cult film freak: THE VALLEY OF GWANGI

Written by James M. Tate / 8/15/2010 / No comments / creature , dinosaur , james francsiscus , ray harryhausen , sixties , stop-motion , western

THE VALLEY OF GWANGI

8/15/2010 | No comment

title: THE VALLEY OF GWANGI
year: 1969
cast: James Franciscus
effects: Ray Harryhausen
rating: ****1/2

This late sixties "Rexploitation" is Ray Harryhausen's best special effects film. The deliciously paced plot involves cowboys driven to find their "pot of gold" with a freak miniature horse led to the title valley where dwells a giant blue dinosaur named Gwangi, a prehistoric beast that isn't very friendly. Sure the last twenty minutes rips off "King Kong", the film Ray watched as a kid, causing him to follow in the footsteps of his mentor, Willis O'Brien (who conceptualized this film in the forties)... but that's like a son having his father's voice.

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Tags : creature , dinosaur , james francsiscus , ray harryhausen , sixties , stop-motion , western

James M. Tate

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FAVORITES SHORTLIST

1)OTLEY 2)ROBBERY 3)HELL IS A CITY 4)THE FEARMAKERS 5)CANYON PASSAGE 6)HOT CARS 7)VIOLENT SATURDAY 8)THE BREAK 9)THE CROWDED SKY 10)THE ROARING TWENTIES 11) ANATOMY OF A MURDER 12)CALCULATED RISK 13)SWEENEY TWO 14)RAIDERS FROM BENEATH THE SEA 15)HARDCORE 16)JUNGLE STREET 17)WHITE HEAT 18)FALLEN ANGEL 19)A PRIZE OF ARMS 20)THE BIG HEAT 21)SHARKS' TREASURE 22)THE MARKED ONES 23)THE DRIVER 24)THE SYSTEM 25)AIR PATROL 26)THE STONE KILLER 27)JOURNEY INTO FEAR 28)WILLIAM CONRAD'S BRAINSTORM 29)FRENZY 30)THE MAN FROM LARAMIE FAVORITE ACTORS 1)DANA ANDREWS 2)JAMES CAGNEY 3)STANLEY BAKER 4)MARLON BRANDO 5)JACK NICHOLSON 6)CHARLES BRONSON 7)BURT REYNOLDS 8)WILLIAM LUCAS 9)TOM COURTENAY 10)GENE HACKMAN DIRECTORS 1)JACQUES TOURNEUR 2)RICHARD FLEISCHER 3)VAL GUEST 4)STANLEY KUBRICK 5)OTTO PREMINGER 6)ORSON WELLES 7)JOHN GUILLERMAN 8)JOHN LANDIS 9)SAM PECKINPAH 10)MICHAEL WINNER