Ray Harryhausen Double Feature Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Ray Harryhausen Double Feature Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman January 29, 2020

Ray Harryhausen died in 2013 at the venerable age of 92, leaving behind what is easily one of the most unique legacies in the entire annals of the motion picture industry. Harryhausen’s legacy is so distinctive, in fact, that a mere mention of his name can send fans into nostalgic reveries about any number of iconic films where Harryhausen’s (literally) patented brand of special effects helped to create worlds of wonder. The Harryhausen oeuvre isn’t especially long, understandable given the technical requirements of Harryhausen’s stop action approach, but the sixteen feature length outings which are regularly listed as “Harryhausen films” offer a veritable cornucopia of inventive creature designs and remarkably fluid movement (the mere fact that these films are “credited” to Harryhausen despite the fact that he didn’t really direct any of them is another indication of just what a non pareil creator he really was). Umbrella has gathered together two really fun films for which Harryhausen created the special effects, one in color and one in black and white, with both demonstrating Harryhausen's virtually inerrant ability to bring otherworldly creatures to life via his amazing stop motion artistry.

For reviews of the two films included on this release, please click on the links below. Note that both of these films have had prior Blu-ray releases in other regions and so the reviews I'm linking to contain their own links to those further reviews, which can be of service both in terms of plot recaps and perhaps more importantly for screenshot comparison purposes.

First Men in the Moon Blu-ray review

20 Million Miles to Earth Blu-ray review

Ray Harryhausen Double Feature Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Video quality of each film is assessed in the above linked reviews.

Ray Harryhausen Double Feature Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Audio quality of each film is assessed in the above linked reviews.

Ray Harryhausen Double Feature Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Somewhat disappointingly, Umbrella Entertainment hasn't included any extras on this release. Those interested (and with multi-region or region free players) may want to consult the reviews of Region A product that I link to in the above linked reviews, since those releases do have some supplemental material which may be of interest to some fans.

Ray Harryhausen Double Feature Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Both of the films included on this release have their own distinctive if occasionally hokey pleasures, but neither of these Umbrella versions looks as good as the Region A versions (there's less of a discrepancy between the black and white 20 Million Miles to Earth than the color First Men in the Moon). Umbrella also hasn't included any supplements on this release, for those who are considering a purchase.