised it didn't scare me more when I watched it as a kid.
This movie came out when I was 5 yo. I loved it. Had nightmares involving Maximillian and being stranded in deep space on The Cygnus, which still creeps me out!
UPVOTED because you are one of the few people that understand the quiet moments in movies like this and Star Trek 1 are there to build story and mystery. They arent just "the boring slow parts" Good on you man!! I grew up with this movie and liked is MORE than starwars when i was young. Yeah im an old fart and YES this movie is freaking brilliantly well done in its moments of speechless mystery building!
I love The Black Hole and I love Star Wars and NO. Star Wars is officially classified as Science Fiction, being part of its space western and space opera subgenres. However, it also has elements of Fantasy and mystical fantasy in it....
Great review! I was born in 81 but it wasn't either 85 or 86 when I discovered The Black Hole from Disney's old Books On Tape. They were cassette tapes that came with a small book that read the story. We had The Black Hole. You may want to search for that for your collection. When I finally saw the movie I loved it, even when I was a kid. It pulled me in. It felt like a VERY long story, not boring just long. When I finally saw The Black Hole on DVD, many years later, at Walmart I immediately bought it. I do kinda have a problem with the ending where after the entire movie gave just the right amount of exposition to explain the story at the end we are left with a mystery? Seems to compete with the entire plot, however when you watch the behind-the-scenes of the DVD they explain what happened. Again great review, oh I also felt the same about STTMP.
This was a VHS rental classic and a great watch as an 80s teen. One thing to notice, has anyone not found similarities between Maximilian, the robot and recognizers, the large hovering vehicles in Tron?
Since it's been too many decades since I've seen it, I can only go off of the memory: cool visuals, neat robots, a bit slow going anywhere. But hey, as a kid in the day, that meant a worthwhile watch! I have this on my list of films to revisit and hoping to do so soon.
I saw the Black Hole during its original theatrical release and it was amazing to watch with my best friend. We kind of knew it was not on par with the Lucas stuff, but still really fun and a little scary...i was 14. I bought it a few years back to see it again and was blown away at how great it still is. Disney made good live action films, but this was actually a very decent sci fi and the theme was pretty astounding. Maybe not the best acting but i liked it. Great points in your review.
I agree that the movie holds up well after all these years. That is because it is about an interesting story and has characters we come to care about. The science is much better understood now, which could help with some of the movie's weaknesses (such as the ending scene and the ESP stuff). I cut it some slack since it was made in 1979. Movies reflect the culture of the time even when they have futuristic or fantasy settings.
Sam Torres- I was 12 when it came out in theaters, and yes, I saw it there as well. To this day, I love this movie, and still have the toys and the model of the USS Cignus. I bought both VHS versions(full screen and widescreen), as well as the DVD release when it came out. I believe it was finally with that release, that Roddy McDowell and Slim Pickens were credited with the voices of VINCent and BOB. 38 years after first watching it, I still enjoy it. The acting wasn't as bad as many people say, and the few "flaws" the movie has only add to it's charm. The Black Hole is a classic, in my opinion, and should never be tampered with, rebooted, etc. The musical score is perfect for it.
Great review, man! I actually discovered the movie on DVD and grew up with the same reaction to it as a kid. Looking back to it, I still personally enjoyed it despite the major flaws to it (I even have the same merchandise, especially a few posters in my closet, including two Spanish lobbycards). BTW there is one thing to mention that I had to nitpick; the black hole itself wasn't supposed to look visible as a blue vortex in deep space. Unless there are lifeless parts that died in a beyond (collapse stars), they'd be formed as a vortex of a black hole. Throughout the film, there wasn't anything forming around a black hole, not even collapse stars. I remembered reading a book about it after watching the movie, and I had to realize that the film didn't follow the scientific elements to it. Regardless, its not a perfect film, but like I said I personally loved it.
Dear The Cinemologist, Dude, I just watched this movie today and I still love it. I grew up on it. It is indeed a great classic. It's nice to see another hardcore fan, like me. Thanks for posting this video. I like your collection btw. I have some of the same stuff you do - I also got the model kits of Max and Vincent (fully assembled). If you want one let me know. Always like to share ;)
As a kid, I had this on VHS and was a fan of it, watching multiple times, even before I knew Star Wars. Growing up, I kinda got into SW and forgot about TBH. Now I had a pleasant surprise seeing it on Disney+.
Had the Lunchbox and the boardgame. Found a Maximillian and Centry robot at a local Collectors Shop going for a considerable sum, decided to make into a Xmas gift for a friend who likes the movie even more than I do.
I just thought that I would add this in-case anyone in-particular may be curious in knowing - the short animated footage starting at 3:16 is from the film "Watership Down," a 1978 British animated adventure drama based upon a top children's book of the 1970's with an interesting story of its own. I just thought that people may be bound to ask when they first see it.
Great review. That black hole visual effect outside the Cygnus windows still gives me the creeps some 30 years later. And I'll agree with you that the ship is a beautiful design and looks fantastic in the movie. I also really like that the story is set entirely in deep space.
if you compared the blackhole scene to 2001, thats because Robert McCall who worked on the starfield scene in 2001 also did the starfield scene in this and the v'ger cloud in star trek the motion picture, he also designed the large space craft in both the black hole and 2001. all three films are connected directly by the nasa artist
I think it's a classic too; and one fondly remembered by kids who grew up in that era and saw it in the theater. Although a number of cynics are quick to point out its flaws in comments, reviews and blogs, including unfairly criticizing the ending, I personally find the ( romantic ) hell depiction entirely consistent with the themes and tone of the movie ( it's a morality play! ); despite the fact that it’s what I would now qualify as a dubious “Calvinist” vision of hell, considering the crew also appears to be damned, even though they were not personally responsible for what happened ( they didn’t do anything wrong, willingly )! In other words: it was pre-ordained. Another bit I am especially fond of, which I think is the thematic lynchpin of the film ( of which “the black hole” is an apt metaphor ): the scene where Dr. Reinhardt declares in his characteristic German [ hint! ] accent : “I am about to prove to you that the end justifies the means...” Cut to: the bowels of the ship - as a lugubrious and depressing police-state! Pretty mature stuff for a children audience… Note: naturally, this is not merely a back-ended commentary on the Nazis, as it seems to me that “the end justifies the means” is very much a part of this - America - country’s DNA, too, as we’ve seen time and again throughout history: from the systematic extermination of its indigenous population, to slavery, to carpet bombing in WWII - culminating with the dropping of the atom bombs -, to the Korean war, Vietnam ( which ended a mere 4 years prior to the release of this film ), the wars in the Middle East, etc. Rationalization - and its attendant denial - is what we do best, tragically. This is our own “black hole”, as a society. And for pretty much the same reason depicted in the film, I suspect: our Calvinist mentality - a ruling ideology disguised as theological dogma. Our cultural hell. Overall, it’s safe to say that this movie marked an entire generation of GenX kids, like me, both in the States and abroad, who still remember it fondly. Although often corny and predictable, as noted, especially by today’s standards and from an adult perspective - though I suspect the movie still resonates with kids -, the film has its moments, and was really daring at the time, both visually and thematically; very much unlike standard ( safe ) Disney fare up to that point. Also, although most kids likely did not catch on to the political and social commentary on a rational level, they definitely felt it; the “German expressionist” mood and vistas ( gothic space opera ), complemented by John Barry’s grand orchestral score, being often stirring, if not haunting at times. For example: the eerie scene of the commander straying through the oddly unvacated yet depressingly deserted crew dormitory, hinting at their tragic fate… “The end justifies the means!” I wish Disney had had the acumen to follow through with the now cancelled remake ( the proposed script having been deemed too dark, among other reasons, if I recall ). It seems to me that this is precisely the point, however. Also, I believe that kids need a good scare once in a while; especially monsters, such as Maximillian, the unforgettable “cuisinarting” killer-robot! It’s cathartic, and also serves to orient - or “polarize” - their moral universe, imo. An impression of “Hell”, at that age, may also not be such a bad thing, as a kind of quirky “supplement” to their moral education; though most adults would likely temper such Manichean moral landscapes with their own, more mature, interpretations - usually. :)
A fave film from childhood. This film seems to draw some influences from 20,00 Leagues Under the Sea (book) among other sources such as comparable antagonists and a few comparable details. This film is deeper than some give it credit for. Awesome review dude!
An unsung piece of cinema is this film. As you stated, close to science fiction rather than fantasy, a bit like taking a scene from someone's life in the future and showing it to people in the past.
An interesting take on the movie. May I ask what year you first saw it was? I saw it during it's first run in theaters(1979) at the age of 12. Coming off of Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica, I dearly loved The Black Hole. I had all of the toys, records, books, and later both VHS versions(full screen and letterbox), and of course, DVD when it came out. While I can appreciate your enjoyment of the movie, I have to question what you were exposed to prior to seeing it for the first time. It's one thing to see a "first run" movie that affects you deeply, and another to see it years later for the first time on the small screen. Of course, I can't blame you for when you were born, and I hope it doesn't come off that way. Seeing this movie in the theater was an amazing experience(as was Star Wars). The 70s were an amazing time to be a pre-teen. If you haven't read the book, I highly recommend it. More than a little is explained in it, that isn't in the movie. I have a "first printing" copy that we bought new. It shows its age, though.Anyway, I'm hopeful that Disney will leave well enough alone, and not re-make this classic.
I agree. I love Star Wars more than anything, but I also agree that it is a fantasy movie and not a scifi movie at all. I don't know why people don't see it. I also love Star Trek The Motion Picture. Took me a while, but it ended up being one of my favorites. On the flip side, I absolutely get bored to death, and frustrated while trying to sit through the bore fest that is 2001.
Damn, this whole review is like a roll-call of most of my all-time favourite films! And RIP Robert Forster, a true great. When you think about it, this is a better space horror than Event Horizon, which just lashed on the gore and jump-scares.
I saw this movie when I was a little kid and I was scared by the likes of Maximillian, the sentries, and the true fate of the the Cygnus' crew. Overall, I loved this film and what Disney was trying to do with it.
I always thought that the whole dining room sequence and set design of that part of the ship in The Black Hole was a nod to the same in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It underlines the fear that Dr. Hans Reinhardt was akin to Captain Nemo.
Thank you TC! I always felt STTMP was one of the best films in the series and one of the better sci-fi films period! It actually dealt with the mystery of the unknown and discovery while most of the others were simple good guy vs. bad guy. Star Wars always left me empty even as a kid. There just wasn't much to it.
Ditto. Some movies like this, and TRON were made for the theater big screens with the big sound audio for full experience. Saw both like that and they leave a lasting impression you dont forget.
Very well done... subbed because of this review, but I enjoy your perspective... so I'll definitely be watching the rest of your videos. I actually saw this in the theater as a kid, had the toys, bought the magazines detailing production... I literally have to watch it every few months... or the craving for it becomes unbearable. Truly a guilty pleasure. Still waiting for a Bluray release... siiiigh. Keep up the good work!
one of my favorite movies as a kid, what always captivated me about this movie was the depiction of the black hole swirling in space and the accompanying musical score was just awesome.
Agree with most of this. Rediscovered both Star Trek TMP and The Black Hole a few years ago, and was amazed by how much I enjoyed both compared with my childhood memories. What surprised me the most was that The Black Hole felt much more of a piece with (say) Logan's Run, or The Stepford Wives, or The Clonus Horror, than it did with Star Wars. It is basically a gothic horror movie with cute robots bolted on. And the production values are terrific, especially the sets and the John Barry score.
Enjoyed your review ! Yes The Black Hole is a very overlooked film . Part sci-fi , part horror . Dark and mysterious film . Being eight at the time I was frightened a bit of this film for years due to Maximillian .
Excellent review! I've been a longtime fan of that movie (and 70s/80s scifi in general). I agree with your praise and criticism. One of my pet peeves is people who review a movie which was made a generation or two before them and can't get past the lack of modernity in the film. You used an even eye which is nice. Also, great point on Star Wars.
Totally agree with you. Im also a fan of this movie because it was a memorable experience for me when i was a kid. I had the opportunity to see it twice in a really big movie screen and believe me, once you saw this in a movie theater you would never forget it. Its one of those movies that actually for me never aged despite the wires on the robts and all that. The haunted feel is amazing, the score is brilliant and it really has the best spaceship ever put to screen. And palomino is great too.
Your mostly right but some points could be elaborated on. The cast & crew who complained about the film was the fact that it was originally going to be a sci fi horror (your right the ship is a haunted house) but Disney chickened out late in the production making a proper rewrite impossible. The other problem was that the film was rushed as they where in a race with Paramount's Star Trek the Motion Picture resulting in an ending that didn't make sense that was exacerbated due to Disney dropping the Gothic horror aspect of the original story. The weird thing is that the Star trek film was released in a rush as well as they where trying to beet Disney to the box office and was released without its final cut. The really funny thing is the unknown outsider Alien came out of no where and wiped the floor with em, both critically & financially! Regarding Disney chickening out on the Horror aspect (same happened to Black Cauldron) was a bad decision that Alien only confirmed. Finally regarding box office, only half goes to the studio the other half goes to the cinema and when you take into consideration the release costs & PR (never included in the budget) the film had a loss. Result: The studio interfered with what could have been a great film and then blamed the filmmakers as usual.
Well...I have to disagree on the Star Trek: TMP being the best of the series...I still prefer Wrath of Khan, but that's because I grew up with the TV series. But to your main point: The Black Hole is a really big-time, meta sci-fi film that is soooo underrated. The Gothic sci-fi reference below is actually perfect. Too bad Disney didn't stick with this!
The ending was weird but the way I see it is this: We don't REALLY know what likes within and beyond a Black Hole. So, in many ways, the most we can do is guess. Instead of doing so, the Disney writing team wrote a very allegorical and artistic sequence that is very much a blank canvas, inviting us as viewers to impose our own interpretation on the scene. Was there heaven and hell within? Was it just Kate hallucinating Reinhardt and Maxemillian's damnation? Was the planet the probe ship was approaching Earth or somewhere else? Were they even in the same universe? It remained in the eye and mind of the viewer to answer those questions within themselves to their own satisfaction and then consider what it says about the universe on its most fundamental level. The writers and director rightly refuse to give us a clue and answer the questions for us. It is Clarke-like touches like this that marks 'The Black Hole' as hard sci-fi rather than Space Opera, something done more recently by films like Interstellar, Arrival and, to a lesser extent, Contact.
@Joseph Neigh - the animated movie with the rabbits is Watership Down. Great book and great animated adaptation as well. A very adult story that happens to be animated. Not for kids. I couldn't reply directly to your comment because your Google+ settings do not allow it. Cheers!
Great stuff! Loved the video and you make some good points about sci-fi films of the Star Wars era. Good Solaris reference, too. I was also obsessed with this film when I was a kid.
This is an excellent overview/review of TBH, one of my all-time favorite films. I appreciate your attempts to correct many of the numerous misconceptions about the film, most of all that this was 'Disney's response to Star Wars' which as you outlined, isn't just patently false, it also renders the opinion of anyone who critiques the film as a response to Star Wars, as a totally unqualified opinion owing to their ignorance about the subject matter, as well as your excellent point about them being completely different genres. Now, to be fair, while TBH is more science fiction than fantasy, it's science is lacking, however, not entirely by design. 'Habitable life' aside, we can give Act 1 about a 90% on the science accuracy scale in terms of how the Palomino flies through space, moves about the Cygnus etc.. I ding it 5% for the way it was 'grabbed' by the black hole. Even then scientists knew that's not really how a black hole behaved, then another 5% for how the Palomino 'lands' on the docking platform of the Cygnus by use of a serious burn of their primary engines to.. I guess.. soften their landing? While that maneuver would make sense landing on a moon or planet, it has no correlation to landing on a ship when they really are docking with it. I suppose you could argue that since the Cygnus was able to generate its own gravity, they are somehow pushing against that, but that is then immediately thrown out the window when Charlie is surprised that they now have gravity. Act 2 is is where this movie really hits its stride, from the moment they disembark the Palomino to the moment said Palomino is destroyed along with Harry Booth and Reactor #1, this movie is simply fantastic top to bottom. It is creepy, mysterious, thought provoking and was unlike anything my 7 year old brain had seen when I watched it in the theaters. While there are some cringeworthy moments here and there, by and large it is just fantastic work, the last of the great old-school special effects by some of the biggest names in Disney's catalog of visual effects masters. The science works very well throughout Act 2. Act 3 however, science is given a pass, but not all of it is the scripts fault. The most egregious affront to science is of course the manner in which the human crew climb the wreckage.. in the vacuum of space, and board the Probe Ship. The script called for environmental suits, however the actors hated the poorly designed suits and refused to don them. By this point, Director Gary Nelson shrugged and said sure.. why not, almost as if conceding they'd lost the science part of their fiction. The ending itself however, once they enter the black hole.. well A+ to Disney because it blew my little mind and serious props to Disney for doing it. Of course, they didn't actually know how the film was going to end when they started filming it, and in fact had a different ending originally in mind which I wish they'd filmed and we could see the alternate version where after swirling through the Black Hole, similar to what we see as it rotates.. we spin closer and closer into the iris of Kate's eye.. until it becomes like pebbles of sand.. then the camera pulls back and the grains are revealed to be bits of a ceiling, which as the camera pans further back turns out to be the roof of the sistine chapel, and Kate is sitting on a bench in the church. That's as far as they got however and no conclusions were ever documented for Charlie, Dan or Vincent. ANYWHO... that is all likely known to you, but I just had to throw it out there for anyone that stumbles across this. So glad to see someone else who appreciates this film for what it is, doesn't confuse it with what it was never intended to be, and understands its charm and place in cinema history. Well done! Now I'll have to watch you rother reviews!
Love the thermos. I had the Black Hold lunchbox that went with it back when I was in elementary school. I had some of the old action figures, and love the soundtrack. Thanks for cluing me in to the re-released soundtrack CD. Great review, you're not alone in loving this film. I still love it, too.
I saw this film at age 8, despite its flaws I loved it for it spectacular visuals and music. Would like to see a remake or remastering at least of some of the cheesier affects and scenes. Then it would be an absolute classic.
Actually, we were looking at that movie since it seems really interesting. We'll probably look at that some time in the future. New reviews are coming very soon!
Good review. I saw the Black Hole back when it came out, and it definitely doesn't get the credit it should. It had a good mix of space opera and darker, more atmospheric tones, though it didnt seem as smoothly blended as it could have been; as a kid it felt like they were switching randomly between a Disney family adventure and a "modern" adult thriller. I remember thinking that if they'd made both seperately they'd each be great, or if they'd just stuck to one style (I'd probably have voted for the lighter Disney back then) it also would've worked better. Who knows maybe more of the public would've liked it too. But whatever its down sides it's wins easily outwayed it for me. Enough to not only like the toys, comics and coloring books but to just assume a Saturday morning cartoon was around the corner and that, once sequels became a more common thing, a BH2. This is one of the few unappreciated classics that actually has so many lead and recognizable characters (with them being robots) that it actually could make a sequal now, without it being one long depressing "Wow, he got old" experience.
Very good review! Nice touch, using Meco's version of the theme at the end. I used to own that LP. The first track of Meco's album is here on You Tube, and I used to own that too (Star Trek Medley). I've seen The Black Hole a few times, and yes, it got a number of crap reviews by Siskel and Ebert, Playboy, etc. I always thought it was because the story is thin and kind of pedestrian, but I, like you, didn't have a bad experience with it. I noticed dialogue flaws too that especially shouldn't come out of scientists' mouths. The Cygnus is beautiful and different in a neo-Victorian kind of way. In fact, the Palomino was kind of ugly and non-descript. About the only reading I recall reading in Cinefantastique magazine was that the popularity of Star Wars induced Disney to make The Black Probe, saying the working title was Space Probe at the time. It looked that way to me because of the laser battles, but some ignoramuses insisted that EVERY space-related movie that came out even shortly after Star Wars, even Close Encounters, was "made because of Star Wars." Annoyed me a bit. Since sequel wasn't a household word at the time, a neighbor of mine even tried to tell me before the title of the second SW movie was announced that the sequel to it was Close Encounters! (slaps forehead). Anyhow, I own John Barry's musical score too. As you said, it did add to the somber tone of the movie. S&E even complained about the dreary interiors of the Cygnus. All in all, a watchable space movie. I also liked the fleeting clips of Tron, which was underrated for having nothing going for it but the special effects, not always lauded for being a bit different, a quality you and I seem to appreciate.
I have this on DVD but the trouble is that the effects then really fall through. There are colour mismatches and matte matte lines everywhere. Many of the acted scenes even seem to be low resolution. Until it is digitally touched up and remastered it might be better to see in in the sort overall low quality of this example. Still a great movie though, in spite of it's typical Disney weaknesses, such as "endearing toy" robots and anti gravity hairdo's.
This is one of my favorite films ever, even with it's shortcomings. I was 19 when I watch it in 1979 and experienced for the first time a movie Overture which thankfully was included in the 33-1/3 rpm Soundtrack Album. I did purchase the DVD when it came out and many years later the Blu-ray, which had a limited release for Disney Movie Club members only and some of them were being sold in Amazon. This movie deserves a remake for all audiences.
Have always had a soft spot for this film. I'm 50, so was 14 when it came out. But, in the 37 years it's been out, havent got to re-watch all that much. Just watched it about half an hour ago. It's a stunningly beautiful film to watch. One of main reasons Im drawn to it was the music. Even tho big 007 fan, didnt know John Barry had done the score!! It's one of those films u can get lost in. Nice to see someone who speaks with clarity and honesty about a film they like.
Nice job with the review. You may, I say you just may like the film more than I do. Thx for mentioning the blue starry treatment of space in this film instead of the usual black void most films portray. One of my favorite aspects of TBH.
I remember seeing this on the Disney Channel, back around 1986 or 87. those were some good times, and you could catch a lot of the old stuff back when the Disney Channel actually was worth watching, and it didn't have commercials. then there was the transition to Disney Channel at night where had Mickey playing pool table and some people smoking, but it was still a great bumper transition. I just wish I could find that one.
+MercenaryX21 Disney was interesting back then when I was a kid. Somehow they became stagnant and lost their progression. Today they've been looking interesting again.
It was an amazing film visually and conceptually. The score was stunning. John 'Moonraker' Barry at his considerable best. It should have been a classic. But it gets let down in the script and acting. And there was no need for it. There were some skilled actors working on this, but it feels like they're phoning it in. And I suspect that was more the direction than anything else. I think they were going for understated, but you can do that and still have depth of feeling. Except possibly Schnell, who puts on his napkin and has a three course meal of scenery. They sound like actors, rather than real people put in an incredible situation. The other elements that I have an issue with is the comic robots and the heroic action shootout music. Don't get me wrong, I love that action theme, love it to bits! It's brassy, bombastic and epic to match anything John Williams created, but it jjust didn't fit the feel of the rest of the film. All the other music was sweeping, but in a rolling ocean kind of way, or sombre. It's just out of place, and it breaks the immersion. Likewise the comedy robots. They were there to counterpoint the seriousness of the rest of the film, like comedy gravediggers in a Shakesperian tragedy. Not necessarily R2-D2 and C3P0, except in the way that those characters were similar to the two viewpoint characters in Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress. Or Rozencrantz and Gildenstern. And the cartoony design compared to Maximillian or the Guard Robots was obviously to add appeal to a younger audience. But once again, it feels out of place compared to the tone of the rest of the film. They do come across as characters who you empathise with, and they have moments that are by turns heroic, touching and even tearjerking, but it's as if Jonesy, the cat in Aliens was like Salem, from Sabrina the Teeanage Witch. Overall, this film suffers from confused direction. It wants to be a serious science fiction movie, with elements of paranormal horror, but then it throws in action scenes and comedy moments from a completely different film. It overfills your plate from an all-you-can-eat genre buffet, and leaves you with indigestion.
You said it all. After all these years, the movie is not bad at all. When I saw him at that time I was hungry for films like Star Wars and I was a kid. I was somewhat depressed when I left the theater after seeing Black Hole. I expected a movie with more action and joy as Star Wars and moreover Black Hole was a Disney film. Only a few years that will appreciate this movie. Getting the ridicolo robots, Black Hole is a kind of film through terror. With environment.
Use to watch this one all the time as a kid (along with "Tron"), but only rediscovered and fully appreciate it in recent years. And I agree with the vast majority of what you've stated in your video here. I'm loving this review series of yours, and was curious if you'd be doing 1978's "Message from Space" in the near future (a huge personal favorite of mine BTW)?
![Digital Circus Episode 4 [TRAILER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/abZtsmMUbJo/mqdefault.jpg)
While other kids were afraid of Darth Vader, I was deathly scared of Maximilian. As one reviewer put it, "...silent, menacing, and always a thread-width away from killing you in the most horrible fashion."
I was scared of them both when I was a boy, but I still agree with you. At least you could _reason_ with Darth Vader, talk with him, maybe try to convince him to _not_ cut your head off. No such luck with Maximilian! Like a Terminator, once Maximilian decides that it's time for you to die, there's no talking him out of it.
Combined with that were both Maximilian's appearance and his invulnerability (and the apparent unstoppability which comes with that). The moment Maximilian floated into the room, you _knew_ what he was about. There was no room for moral ambiguity; Max was bad news, full stop. And then, after the Palomino's crew had just gotten done whipping out their cool double-laser-pistol pistols and mowing down a _legion_ of the rank-and-file enforcer droids, they try shooting Maximilian...and the shots just bounce right off him. Cue the "Uh oh" churning-in-your-gut reflex.
I do hope that Disney eventually gives us a Black Hole remake. If they made Maximilian look _that_ straight-from-Hell scary with 1979's technology, I wonder what they could do with him _today._
For sure! I think Max and Vader are easily the top "boogeymen" of that era.
I always wondered why he was designed with a salad shooter set of hands, unless Reinhardt was expecting the lobotomized converted members of his former crew to up-rise some day?
No. The lobotomized crew is no danger for even the red security robots roaming around. They have some decent IA and they could up-rise. Also Maximilian is good for combats in "Danger zones" such as rooms filled with fuel cells, cables, Gas cells.
Maximillian is the most evil looking robot ever. He looks like a robotic version of Satan.
The word to describe this film is "Gothic". I like to tell people how Disney made a Gothic sci-fi film in the 70s and watch their eyebrows go up.
I've often thought The Black Hole was largely a retelling of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" in space.
moby dick
"A haunted house film in space" - I would never have thought to describe it that way but you're exactly right! I like this movie as well. There is something very dark and compelling about it despite its flaws.
I agree with you entirely
I had thought mad scientist laboratory in space.
And that notion (Haunted house in outer space) was applied later to another film dealing with black holes... Event Horizon. Although made by a different company, I almost consider Event Horizon as a sort of spiritual successor to The Black Hole.
@@johntracy72 Could you imagine Brain (of the Pinky and the Brain cartoon) with the voice of Hans Reinhardt? :)
Finally, someone else seeing that Star Trek The Motion picture is a great film. Kudos!
It *is* a great film. The uniforms are a bit pajama-esque... but other than that, this really stands out as a great Star Trek film. It also has (Star Trek 2009, notwithstanding) the best opening moments of *any* Star Trek film. :)
Nice review! This movie had incredible visuals, and a fascinating premise. I can't respect those who dismiss this movie as "corny" or whatever. Tonight, I just got the MPC plastic model kit of V.I.N.CENT! I'm happy about that.
Black Hole is a great film. WE NEED IT ON BLU RAY, ARE YOU LISTENING DISNEY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would love to see this movie on Blu-Ray...if only they clean up the visible fly-wires for the floating/levitation scenes. BTW, Timothy Dalton was my favorite James Bond until Daniel Craig. :)
Blueray treatment is a must for this movie.
007Dalton1: It's on Blu-Ray now. But, only though Disney's Movie Club or from Amazon or E-bay sellers. Be prepared to pay out the nose for it, though.
Good review of an often-overlooked movie.
The destruction of the Cygnus by gravity and meteorites is very scary specially with the John Barry soundtrack. The "in through and beyond" the black hole sequence is a surreal set of imageries with no defined answers. That's why this film lives on in people's minds. It's been said they returned to Earth, a paradise? at the end but we don't know in what time frame, century, or perhaps dimension.
Honestly, nicely done dude. Inclusion of rollerball and mention of Solaris gives this review it's place. You're right, Star Wars ended the 70's, and is fantasy. I've never been able to put my finger on what the 70's did for sci-fi, and how important it was. Or why black hole stayed so long in my consciousness, but you nailed it, HAUNTING, and the lack of fear to be so from films then. You illustrated it's importance also in being so, as well as citing tron as among films that exemplify sci-fi's singularity in being able to express this kind of mirror of society and cautioning futurism. Cinemotologists nailed it for a 2nd watched review today. I raise a glass high, who knew someone could make sense of the 70's that's stuck with me and inexplicable, but somehow so, so Freakin important, perhaps only the children that saw these can understand. Rollerball. Fuck me. And that is the most beautiful ship ever put on film.
I remembered this show as a kid, and I agree with most of your comments. MY biggest beef with the show was Yvette Mimeux. She's supposed to be young and innocent, but she'd have fit that ideal had Black Hole been made when Time Machine came out, not 20 years later...
Maybe 20 years was the problem in general--it would have rocked in the 60's, but we'd seen Alien by then, (same SFX people as Star Wars, incidentally!) and they did a better job on half the budget!
This movie is also part horror. A Disney film about an evil genius turning humans into robots, leaving their souls in some unknowable limbo hell. Thats darker than just killing them. I love how the Cygnus mirrors this lack of soul. Its empty sparce areas are tomb like, combined with that dark howling music, sounding like the souls of the crew in ever tourment. And a PG Disney movie ? How did that happen ? Loved this movie in cinemas when i was 8. Love it now.
I saw The Black Hole and ST:TMP at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood back when I was a lil' kid. I still love them both.
My three favorite films from 1979: Alien, Star Trek The Motion Picture, and The Black Hole. :)
I watched this movie when it came out in the theaters, when I was 11, and instantly loved it. Even today, it is easily one of my top 20 films of all time. The Gothic design of the Cygnus was incredible and so unique at the time.
great movie... glad to see that there are other fans
Btw one of Barry's themes when the Palomino approaches the Cygnus is a waltz which reflects the dance between the Cygnus (latin word for swan) and the black hole, a dance of death 🙄
I like this film. While I do agree there are elements of a 'haunted house in space' to me at least, it's more like a '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' in space. Everything from the maelstrom-like depiction of the black hole and the loner commander Reinhardt being a Captain Nemo in Space and Anthony Perkins' character being a Professor Arronax analog, far too overwhelmed by Reinhardt's achievements to face what he has really become. I really don't like the chatty robots though. FFS Vincent, shut up already.
USS Cygnus on the other hand is a beauty. I love how the exoskeletal structure, when combined with the expansive windows and lights create a Victorian look. It's like a Crystal Palace or Centre Pompidou in space. İf you look at the pictures of the Crystal Palace, you'll even.notice a tower nearby that looks very much like the cintrol tower on the Cygnus. It is a very very haunting look. It almost comes as a surprise that it has such powerful thrusters.
Levent Taskan It has an almost steampunk look.
I got to see it in the theater, as a 9 year old. After Star Wars, all kids were suckers for anything space based. But this wasn't bad, it was a bit over my head at that age. But now I really like the look of it. It was very ambitious of Disney. I just think that with a couple more script revisions it could have really been a stellar movie, more in the vein of 2001 than Star Wars.
Insightful and entertaining review of an underappreciated film. Sure the script and (especially) dialogue are often dodgy but the whole set-up, the dark mysterious atmosphere, the design, I've always found impressive. And Maximilian the robot always scares the bejasus out of me
I was 13 in January 1980 when my dad took me to the cinema to see The Black Hole. I didn't want to go because I wasn't at all into sci-fi at the time, wasn't interested in Star Wars, Star Trek, etc. But after having watched the film, I instantly fell in love with it and is what got me into Sci Fi afterwards with Star Trek (and yes, agree with you about The Motion Picture) and Doctor Who. I still get the feels whenever I watch B.O.B. got shot and died in front of V.I.N.CENT, those two robots are really what made the movie. Today, I have the DVD and the vinyl LP of the soundtrack and it's only very recently that I've been able to get hold of model figures of the two robots.
The Black Hole is such an underrated film that I still have a lot of love for today.
PS: Yes, RUclips has just recommended your video today. :-D
I was six years old the first time I saw _Star Trek- The Motion Picture,_ and honestly it scared the shit out of me and invoked nightmares for almost two decades.
The dark and intentionally under-defined visuals of the _V'ger_ spacecraft, combined with the haunting and bizzare original score of the-late Jerry Goldsmith made for a potent combination to my impressionable/afraid-of-things-going-bump-in-the-night child mind.
It was into my late-20s that I had matured enough to watch and actually _enjoy_ the movie without causing a literal anxiety attack.
As a little kid seeing it in the drive-thru theater, the transporter accident scene messed me up but good.
@@DevinParker
Yeah, yeah, that didn't help me either.
Thanks for showing a clip from Watership Downs. I've spent years of therapy trying to forgot that movie after I saw it as a kid. I can't hear the song 'Bright Eyes' without rocking in the corner.
Finally someone else who enjoys this film! Great review , so glad to see new fans . To me , I enjoy the work and time put into these movies that I can look beyond certain elements that some may call cheesy or ridiculous. I enjoy a matte painting over some CGI even though this was the first in history to use a computer rendered shots. It's the reason JAWS is still scary even though you know it's a mechanical shark. Movies are so much more than what's on the screen .
Well, I certainly wasn't expecting THAT song when I clicked.
Definitely a similar vibe, though, given the ending.
I googled "Habitable Life" and got this article from the year Twothousand and Eight-Freaking-Teen "Scientists discover over 100 planets that may host habitable life"
Many thanks for a good and well considered review. The rich and mysterious melancholy of the film haunted my childhood back in the day when you saw a film once. It left much to think about and rich imagery to reflect on. Still one of the under appreciated greats.
I love how the movie has both one of the creepiest and most beautiful sound tracks, overture amazing beauty, opening OMG WHATS BEHIND ME!!!.
Gonna have to correct you on a point: MGM produced The Wizard of Oz, not Disney. Warner Brothers now owns the rights, so it never has been a Disney film. Even if Disney were to acquire the rights it STILL wouldn’t be a Disney film, it would be an acquisition or property. As for those claiming The Black Hole’s ending is a knock-off of 2001, “inspired by,” maybe... because 2001 was produced 11 years prior. The ending is actually the first runner-up, and Harrison Ellishaw came up with both the original and the one that made it to the screen. Without knowing the exact things going through Ellishaw’s mind, I’d say the ending is “inspired by” or “an homage to 2001.
I would also have to say that The Black Hole is a science fantasy trying really hard to be science fiction. There are the references to Einstein-Rosen principles, but conveniently ignores the effects of the vacuum of space on a body, the strength of catastrophic hull breach and the ability of bodies (human AND mechanical) to resist it when it is beneficial to furthering the plot; as well as the selective and variable effect of the gravitational pull of the black hole. Not to mention: the color effects of the black hole’s accretion disc turns to red by the tiny (and, one assumes with some relativity), distant destruction of the Cygnus. Since light is absorbed by the very nature of the black hole and the disc is quite large, that sort of effect would be negated by the ship’s destruction. I did like the blue nature of space rather than the absolute black normally used to portray that vast void. And, I do like your description of the movie as a “haunted house movie in space is pretty good.
Also so very common through the ‘80’s and into the ‘90’s, robots having that stiff way of moving as if it was waaaay beyond imagining that waaay into the future, people wouldn’t be able to build more fluid and human-like robots. Just like Star Trek the original series couldn’t have a computer that didn’t whir, beep and click, also having a voice that was stilted and mechanical.
While it may not have been a blockbuster, I wouldn’t say it was a failure, but I’d have to go with “disappointment” or “critical failure.” Also, why does Reinhardt say to Kate, “Save me from Maximilian!”? Throughout the whole movie, he commands him and seems not to be frightened or intimidated by him at all.
I was first introduced to this film and others via the Disney Channel back in its commercial-free golden years. There are certain scenes that still give me a jolt to this day.
As well as the film, I loved the music from it and bought the LP for one particular piece. I was gutted it wasn't on it, so was well pleased that more than THIRTY years later they brought out an album which contained all of the music, including that track which they called Hot & Heavy / Hotter & Heavier.
Mysterious, disconcerting movie. Made a huge impact on my psyche as a child. Wasn't much merchandise around in my small town, besides colouring and audio books. The incredible intro track remains as ominous as ever. Sunday afternoon and fish chips. This was my type of Disney.
When you said you weren't bored by Star Trek: TMP at the age of 8... ya lost me :)
brentalfloss I saw it around that age or younger and it didn't bore me either.
+brentalfloss "When you said you weren't bored by Star Trek: TMP at the age of 8... ya lost me :)"
That's funny, cuz that's where he HAD me interested...;)
+brentalfloss I turned 9 less than a month before TMP came out. I wasn't bored at all. It's still my favorite Star Trek film, and when I was 9 years old it cemented me as a Trekkie. "Glued to the set in wonderment" describes my 9-year-old reaction to TMP well.
Star Trek the Slow Motion Picture
I recall the MAD magazine spoof title was 'Star Blech: The Motionless Picture'...;)
Excellent commentary.
I saw this in my hometown theatre in 1979 in Liverpool, Nova Scotia, and enjoyed it tremendously.
I still use one of V.I.N.C.E.N.T.'s quotes to this day to knock anyone down to size who demands more from others so they can get away with doing less...
"You do not ask a pint to hold a quart. If it's holding the pint, it's doing it's best!"
Priceless!
Thanks for your insightful review. You're right, this is a memorable movie. Very dark, somber, and frightening. I'm surprised it didn't scare me more when I watched it as a kid.
This movie came out when I was 5 yo. I loved it. Had nightmares involving Maximillian and being stranded in deep space on The Cygnus, which still creeps me out!
UPVOTED because you are one of the few people that understand the quiet moments in movies like this and Star Trek 1 are there to build story and mystery. They arent just "the boring slow parts" Good on you man!! I grew up with this movie and liked is MORE than starwars when i was young. Yeah im an old fart and YES this movie is freaking brilliantly well done in its moments of speechless mystery building!
I love The Black Hole and I love Star Wars and NO. Star Wars is officially classified as Science Fiction, being part of its space western and space opera subgenres. However, it also has elements of Fantasy and mystical fantasy in it....
Great review! I was born in 81 but it wasn't either 85 or 86 when I discovered The Black Hole from Disney's old Books On Tape. They were cassette tapes that came with a small book that read the story. We had The Black Hole. You may want to search for that for your collection.
When I finally saw the movie I loved it, even when I was a kid. It pulled me in. It felt like a VERY long story, not boring just long. When I finally saw The Black Hole on DVD, many years later, at Walmart I immediately bought it.
I do kinda have a problem with the ending where after the entire movie gave just the right amount of exposition to explain the story at the end we are left with a mystery? Seems to compete with the entire plot, however when you watch the behind-the-scenes of the DVD they explain what happened.
Again great review, oh I also felt the same about STTMP.
This was a VHS rental classic and a great watch as an 80s teen. One thing to notice, has anyone not found similarities between Maximilian, the robot and recognizers, the large hovering vehicles in Tron?
Since it's been too many decades since I've seen it, I can only go off of the memory: cool visuals, neat robots, a bit slow going anywhere. But hey, as a kid in the day, that meant a worthwhile watch! I have this on my list of films to revisit and hoping to do so soon.
I saw the Black Hole during its original theatrical release and it was amazing to watch with my best friend. We kind of knew it was not on par with the Lucas stuff, but still really fun and a little scary...i was 14. I bought it a few years back to see it again and was blown away at how great it still is. Disney made good live action films, but this was actually a very decent sci fi and the theme was pretty astounding. Maybe not the best acting but i liked it. Great points in your review.
I agree that the movie holds up well after all these years. That is because it is about an interesting story and has characters we come to care about. The science is much better understood now, which could help with some of the movie's weaknesses (such as the ending scene and the ESP stuff). I cut it some slack since it was made in 1979. Movies reflect the culture of the time even when they have futuristic or fantasy settings.
Sam Torres- I was 12 when it came out in theaters, and yes, I saw it there as well. To this day, I love this movie, and still have the toys and the model of the USS Cignus. I bought both VHS versions(full screen and widescreen), as well as the DVD release when it came out. I believe it was finally with that release, that Roddy McDowell and Slim Pickens were credited with the voices of VINCent and BOB. 38 years after first watching it, I still enjoy it. The acting wasn't as bad as many people say, and the few "flaws" the movie has only add to it's charm. The Black Hole is a classic, in my opinion, and should never be tampered with, rebooted, etc. The musical score is perfect for it.
Great review, man! I actually discovered the movie on DVD and grew up with the same reaction to it as a kid. Looking back to it, I still personally enjoyed it despite the major flaws to it (I even have the same merchandise, especially a few posters in my closet, including two Spanish lobbycards).
BTW there is one thing to mention that I had to nitpick; the black hole itself wasn't supposed to look visible as a blue vortex in deep space. Unless there are lifeless parts that died in a beyond (collapse stars), they'd be formed as a vortex of a black hole. Throughout the film, there wasn't anything forming around a black hole, not even collapse stars. I remembered reading a book about it after watching the movie, and I had to realize that the film didn't follow the scientific elements to it. Regardless, its not a perfect film, but like I said I personally loved it.
Dear The Cinemologist,
Dude, I just watched this movie today and I still love it. I grew up on it. It is indeed a great classic. It's nice to see another hardcore fan, like me. Thanks for posting this video. I like your collection btw. I have some of the same stuff you do - I also got the model kits of Max and Vincent (fully assembled). If you want one let me know. Always like to share ;)
As a kid, I had this on VHS and was a fan of it, watching multiple times, even before I knew Star Wars. Growing up, I kinda got into SW and forgot about TBH. Now I had a pleasant surprise seeing it on Disney+.
I remember seeing this as a kid and influenced throughout my life during my own creativity. Awesome review!
10 years later; and this review is still top tier.
Had the Lunchbox and the boardgame. Found a Maximillian and Centry robot at a local Collectors Shop going for a considerable sum, decided to make into a Xmas gift for a friend who likes the movie even more than I do.
I just thought that I would add this in-case anyone in-particular may be curious in knowing - the short animated footage starting at 3:16 is from the film "Watership Down," a 1978 British animated adventure drama based upon a top children's book of the 1970's with an interesting story of its own. I just thought that people may be bound to ask when they first see it.
Thanks I didn’t realise I was still traumatised by Watership Down 34 years later, until you played the clip....
Great review. That black hole visual effect outside the Cygnus windows still gives me the creeps some 30 years later. And I'll agree with you that the ship is a beautiful design and looks fantastic in the movie. I also really like that the story is set entirely in deep space.
if you compared the blackhole scene to 2001, thats because Robert McCall who worked on the starfield scene in 2001 also did the starfield scene in this and the v'ger cloud in star trek the motion picture, he also designed the large space craft in both the black hole and 2001. all three films are connected directly by the nasa artist
I think it's a classic too; and one fondly remembered by kids who grew up in that era and saw it in the theater. Although a number of cynics are quick to point out its flaws in comments, reviews and blogs, including unfairly criticizing the ending, I personally find the ( romantic ) hell depiction entirely consistent with the themes and tone of the movie ( it's a morality play! ); despite the fact that it’s what I would now qualify as a dubious “Calvinist” vision of hell, considering the crew also appears to be damned, even though they were not personally responsible for what happened ( they didn’t do anything wrong, willingly )! In other words: it was pre-ordained.
Another bit I am especially fond of, which I think is the thematic lynchpin of the film ( of which “the black hole” is an apt metaphor ): the scene where Dr. Reinhardt declares in his characteristic German [ hint! ] accent : “I am about to prove to you that the end justifies the means...” Cut to: the bowels of the ship - as a lugubrious and depressing police-state! Pretty mature stuff for a children audience…
Note: naturally, this is not merely a back-ended commentary on the Nazis, as it seems to me that “the end justifies the means” is very much a part of this - America - country’s DNA, too, as we’ve seen time and again throughout history: from the systematic extermination of its indigenous population, to slavery, to carpet bombing in WWII - culminating with the dropping of the atom bombs -, to the Korean war, Vietnam ( which ended a mere 4 years prior to the release of this film ), the wars in the Middle East, etc. Rationalization - and its attendant denial - is what we do best, tragically. This is our own “black hole”, as a society. And for pretty much the same reason depicted in the film, I suspect: our Calvinist mentality - a ruling ideology disguised as theological dogma. Our cultural hell.
Overall, it’s safe to say that this movie marked an entire generation of GenX kids, like me, both in the States and abroad, who still remember it fondly. Although often corny and predictable, as noted, especially by today’s standards and from an adult perspective - though I suspect the movie still resonates with kids -, the film has its moments, and was really daring at the time, both visually and thematically; very much unlike standard ( safe ) Disney fare up to that point. Also, although most kids likely did not catch on to the political and social commentary on a rational level, they definitely felt it; the “German expressionist” mood and vistas ( gothic space opera ), complemented by John Barry’s grand orchestral score, being often stirring, if not haunting at times. For example: the eerie scene of the commander straying through the oddly unvacated yet depressingly deserted crew dormitory, hinting at their tragic fate… “The end justifies the means!”
I wish Disney had had the acumen to follow through with the now cancelled remake ( the proposed script having been deemed too dark, among other reasons, if I recall ). It seems to me that this is precisely the point, however. Also, I believe that kids need a good scare once in a while; especially monsters, such as Maximillian, the unforgettable “cuisinarting” killer-robot! It’s cathartic, and also serves to orient - or “polarize” - their moral universe, imo. An impression of “Hell”, at that age, may also not be such a bad thing, as a kind of quirky “supplement” to their moral education; though most adults would likely temper such Manichean moral landscapes with their own, more mature, interpretations - usually. :)
A fave film from childhood. This film seems to draw some influences from 20,00 Leagues Under the Sea (book) among other sources such as comparable antagonists and a few comparable details. This film is deeper than some give it credit for. Awesome review dude!
An unsung piece of cinema is this film. As you stated, close to science fiction rather than fantasy, a bit like taking a scene from someone's life in the future and showing it to people in the past.
An interesting take on the movie. May I ask what year you first saw it was? I saw it during it's first run in theaters(1979) at the age of 12. Coming off of Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica, I dearly loved The Black Hole. I had all of the toys, records, books, and later both VHS versions(full screen and letterbox), and of course, DVD when it came out. While I can appreciate your enjoyment of the movie, I have to question what you were exposed to prior to seeing it for the first time. It's one thing to see a "first run" movie that affects you deeply, and another to see it years later for the first time on the small screen. Of course, I can't blame you for when you were born, and I hope it doesn't come off that way. Seeing this movie in the theater was an amazing experience(as was Star Wars). The 70s were an amazing time to be a pre-teen. If you haven't read the book, I highly recommend it. More than a little is explained in it, that isn't in the movie. I have a "first printing" copy that we bought new. It shows its age, though.Anyway, I'm hopeful that Disney will leave well enough alone, and not re-make this classic.
I agree. I love Star Wars more than anything, but I also agree that it is a fantasy movie and not a scifi movie at all. I don't know why people don't see it. I also love Star Trek The Motion Picture. Took me a while, but it ended up being one of my favorites. On the flip side, I absolutely get bored to death, and frustrated while trying to sit through the bore fest that is 2001.
Damn, this whole review is like a roll-call of most of my all-time favourite films! And RIP Robert Forster, a true great.
When you think about it, this is a better space horror than Event Horizon, which just lashed on the gore and jump-scares.
I saw this movie when I was a little kid and I was scared by the likes of Maximillian, the sentries, and the true fate of the the Cygnus' crew. Overall, I loved this film and what Disney was trying to do with it.
I always thought that the whole dining room sequence and set design of that part of the ship in The Black Hole was a nod to the same in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It underlines the fear that Dr. Hans Reinhardt was akin to Captain Nemo.
Thank you TC!
I always felt STTMP was one of the best films in the series and one of the better sci-fi films period! It actually dealt with the mystery of the unknown and discovery while most of the others were simple good guy vs. bad guy. Star Wars always left me empty even as a kid. There just wasn't much to it.
Watched it again today. Probably seen it 10 times now. Watched with my Wife, her first watch and she enjoyed. It's a good movie.
The first model kit I ever built at age 7 or 8 was V.I.N.C.E.N.T.
Ditto. Some movies like this, and TRON were made for the theater big screens with the big sound audio for full experience. Saw both like that and they leave a lasting impression you dont forget.
Very well done... subbed because of this review, but I enjoy your perspective... so I'll definitely be watching the rest of your videos. I actually saw this in the theater as a kid, had the toys, bought the magazines detailing production... I literally have to watch it every few months... or the craving for it becomes unbearable. Truly a guilty pleasure. Still waiting for a Bluray release... siiiigh. Keep up the good work!
one of my favorite movies as a kid,
what always captivated me about this movie was the depiction of the black hole swirling in space and the accompanying musical score was just awesome.
Agree with most of this. Rediscovered both Star Trek TMP and The Black Hole a few years ago, and was amazed by how much I enjoyed both compared with my childhood memories. What surprised me the most was that The Black Hole felt much more of a piece with (say) Logan's Run, or The Stepford Wives, or The Clonus Horror, than it did with Star Wars. It is basically a gothic horror movie with cute robots bolted on. And the production values are terrific, especially the sets and the John Barry score.
Enjoyed your review ! Yes The Black Hole is a very overlooked film . Part sci-fi , part horror . Dark and mysterious film . Being eight at the time I was frightened a bit of this film for years due to Maximillian .
Excellent review! I've been a longtime fan of that movie (and 70s/80s scifi in general). I agree with your praise and criticism. One of my pet peeves is people who review a movie which was made a generation or two before them and can't get past the lack of modernity in the film. You used an even eye which is nice. Also, great point on Star Wars.
Totally agree with you. Im also a fan of this movie because it was a memorable experience for me when i was a kid. I had the opportunity to see it twice in a really big movie screen and believe me, once you saw this in a movie theater you would never forget it. Its one of those movies that actually for me never aged despite the wires on the robts and all that. The haunted feel is amazing, the score is brilliant and it really has the best spaceship ever put to screen. And palomino is great too.
Your mostly right but some points could be elaborated on.
The cast & crew who complained about the film was the fact that it was originally going to be a sci fi horror (your right the ship is a haunted house) but Disney chickened out late in the production making a proper rewrite impossible.
The other problem was that the film was rushed as they where in a race with Paramount's Star Trek the Motion Picture resulting in an ending that didn't make sense that was exacerbated due to Disney dropping the Gothic horror aspect of the original story.
The weird thing is that the Star trek film was released in a rush as well as they where trying to beet Disney to the box office and was released without its final cut.
The really funny thing is the unknown outsider Alien came out of no where and wiped the floor with em, both critically & financially!
Regarding Disney chickening out on the Horror aspect (same happened to Black Cauldron) was a bad decision that Alien only confirmed.
Finally regarding box office, only half goes to the studio the other half goes to the cinema and when you take into consideration the release costs & PR (never included in the budget) the film had a loss.
Result: The studio interfered with what could have been a great film and then blamed the filmmakers as usual.
Well...I have to disagree on the Star Trek: TMP being the best of the series...I still prefer Wrath of Khan, but that's because I grew up with the TV series. But to your main point: The Black Hole is a really big-time, meta sci-fi film that is soooo underrated. The Gothic sci-fi reference below is actually perfect. Too bad Disney didn't stick with this!
The ending was weird but the way I see it is this: We don't REALLY know what likes within and beyond a Black Hole. So, in many ways, the most we can do is guess. Instead of doing so, the Disney writing team wrote a very allegorical and artistic sequence that is very much a blank canvas, inviting us as viewers to impose our own interpretation on the scene.
Was there heaven and hell within? Was it just Kate hallucinating Reinhardt and Maxemillian's damnation? Was the planet the probe ship was approaching Earth or somewhere else? Were they even in the same universe? It remained in the eye and mind of the viewer to answer those questions within themselves to their own satisfaction and then consider what it says about the universe on its most fundamental level. The writers and director rightly refuse to give us a clue and answer the questions for us. It is Clarke-like touches like this that marks 'The Black Hole' as hard sci-fi rather than Space Opera, something done more recently by films like Interstellar, Arrival and, to a lesser extent, Contact.
@Joseph Neigh - the animated movie with the rabbits is Watership Down. Great book and great animated adaptation as well. A very adult story that happens to be animated. Not for kids. I couldn't reply directly to your comment because your Google+ settings do not allow it. Cheers!
Great stuff! Loved the video and you make some good points about sci-fi films of the Star Wars era. Good Solaris reference, too. I was also obsessed with this film when I was a kid.
Thank you! Always happy to hear from someone who enjoys the film like we do. Thanks for the sub!
The USS Cygnus is the most Gothic or even steampunk looking spaceship ever made.
I was 17 years old when this movie was released. And I love it since then.
your review is 100% correct , I saw this when I was 4 years old , this movie is the MOST underated sci fi film of ALL TIME.
Just discovered your channel, excellent review! I love this film and Vincent is one of my all time favorite robots!!
This is an excellent overview/review of TBH, one of my all-time favorite films. I appreciate your attempts to correct many of the numerous misconceptions about the film, most of all that this was 'Disney's response to Star Wars' which as you outlined, isn't just patently false, it also renders the opinion of anyone who critiques the film as a response to Star Wars, as a totally unqualified opinion owing to their ignorance about the subject matter, as well as your excellent point about them being completely different genres.
Now, to be fair, while TBH is more science fiction than fantasy, it's science is lacking, however, not entirely by design.
'Habitable life' aside, we can give Act 1 about a 90% on the science accuracy scale in terms of how the Palomino flies through space, moves about the Cygnus etc.. I ding it 5% for the way it was 'grabbed' by the black hole. Even then scientists knew that's not really how a black hole behaved, then another 5% for how the Palomino 'lands' on the docking platform of the Cygnus by use of a serious burn of their primary engines to.. I guess.. soften their landing? While that maneuver would make sense landing on a moon or planet, it has no correlation to landing on a ship when they really are docking with it. I suppose you could argue that since the Cygnus was able to generate its own gravity, they are somehow pushing against that, but that is then immediately thrown out the window when Charlie is surprised that they now have gravity.
Act 2 is is where this movie really hits its stride, from the moment they disembark the Palomino to the moment said Palomino is destroyed along with Harry Booth and Reactor #1, this movie is simply fantastic top to bottom. It is creepy, mysterious, thought provoking and was unlike anything my 7 year old brain had seen when I watched it in the theaters. While there are some cringeworthy moments here and there, by and large it is just fantastic work, the last of the great old-school special effects by some of the biggest names in Disney's catalog of visual effects masters. The science works very well throughout Act 2.
Act 3 however, science is given a pass, but not all of it is the scripts fault. The most egregious affront to science is of course the manner in which the human crew climb the wreckage.. in the vacuum of space, and board the Probe Ship. The script called for environmental suits, however the actors hated the poorly designed suits and refused to don them. By this point, Director Gary Nelson shrugged and said sure.. why not, almost as if conceding they'd lost the science part of their fiction.
The ending itself however, once they enter the black hole.. well A+ to Disney because it blew my little mind and serious props to Disney for doing it. Of course, they didn't actually know how the film was going to end when they started filming it, and in fact had a different ending originally in mind which I wish they'd filmed and we could see the alternate version where after swirling through the Black Hole, similar to what we see as it rotates.. we spin closer and closer into the iris of Kate's eye.. until it becomes like pebbles of sand.. then the camera pulls back and the grains are revealed to be bits of a ceiling, which as the camera pans further back turns out to be the roof of the sistine chapel, and Kate is sitting on a bench in the church. That's as far as they got however and no conclusions were ever documented for Charlie, Dan or Vincent.
ANYWHO... that is all likely known to you, but I just had to throw it out there for anyone that stumbles across this. So glad to see someone else who appreciates this film for what it is, doesn't confuse it with what it was never intended to be, and understands its charm and place in cinema history. Well done! Now I'll have to watch you rother reviews!
Love the thermos. I had the Black Hold lunchbox that went with it back when I was in elementary school. I had some of the old action figures, and love the soundtrack. Thanks for cluing me in to the re-released soundtrack CD. Great review, you're not alone in loving this film. I still love it, too.
I saw this film at age 8, despite its flaws I loved it for it spectacular visuals and music. Would like to see a remake or remastering at least of some of the cheesier affects and scenes. Then it would be an absolute classic.
Loves The Black Hole + loves ST:TMP = subcribed. Thought I was the only one on Earth who felt that way about these movies.
Actually, we were looking at that movie since it seems really interesting. We'll probably look at that some time in the future. New reviews are coming very soon!
I was pleased to see that there are fellows out there who appreciate this film.
Good review. I saw the Black Hole back when it came out, and it definitely doesn't get the credit it should. It had a good mix of space opera and darker, more atmospheric tones, though it didnt seem as smoothly blended as it could have been; as a kid it felt like they were switching randomly between a Disney family adventure and a "modern" adult thriller. I remember thinking that if they'd made both seperately they'd each be great, or if they'd just stuck to one style (I'd probably have voted for the lighter Disney back then) it also would've worked better. Who knows maybe more of the public would've liked it too. But whatever its down sides it's wins easily outwayed it for me. Enough to not only like the toys, comics and coloring books but to just assume a Saturday morning cartoon was around the corner and that, once sequels became a more common thing, a BH2. This is one of the few unappreciated classics that actually has so many lead and recognizable characters (with them being robots) that it actually could make a sequal now, without it being one long depressing "Wow, he got old" experience.
Trivia: When The Black Hole aired on ITV in the UK in the late 1980s. The hell sequence was cut due for daytime broadcast.
I agree...this was one of my all time favorite movies. Very well done!
Very good review! Nice touch, using Meco's version of the theme at the end. I used to own that LP. The first track of Meco's album is here on You Tube, and I used to own that too (Star Trek Medley).
I've seen The Black Hole a few times, and yes, it got a number of crap reviews by Siskel and Ebert, Playboy, etc. I always thought it was because the story is thin and kind of pedestrian, but I, like you, didn't have a bad experience with it. I noticed dialogue flaws too that especially shouldn't come out of scientists' mouths. The Cygnus is beautiful and different in a neo-Victorian kind of way. In fact, the Palomino was kind of ugly and non-descript.
About the only reading I recall reading in Cinefantastique magazine was that the popularity of Star Wars induced Disney to make The Black Probe, saying the working title was Space Probe at the time. It looked that way to me because of the laser battles, but some ignoramuses insisted that EVERY space-related movie that came out even shortly after Star Wars, even Close Encounters, was "made because of Star Wars." Annoyed me a bit. Since sequel wasn't a household word at the time, a neighbor of mine even tried to tell me before the title of the second SW movie was announced that the sequel to it was Close Encounters! (slaps forehead).
Anyhow, I own John Barry's musical score too. As you said, it did add to the somber tone of the movie. S&E even complained about the dreary interiors of the Cygnus. All in all, a watchable space movie. I also liked the fleeting clips of Tron, which was underrated for having nothing going for it but the special effects, not always lauded for being a bit different, a quality you and I seem to appreciate.
I have this on DVD but the trouble is that the effects then really fall through. There are colour mismatches and matte matte lines everywhere. Many of the acted scenes even seem to be low resolution. Until it is digitally touched up and remastered it might be better to see in in the sort overall low quality of this example. Still a great movie though, in spite of it's typical Disney weaknesses, such as "endearing toy" robots and anti gravity hairdo's.
You are a really good reviewer, I will have to check out more of your work
This is one of my favorite films ever, even with it's shortcomings. I was 19 when I watch it in 1979 and experienced for the first time a movie Overture which thankfully was included in the 33-1/3 rpm Soundtrack Album.
I did purchase the DVD when it came out and many years later the Blu-ray, which had a limited release for Disney Movie Club members only and some of them were being sold in Amazon.
This movie deserves a remake for all audiences.
Have always had a soft spot for this film. I'm 50, so was 14 when it came out. But, in the 37 years it's been out, havent got to re-watch all that much. Just watched it about half an hour ago. It's a stunningly beautiful film to watch. One of main reasons Im drawn to it was the music. Even tho big 007 fan, didnt know John Barry had done the score!! It's one of those films u can get lost in. Nice to see someone who speaks with clarity and honesty about a film they like.
Nice job with the review. You may, I say you just may like the film more than I do. Thx for mentioning the blue starry treatment of space in this film instead of the usual black void most films portray. One of my favorite aspects of TBH.
I remember seeing this on the Disney Channel, back around 1986 or 87. those were some good times, and you could catch a lot of the old stuff back when the Disney Channel actually was worth watching, and it didn't have commercials. then there was the transition to Disney Channel at night where had Mickey playing pool table and some people smoking, but it was still a great bumper transition. I just wish I could find that one.
+MercenaryX21 Disney was interesting back then when I was a kid. Somehow they became stagnant and lost their progression. Today they've been looking interesting again.
Soterion Coil
Just wish I could find all the bumpers and I wish they didn't have the issues with needing Commercials.
I really miss early 70's-80's Nickelodeon.
Soterion Coil The 90's show "The adventures of Pete and Pete" was all kinds of awesome.
It was an amazing film visually and conceptually. The score was stunning. John 'Moonraker' Barry at his considerable best. It should have been a classic. But it gets let down in the script and acting. And there was no need for it. There were some skilled actors working on this, but it feels like they're phoning it in. And I suspect that was more the direction than anything else. I think they were going for understated, but you can do that and still have depth of feeling. Except possibly Schnell, who puts on his napkin and has a three course meal of scenery. They sound like actors, rather than real people put in an incredible situation.
The other elements that I have an issue with is the comic robots and the heroic action shootout music. Don't get me wrong, I love that action theme, love it to bits! It's brassy, bombastic and epic to match anything John Williams created, but it jjust didn't fit the feel of the rest of the film. All the other music was sweeping, but in a rolling ocean kind of way, or sombre. It's just out of place, and it breaks the immersion.
Likewise the comedy robots. They were there to counterpoint the seriousness of the rest of the film, like comedy gravediggers in a Shakesperian tragedy. Not necessarily R2-D2 and C3P0, except in the way that those characters were similar to the two viewpoint characters in Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress. Or Rozencrantz and Gildenstern. And the cartoony design compared to Maximillian or the Guard Robots was obviously to add appeal to a younger audience.
But once again, it feels out of place compared to the tone of the rest of the film. They do come across as characters who you empathise with, and they have moments that are by turns heroic, touching and even tearjerking, but it's as if Jonesy, the cat in Aliens was like Salem, from Sabrina the Teeanage Witch.
Overall, this film suffers from confused direction. It wants to be a serious science fiction movie, with elements of paranormal horror, but then it throws in action scenes and comedy moments from a completely different film. It overfills your plate from an all-you-can-eat genre buffet, and leaves you with indigestion.
3:17 I disagree; I think that children are _way_ tougher than we give them credit for. I see nothing wrong with showing that to a child.
Great review! You hit the nail on the head!
You said it all. After all these years, the movie is not bad at all. When I saw him at that time I was hungry for films like Star Wars and I was a kid. I was somewhat depressed when I left the theater after seeing Black Hole. I expected a movie with more action and joy as Star Wars and moreover Black Hole was a Disney film. Only a few years that will appreciate this movie. Getting the ridicolo robots, Black Hole is a kind of film through terror. With environment.
Use to watch this one all the time as a kid (along with "Tron"), but only rediscovered and fully appreciate it in recent years. And I agree with the vast majority of what you've stated in your video here. I'm loving this review series of yours, and was curious if you'd be doing 1978's "Message from Space" in the near future (a huge personal favorite of mine BTW)?