This is where stop motion has it over CGI. There is something otherworldly creepy about the movements of the mythical creatures in this film. These skeletons, the Harpies, Talos, all are "believably magical" thanks to Ray Harryhausen's art.
I was lucky to interview Harryhausen and his longtime friend friend Ray Bradbury in the months before each died. Both agreed with something I said, which is similar, Laceykat, to your comment. I said that, for me, the difference between CGI and stop-motion is this: CGI brings fantasy into reality. With CGI, everything looks "real"; monsters and the supernatural are placed on the same plane as cars and bowls of cereal. Stop-motion takes reality into fantasy. Suddenly things do not look normal; there is a jolt to a different, disturbing dimension of being. Both Rays agreed wholeheartedly, and I thank you, Laceykat, for the wonderful comment you've shared.
@@ogrosch4568 it is very much watchable. These special effects were and still are pretty impressive when you consider the time period. Animation and CGI has improved leaps and bounds but stop motion has always been fascinating...
Growing up as a child in elementary school, movie day was a treat. We would all gather in the library sitting cross-legged in the dark waiting the feature to begin. This movie enthralled me as a child in the 70s. It was this scene that hooked me on fantasy from the start. The choreography, the beat of the music, the anxious anticipation. Something that modern-day cinema I'm afraid, is sorely lacking. Thank you Ray!
@@stoneyboyd Sorry, missed this reply. Yes! It was on old 8mm film in the steel canisters! Our teachers would always have trouble changing the roll out. We would all get restless waiting. 🤣 We saw all the Ray Harryhousen movies. This one was my favorite. That & the 7th Voyage of Sinbad.
@@alfredodistefanolaulhe2212 I agree with the Greek Epic angle but.. To me anytime you have a priest of Hecate summoning up a death squad of skeletons, that's fantasy. Much of what we have in the fantasy genre comes from those epic tales of heroism.
@@helixxharpell The movie is not in the genre of "fantasy" but it includes a bit of it. Fantasy is Excalibur, Lord of the Rings, Never Ending Story, those are fantasy movies. This one is a classic epic movie with some fantasy. But I got what you meant, my mother always call it Fantasy in general.
In one of the last interviews he gave. I asked Ray Harryhausen, a bit sheepishly, how the skeletons could scream if they have no larynxes. He laughed and chided me, "Because it's a fantasy!" And of course he was right. They have no voicebox, and they must scream!
The scene @4:02 of the skeleton rolling over the wall and the scene @5:37 when the skeleton jumps over the slain Phalerus rather than just run behind him are excellent yet subtle moments that can easily be missed or taken for granted, yet show just how skilled Ray Harryhausen really was and just how passionate he was about his art.
The one thing that's rather impressive about this scene is the fact that the movement doesn't look jerky. I've seen stop motion animation done by others that looked jerky, but this motion looks realistically fluid. Harryhausen was quiet an artist and a genius. Respect.
Ray Harryhausen has earned many accolades for his stop-motion wizardry, and rightfully so. But I'd also like to tip my hat to the great Bernard Herrmann, whose brilliant score highlighted the sense of magic, danger and mythological adventure throughout the film. It's one of the reasons that JATA became an all-time classic.
I'm not comfortable with the word, fake. Two points: first, there is a suspension of disbelief when watching a film. For example, you don't think it's only one car in some of the more insane car chases, do you? Second, this is a fantasy film; when was the last time you saw moving skeletons? I admit that such animation should be of high quality and Harryhausen was high quality!
That does look great. Jason's hands go out of the shot for a second, so I'm guessing he picked up the spear from out of sight of the camera. But a shot I'm not sure how they did is at 4:14, when the Skeleton disarms Castor's shield. How did they do that shot? There wasn't anything there to pull it out of his hand! I guess the actor must have thrown the shield away, but it really doesn't look like that. It looks like something pulled it out of his hand.
Just imagine, how we got old with all these stories, in Greek mythology (I'm Greek, 1956). All fantasies, with spectacular stories - not only Agronauts and Argo!
My grandparents showed me this film when I was really young, and I would watch it every time I visited them. It's one of my favorite movies of all time, I love this whole film and this fight scene is just unreal.
A perfect sequence. This was made when special effects were still special, when you saw something unbelievable and wondered how it was done. And even if you knew the process behind it, you could appreciate the skill and patience of the one man that animated the whole sequence over 4 and a half months. Can you imagine anyone doing that these days? Ray Harryhausen was a true artist. It's a film you can still appreciate 60 years after it was made.
R.I.P Todd Armstrong! You'll never be forgotten as this film is now a cult classic! Nobody could have played Jason better than Todd Armstrong! This is the best part of this classic!
In 1963, _Cleopatra_ won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects over Alfred Hitchcock's _The Birds. Jason and the Argonauts_ was not even nominated. An amazing - and unfortunate - injustice and oversight.
Blimey I didn't realise that. That's scandalous. The special effects in this film still hold up to this day! I can't say that about The Birds, although for it's time it was impressive. Cleopatra would have had a much larger budget I assume?
I'm more shocked about the fact that at those times such a multitude of really great movies competed in one year while nowadays we're happy to have one such evergreen in a decade.
I genuinely think this scene is one of the best ever made and for its time is nothing short of unbelievable. The only bit that bugs me is the fact Jason and the other two Argonauts could have simply just left with the other two instead of waiting for the skeletons to appear (unless I am missing something). That said, I’m glad they did. What a scene!
I have watched the scene with the giant bronze statue and my mum said that when this movie released in 1963 people were terrified at how "realistic" it was. As I am watching this is wasn't scared. But when those skeletons pulled out a Roman technique where they march then charge I was pretty shocked AND scared.
Probably no one will see this comment, but this is the kind of stuff I lived for as a child (also Godzilla, of course) back when Hollywood could actually do its f-----g job. Harryhausen was a genius.
Even 60 Years Later. This is still the most impressive sequence ever-made. This films give you the best pace in any of the, Ray Harryhausen. Film Collection. Talos, The Hydra, The Harpies and The Skelton Army. The most insane figures in this movie, I love it so much.
Watching a little of this film Jason and the Argonauts reminds me of my childhood, the good times when we sat in front of the TV to watch and didn't worry about anything, but it's always good to remember the good times of the past, congratulations to the channel.
Although the beginning of this sequence is aggravatingly static (both director and screenwriter are nowhere to be found), once the skeletons appear it is thrilling. Harryhausen seamlessly combines terror and humor, and the sense of the unstoppability of the skeletons is brilliant. It bears repeated viewings just to see all the details. A superb scene by a consummate artist.
@@lawrencewood289 Agreed, Jason and his two friends could’ve bum rushed their enemies before the spell could be completed. But to quote Grim Reaper from Billy and Mandy, “Give it a moment, these things take a few seconds or minutes to kick in.”
I remember watching this as a child and being terrified of those skeletons, especially when they shriek as they charge the Argonauts. Ray Harryhausen was a special effects wizard.
When audiences first saw this they were, as the saying goes, "gobsmacked," and rightfully so. To this day one of the greatest achievements in stop-time filming. A few seconds of this sequence undoubtedly took a tremendous amount of time and patient effort and it's quite a long segment..
It takes moment to realize that the human actors could not see anything in front of them as they fulfilled the fight choreography. Pretty remarkable and professional skill on the part of this cast.
4:19 when that skeleton runs in from the right and stumbles a little bit when they were stopping because they were running so fast and had their (eyes?) On him instead of the ground is SUCH a good detail. It just makes them feel that much more real and like they have weight in the scene
You know it may not stand up to some of the special effects today but back in the 60s that was pretty damn impressive Ray Harryhausen was an absolute genius
The people who made all the figures were the last of the greatest modelers to ever live!! They where the people who got me interested in doing figure modeling!! Been at it for 47 years!!!
The scene is made much more powerful by the slow eerie sowing of the teeth at the beginning. Unsettling, allmost like a Kubrick movie. The weird oboe and cracking percussion is otherworldly. Imagine the anticipation and eventual shock of the original audience. Theres a reason it stayed in their subconscious.
The bit where the skeletons are falling off the cliff always makes me laugh. I can picture a crew throwing multiple skeleton props over just as he jumped 😆
A stunt double jumped off the cliff and the crew threw the skeletons as he jumped, they had to do it right the first time as the skeletons couldn't be retrieved, they are still there somewhere today
it's stupoid to laught azt it. they could only do that. otherwise, if the skeletons jumped with Jason , it's possibly because they were like "programmed" by the magic who make them moves, to blindly follow their living targets to kill them
I was always amazed at how he was able to point at the places where the skeletons actually came up out of the ground. Not sure what cues he was using but it looked really good!
I dearly love this movie, along with Clash of the Titans 1981. They beautifully capture the wonder and weirdness of those Greek Myths. They understand its not an action story, its an adventure/odessey story. Big difference with the modern remakes.
Peter Lord, the co-founder of Aardman Studios saw this movie when it came out when he was 10 years old, Jason and the Argonauts, plus 1 Million Years B.C. for Nick Park of Wallace and Gromit fame, had a profound impact on them both.
A month and a half, iirc. And you better believe that Ray Harryhausen took detailed notes and several pictures, so that he wouldn't lose track of where he was in the process.
Even today, these bois are all bad to the bone! Saw this movie yesterday, and it's a masterpiece! The effects were all very well done, a marvel of the time with a lot of charm even today!
David Allen and Phil Tippett at their best managed to get stop-motion a little smoother than Harryhausen, but neither could pull off the complexity of a scene like this so masterfully. Harryhausen was a genius.
I'm in my thirties, saw a lot of thrillers and horror movies. But still, there is something subtle terrifying in movies like this: no jump scares, no torn guts etc. Practical effects in daylight, stop motion and menacingly robotic movements truly give movies the "uncanny valley" vibe and nightmare fuel
Way to go, just bringing two Argonauts with you, Argus! Poor Castor and Polaris... they survive everything the movie can throw at them, they're almost home free, then they still end up dying horribly.
Actually, only two of the skeletons’ shield have the blue octopus; the other three (two skeletons had spears, while the other five have swords and shields), have different designs. One appears to show a vaguely humanoid, hairy ape-like creature with prominent bony brow ridges that seem to extend into horns; the other two however, bear images of Medusa and the Kraken; both of whom would appear in “Clash of The Titans” 18 years later! Granted, Medusa’s face is skeletal here, but the snake hair is still visible, making her identity obvious. The Kraken also looks a little different, but overall that face is unmistakable. Mere coincidence, or foreshadowing? 🧐 I wonder…….. Also, note the exquisite detail on both the creature faces on the shields, along with the intricate, yet different borders around the edge of each shield; Harryhausen really went the extras mile to make all this look authentic and real!!!!!!!!
@@juicylmao1544 I'd have to put the original "Kong" in there, the movie that really inspired Harryhausen to pursue his career. Rama Kong! Also a lifelong fan of "Mysterious Island." And who can turn away from the Ymir?
I love the part at about 1:05 -1:06 where they all three ditch their scabbards at the same time, synchronized. A scabbard/sheath will hinder your movements somewhat, but I think this gesture signified that this was an all-or-nothing moment.
It takes moment to realize that the human actors could not see anything in front of them as they fulfilled the fight choreography. Pretty remarkable and professional skill on the part of this cast.
You and I and fans are impressed and it's fantastic, but, actually, Harryhausen said his most difficult scene in his movies was the scene just before this ... Jason fighting and killing the Hydra. The skeletons he could do separately, the Hydra heads were connected yet had to move as if independent.
This stop motion animation is very phenomenal back then way before the era of CGI technology was then invented because I’ve watched Jason and the Argonauts nearly 40 years ago back on Philadelphia’s WTAF channel 29 when the Netwerk used to always play these movies, every Sunday afternoons and nights.
that kind of negatively sceptical comment really gets old. *summons skeleton warriors for minutes* "hey guys, do u think we should just leave?" "our boat is right under a cliff. and as a farewell demonstration, we should show to the Thessaly king we're not simple cowardly thieves. Maybe the adrenaline could help us to jump to the cliff back the Argonaut"
Jason and his crew weren't cowards, they lived to fight. They would not back down from battle, no matter what, the lone exception being Talos, yet they still managed to kill him as well. They would not show weakness to anyone, including an evil king.
finally watched this movie after hearing the story so many times and being obsessed. I just love how they changed certain moments from the original and for it to be 60’s movie, the effect holds up. this scene was so good.
crazy how the live actors react to the skeletons, looks better than most cgi fights still amazed how the live actors were able to fluidly switch weapons with the skeletons without jumpcuts
THE CHILDREN OF THE HYDRA! This EPIC scene in particular was amazing and stunning to say the least…but the entire movie in itself is over just plain AWESOME!
I remember back in the late 60s my family and I were having dinner at a restaurant and my older brother said let's not forget to get home and watch Jason and the Argonauts. One of the best movies I ever saw this scene made me crap in my shorts!
This is where stop motion has it over CGI. There is something otherworldly creepy about the movements of the mythical creatures in this film. These skeletons, the Harpies, Talos, all are "believably magical" thanks to Ray Harryhausen's art.
I was lucky to interview Harryhausen and his longtime friend friend Ray Bradbury in the months before each died. Both agreed with something I said, which is similar, Laceykat, to your comment. I said that, for me, the difference between CGI and stop-motion is this:
CGI brings fantasy into reality. With CGI, everything looks "real"; monsters and the supernatural are placed on the same plane as cars and bowls of cereal. Stop-motion takes reality into fantasy. Suddenly things do not look normal; there is a jolt to a different, disturbing dimension of being. Both Rays agreed wholeheartedly, and I thank you, Laceykat, for the wonderful comment you've shared.
Not a bit. Unwatchable these days, Come on.
@@ogrosch4568 it is very much watchable. These special effects were and still are pretty impressive when you consider the time period. Animation and CGI has improved leaps and bounds but stop motion has always been fascinating...
@@ClassicBoxingMatches i am talking about today, not 60 years ago. Times changed.
@@ogrosch4568 How old are you? And where is your appreciation for old movies and different art styles?
This was pure artistry. The time spent, and attention to detail in this scene alone was incredible.
it is impressive how solid the impact between swords and shields is, the skeletons recoil and jason's sword bounces back
Yea but I still don't get why they didn't just use those living guys though, they still had them outnumbered but whatever.
they probably thought the undead ones would set it just outta imagining but out of practical means you are right@@A_Black_Sheep94
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One of the most incredible influential sequences in special effects history. Harryhausen was a genius
Very ahead of his Time. Always thinking about how to make something look good, IN CAMERA. Ray was a brilliant man. Need more like him.
Me recuerda a La momia de Brendan esos esqueletos con sus armas
Growing up as a child in elementary school, movie day was a treat. We would all gather in the library sitting cross-legged in the dark waiting the feature to begin. This movie enthralled me as a child in the 70s. It was this scene that hooked me on fantasy from the start. The choreography, the beat of the music, the anxious anticipation. Something that modern-day cinema I'm afraid, is sorely lacking. Thank you Ray!
Did your school have it on film? That’s cool.
Not fantasy at all, it's more of an adventure epic movie from ancient Greece and of course with some fantasy including it.
@@stoneyboyd Sorry, missed this reply. Yes! It was on old 8mm film in the steel canisters! Our teachers would always have trouble changing the roll out. We would all get restless waiting. 🤣
We saw all the Ray Harryhousen movies. This one was my favorite. That & the 7th Voyage of Sinbad.
@@alfredodistefanolaulhe2212
I agree with the Greek Epic angle but..
To me anytime you have a priest of Hecate summoning up a death squad of skeletons, that's fantasy. Much of what we have in the fantasy genre comes from those epic tales of heroism.
@@helixxharpell The movie is not in the genre of "fantasy" but it includes a bit of it. Fantasy is Excalibur, Lord of the Rings, Never Ending Story, those are fantasy movies. This one is a classic epic movie with some fantasy. But I got what you meant, my mother always call it Fantasy in general.
In one of the last interviews he gave. I asked Ray Harryhausen, a bit sheepishly, how the skeletons could scream if they have no larynxes. He laughed and chided me, "Because it's a fantasy!" And of course he was right. They have no voicebox, and they must scream!
yet not questioning how they move
@Facepalm Full O' Napalm A truly terrifying book
It's the standard answer from old Hollywood guys, imagination is what they were trying to capture, not realism.
I said exactly the same thing !
BUT ...they can't swim. 😉
The scene @4:02 of the skeleton rolling over the wall and the scene @5:37 when the skeleton jumps over the slain Phalerus rather than just run behind him are excellent yet subtle moments that can easily be missed or taken for granted, yet show just how skilled Ray Harryhausen really was and just how passionate he was about his art.
you're right, I never thought about that. Good catch about detail! Especially the rolling.
You have a good eye!
The sword play is far more impressive than most modern movies today 😳
💀
Absolutely..faultless
Yep!
Loved every minute of it! ⚔️
I like the first-person perspective cut-away where you see the skeleton close up.
Not enough sword fighting 1-st person cut-aways these days.
The one thing that's rather impressive about this scene is the fact that the movement doesn't look jerky. I've seen stop motion animation done by others that looked jerky, but this motion looks realistically fluid. Harryhausen was quiet an artist and a genius. Respect.
"King Kong", "Gwanji", and "Jason and the Argonauts" are a master-class in stop motion.
I think Harryhausen did more frames than most for stop motion. Smaller movements and more frames.
@@joelellis7035 Seems effective.
Ray Harryhausen has earned many accolades for his stop-motion wizardry, and rightfully so. But I'd also like to tip my hat to the great Bernard Herrmann, whose brilliant score highlighted the sense of magic, danger and mythological adventure throughout the film.
It's one of the reasons that JATA became an all-time classic.
Totally agree - one of my favorite composers
@@martinberridge9173 Herrmann and Jerry Goldsmith are 2 of the all-time best film composers.
To this day, I consider his scores for 7th Voyage of Sinbad and Mysterious Island some of the best film scores I have ever heard.
Favourite scene if the film. Stop motion may not look real but it feels real - those unnatural movements are freaky
If it's not the most iconic scene in the film, I don't know what is. Not to mention, it's got to be one of the most iconic scenes in film history.
@@terrorcop101 Seeing it in a theater along with Bernard Herrmann's score was fantastic pure magic.
Actually it's more fake now than back then. To pure and clean. Superficial.
I'm not comfortable with the word, fake.
Two points: first, there is a suspension of disbelief when watching a film. For example, you don't think it's only one car in some of the more insane car chases, do you? Second, this is a fantasy film; when was the last time you saw moving skeletons? I admit that such animation should be of high quality and Harryhausen was high quality!
@@terrorcop101 This whole film is iconic.
That bit at 5:23 where he wrestles the spear out of the skeletons hands still amazes me to this day.
That does look great. Jason's hands go out of the shot for a second, so I'm guessing he picked up the spear from out of sight of the camera. But a shot I'm not sure how they did is at 4:14, when the Skeleton disarms Castor's shield. How did they do that shot? There wasn't anything there to pull it out of his hand! I guess the actor must have thrown the shield away, but it really doesn't look like that. It looks like something pulled it out of his hand.
@@Blokewood3im guessing that we just can’t see him throw it because the skeleton’s shield is blocking his hand
@@BigBoy257 either that, or they had a thin wire or two to tug it out of his hands.
@@Mike14264 I think it was a wire based on how far the shield moved and how it moved compared to his hand, yeah
Just imagine, how we got old with all these stories, in Greek mythology (I'm Greek, 1956).
All fantasies, with spectacular stories - not only Agronauts and Argo!
Greek mythology is certainly very rich and fascinating
One of the best stop motion movies ever made. The special effects of Ray Harry Haussen were spectacular and no cgi insight. A work of pure genius.
My grandparents showed me this film when I was really young, and I would watch it every time I visited them. It's one of my favorite movies of all time, I love this whole film and this fight scene is just unreal.
The fight choreography of the skeletons is really good. They use actual tactics (to the limit of their skills while living).
A perfect sequence. This was made when special effects were still special, when you saw something unbelievable and wondered how it was done. And even if you knew the process behind it, you could appreciate the skill and patience of the one man that animated the whole sequence over 4 and a half months. Can you imagine anyone doing that these days? Ray Harryhausen was a true artist. It's a film you can still appreciate 60 years after it was made.
Awesome. I can see a young James Cameron in awe chewing popcorn.
R.I.P Todd Armstrong! You'll never be forgotten as this film is now a cult classic! Nobody could have played Jason better than Todd Armstrong!
This is the best part of this classic!
In 1963, _Cleopatra_ won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects over Alfred Hitchcock's _The Birds. Jason and the Argonauts_ was not even nominated. An amazing - and unfortunate - injustice and oversight.
As Daffy Duck would say to all those blind, blow hard Oscar judges, “You’re despicable!”
Blimey I didn't realise that. That's scandalous. The special effects in this film still hold up to this day! I can't say that about The Birds, although for it's time it was impressive. Cleopatra would have had a much larger budget I assume?
The academy have always been clueless about REAL and genuinely good filmmaking. Most of the time
I'm more shocked about the fact that at those times such a multitude of really great movies competed in one year while nowadays we're happy to have one such evergreen in a decade.
Bernard Herrmann deserves praise too for his epic score. This and 7th Voyage of Sinbad are amongst his best.
I’ll still play that score from time to time, it makes me feel like a superhero!
I alwyas thought this score was awesome, The oboe, and clacking, and battle scene were great
I genuinely think this scene is one of the best ever made and for its time is nothing short of unbelievable. The only bit that bugs me is the fact Jason and the other two Argonauts could have simply just left with the other two instead of waiting for the skeletons to appear (unless I am missing something). That said, I’m glad they did. What a scene!
The skeletons would've caught up to them quickly and killed them. Jason and the other two guys were stalling for time.
Aeetes and his men would have stopped them
One of the companions of Jason is carrying his shield upside down.
This in my top ten
Theres a message to be gained
I have watched the scene with the giant bronze statue and my mum said that when this movie released in 1963 people were terrified at how "realistic" it was. As I am watching this is wasn't scared.
But when those skeletons pulled out a Roman technique where they march then charge I was pretty shocked AND scared.
CGI is good but seriously Ray Harryhausen's stop motion effects are better than some CGI today.
Much better
Example of the MCU Spiderman cartoon suit
CGI today SUXXXX !!
Better than almost all CGI.
Ray Harryhausen was a genius.
The skeletons look awesome animated like that, you can imagine a magical animated skeleton moving like that.
The bone rattles in the music as the skeletons sprout from the ground really set the mood.
Jason, Castor and Phalerus removing their baldrics and unsheathing their swords as one at 1:02 is one of the most badass moments in all film.
YES! My favorite scene in the whole movie!!
they knew it was their last stand
I always loved that bit!
Probably no one will see this comment, but this is the kind of stuff I lived for as a child (also Godzilla, of course) back when Hollywood could actually do its f-----g job. Harryhausen was a genius.
I truly enjoyed this fight scene... i thought the skeletons were going to be corny fighters but ended up being formidable opponents.
Even 60 Years Later. This is still the most impressive sequence ever-made. This films give you the best pace in any of the, Ray Harryhausen. Film Collection. Talos, The Hydra, The Harpies and The Skelton Army. The most insane figures in this movie, I love it so much.
That scream from the skeletons........SCARY!!!!!......😳
Especially after their they slowly stalk towards the heroes with a slow rigid pace - then suddenly exploding forward with that horrifying wail! UGH! 😮
The masterpiece (arguably!) from the master of stop-motion animation himself.
Ray Harryhausen He also did Mighty Joe Young per Wiki.
@@billmoss2877 And many more.
Watching a little of this film Jason and the Argonauts reminds me of my childhood, the good times when we sat in front of the TV to watch and didn't worry about anything, but it's always good to remember the good times of the past, congratulations to the channel.
Although the beginning of this sequence is aggravatingly static (both director and screenwriter are nowhere to be found), once the skeletons appear it is thrilling. Harryhausen seamlessly combines terror and humor, and the sense of the unstoppability of the skeletons is brilliant. It bears repeated viewings just to see all the details. A superb scene by a consummate artist.
Greek mythology
That’s quite a funny and accurate observation 😂
Agreed. The beginning of the scene is far from fluid. LOL.
@@lawrencewood289
Agreed, Jason and his two friends could’ve bum rushed their enemies before the spell could be completed. But to quote Grim Reaper from Billy and Mandy, “Give it a moment, these things take a few seconds or minutes to kick in.”
@@TPDManiacXC626 Yeah, all four of them and a girl could have rushed an army!
I remember watching this as a child and being terrified of those skeletons, especially when they shriek as they charge the Argonauts. Ray Harryhausen was a special effects wizard.
When audiences first saw this they were, as the saying goes, "gobsmacked," and rightfully so. To this day one of the greatest achievements in stop-time filming. A few seconds of this sequence undoubtedly took a tremendous amount of time and patient effort and it's quite a long segment..
It takes moment to realize that the human actors could not see anything in front of them as they fulfilled the fight choreography. Pretty remarkable and professional skill on the part of this cast.
4 1/2 months.
4:19 when that skeleton runs in from the right and stumbles a little bit when they were stopping because they were running so fast and had their (eyes?) On him instead of the ground is SUCH a good detail. It just makes them feel that much more real and like they have weight in the scene
Nothing better than a Greek myth coming alive!
You know it may not stand up to some of the special effects today but back in the 60s that was pretty damn impressive Ray Harryhausen was an absolute genius
I love how Harryhausen created the skeletons with evil looking sculls. Totally added to the scaryness of the segment.
All the skulls look the same..I would have preferred more realism..
Every skull smiles!!! Have you ever seen one crying???
All skulls look evil. lol. Part of it is how they’ve been used associated with Halloween and horror.
Scull are actually expressionless.
@@paulhoye9680Hope you are joking
The people who made all the figures were the last of the greatest modelers to ever live!! They where the people who got me interested in doing figure modeling!! Been at it for 47 years!!!
Well , no bones about it. I love this sequence.
🤣
This movie is actually pretty good. The scene with Talos was my favorite.
What a scene!!! Brilliant. Feel sorry for the 2 guys who didn't make it😔
They were out numbered seven to three, argonauts did not find their weak point - (beheading was the key), not piercing them
The scene is made much more powerful by the slow eerie sowing of the teeth at the beginning. Unsettling, allmost like a Kubrick movie. The weird oboe and cracking percussion is otherworldly. Imagine the anticipation and eventual shock of the original audience. Theres a reason it stayed in their subconscious.
The bit where the skeletons are falling off the cliff always makes me laugh. I can picture a crew throwing multiple skeleton props over just as he jumped 😆
The falling is stop motion
A stunt double jumped off the cliff and the crew threw the skeletons as he jumped, they had to do it right the first time as the skeletons couldn't be retrieved, they are still there somewhere today
it's stupoid to laught azt it. they could only do that. otherwise, if the skeletons jumped with Jason , it's possibly because they were like "programmed" by the magic who make them moves, to blindly follow their living targets to kill them
@@aarondonnelly3509 imagine being a scuba diver and seeing those skeletons not realizing they're movie props
I imagine it being quite cathartic for the crew considering how much time it took to film this. I’d want to throw em off a cliff too!
The special effects for this were nothing short of magnificent for the year it was made.
Still sinister after all these year's
Love this scene 😍
I was always amazed at how he was able to point at the places where the skeletons actually came up out of the ground. Not sure what cues he was using but it looked really good!
He scattered seven teeth in a quincunx arrangement, easy to follow
I think he was directed roughly where to point, and it was animated to fit. Same with the in-close fight sequences.
This movie is remembered for almost sixty years.
I dearly love this movie, along with Clash of the Titans 1981. They beautifully capture the wonder and weirdness of those Greek Myths.
They understand its not an action story, its an adventure/odessey story. Big difference with the modern remakes.
The using of the clapper in the score when the skeletons first appear is incredible. Really adds another layer to the whole experience.
This scared the bejusus out of me when I was 13. Got me hooked on Greek mythology. Lucky me.
Peter Lord, the co-founder of Aardman Studios saw this movie when it came out when he was 10 years old, Jason and the Argonauts, plus 1 Million Years B.C. for Nick Park of Wallace and Gromit fame, had a profound impact on them both.
We can't imagine the time it took to animate the skeletons. Amazing!
A month and a half, iirc. And you better believe that Ray Harryhausen took detailed notes and several pictures, so that he wouldn't lose track of where he was in the process.
The whole scene took 4 and a half months to film.
@@Billcarsonstobaccobox
I recall reading that for all the stop-motion monsters in the movie, it took Harryhausen a total of two years.
AAGGHH those evilly grinning relentless skeleton warriors…the Sunday afternoon movie that I NEVER missed!
This is one of my all-time favorite movies, saw it when I was a kid and been hooked ever since!!!
Even today, these bois are all bad to the bone!
Saw this movie yesterday, and it's a masterpiece! The effects were all very well done, a marvel of the time with a lot of charm even today!
Them skeletons still had vocal chords as they screamed when attacking Jason and his crew 😅🤣😂
I guess they did it the same way they see without eyeballs, or move without muscles or..
That would baffle Little Brian Stelter of CNN News.
8
😆😆😆
No vocal chords, they are magical
Ray Harryhausen, German Genius. Loved this film as a boy. This was my favourite scene.
David Allen and Phil Tippett at their best managed to get stop-motion a little smoother than Harryhausen, but neither could pull off the complexity of a scene like this so masterfully. Harryhausen was a genius.
Stop motion still looks way better than CGI ever will be.
I'm in my thirties, saw a lot of thrillers and horror movies. But still, there is something subtle terrifying in movies like this: no jump scares, no torn guts etc. Practical effects in daylight, stop motion and menacingly robotic movements truly give movies the "uncanny valley" vibe and nightmare fuel
A movie where the enemy actually makes good use of superior numbers.
I remember my mom dropping me off at the theater to watch this about 1968, I was 7, scary as hell but I loved it.
Jason and the Argonauts...Damn I'm old !!! 👀👴😭🤣
It's incredible how deeply ingrained into my psyche this film carved itself when I was a child.
Way to go, just bringing two Argonauts with you, Argus! Poor Castor and Polaris... they survive everything the movie can throw at them, they're almost home free, then they still end up dying horribly.
even to this day... This stop motion is pretty fricking cool !!
Those illustrations on their shields look amazing!!
Octopuses
Actually, only two of the skeletons’ shield have the blue octopus; the other three (two skeletons had spears, while the other five have swords and shields), have different designs.
One appears to show a vaguely humanoid, hairy ape-like creature with prominent bony brow ridges that seem to extend into horns; the other two however, bear images of Medusa and the Kraken; both of whom would appear in “Clash of The Titans” 18 years later!
Granted, Medusa’s face is skeletal here, but the snake hair is still visible, making her identity obvious. The Kraken also looks a little different, but overall that face is unmistakable.
Mere coincidence, or foreshadowing? 🧐
I wonder……..
Also, note the exquisite detail on both the creature faces on the shields, along with the intricate, yet different borders around the edge of each shield; Harryhausen really went the extras mile to make all this look authentic and real!!!!!!!!
I watched this as a boy and still enjoy watching Harryhousen films.
I went to see the Ray Harryhausen exhibit in Edinburgh. Shared that day with my younger brother with whom I watched these films as children.
5:36 that little jump makes the whole thing work.
I saw this film when i was a kid. This was my favorite scene.
Same dude.
Here too.
For kids, this is some scary animation.
Mine too. ^_^
Me too.. I never forget this film because of this scene
Ray Harryhausen. The greatest of all stop motion artists. And this movie showed ALL his skills. Simply unmatched.
1 of the only movies in history which u can watch multiple times and never get boring. Legendary movie Iconic scene 😁😁
Okay, I'm curious, Juicy. What's the other?
@@geokaplan59 Sinbad bro
@@juicylmao1544 I'd have to put the original "Kong" in there, the movie that really inspired Harryhausen to pursue his career. Rama Kong! Also a lifelong fan of "Mysterious Island." And who can turn away from the Ymir?
@@geokaplan59 I love the Ymir! 👍😉♥️
Impossible to forget movies like this as time passes by!!
The way they take off running and the screaming LOL
I love the part at about 1:05 -1:06 where they all three ditch their scabbards at the same time, synchronized. A scabbard/sheath will hinder your movements somewhat, but I think this gesture signified that this was an all-or-nothing moment.
One of the best moments in movie history. The stop motion for the skeletons is superb, still holds strong today. Awesome!
harryhausen's most crowning achievement!
Raquel Welch in that fur bikini being chased by a T Rex was pretty good !
@@robplazzman6049 Burt Reynolds once said she had the best body he's ever seen!
Amazing special effects for 1963 or 64. I watched this as a boy and I was stunned.
The choreography in the fight scenes is fantastic..the skeletons movement brilliant.just one of the best scenes in film history
It takes moment to realize that the human actors could not see anything in front of them as they fulfilled the fight choreography. Pretty remarkable and professional skill on the part of this cast.
I just saw from another commentator how these scenes were done. Real human actors fulfilled the movements of the (later added) skeletons.
I so love Harryhausen's work. CGI can't touch the feel of it.
Most difficult stop motion scene Ray Harryhausen ever created.
And maybe the most striking. Even today those things are sinister.
You and I and fans are impressed and it's fantastic, but, actually, Harryhausen said his most difficult scene in his movies was the scene just before this ... Jason fighting and killing the Hydra. The skeletons he could do separately, the Hydra heads were connected yet had to move as if independent.
What Ray was to stop motion is like what Mel Blanc was to looney tunes.
This stop motion animation is very phenomenal back then way before the era of CGI technology was then invented because I’ve watched Jason and the Argonauts nearly 40 years ago back on Philadelphia’s WTAF channel 29 when the Netwerk used to always play these movies, every Sunday afternoons and nights.
Thankyou Ray, your amazing work lives on!
5:07 Hilarious. The skeleton is like "OW! ...Hey, wait a second..."
**summons skeleton warriors for minutes**
"hey guys, think we should just leave?"
"but this is so cool, let's watch until the end"
that kind of negatively sceptical comment really gets old.
*summons skeleton warriors for minutes*
"hey guys, do u think we should just leave?"
"our boat is right under a cliff. and as a farewell demonstration, we should show to the Thessaly king we're not simple cowardly thieves. Maybe the adrenaline could help us to jump to the cliff back the Argonaut"
Jason and his crew weren't cowards, they lived to fight. They would not back down from battle, no matter what, the lone exception being Talos, yet they still managed to kill him as well. They would not show weakness to anyone, including an evil king.
My favourite scene in the film.Brilliant special effects and I loved the music too.
I’m 56 & I still love this film
finally watched this movie after hearing the story so many times and being obsessed. I just love how they changed certain moments from the original and for it to be 60’s movie, the effect holds up. this scene was so good.
Historical best special effects ever!
Ray Harryhousen - the master ! Just think what he could have done with modern CGI !
no this what he did surpassas that
Such an influential and iconic scene. Harryhausen tops CGI ANY day.
crazy how the live actors react to the skeletons, looks better than most cgi fights
still amazed how the live actors were able to fluidly switch weapons with the skeletons without jumpcuts
These 1964's effect are way better than most of the current CGI crap!
特撮の神様レイ・ハリーハウゼンの大傑作アルゴ探検隊の骸骨兵士との対決の名シーンですね～🎥🧐😮😃
THE CHILDREN OF THE HYDRA!
This EPIC scene in particular was amazing and stunning to say the least…but the entire movie in itself is over just plain AWESOME!
I remember back in the late 60s my family and I were having dinner at a restaurant and my older brother said let's not forget to get home and watch Jason and the Argonauts. One of the best movies I ever saw this scene made me crap in my shorts!