BLACK HOLE (DVD/2.35/DD 5.1 SS/FR-BOTH.SP-DUB) DVD

The Black Hole
An ambitious sci-fier from the Disney folks, The Black Hole takes place in the future. A quintet of space travelers stumble across a "black hole." Not wishing to be sucked into the void, the crew prepares to flee, but stops long enough to investigate a mysterious space vessel near the entrance of the hole. Manning this craft is mad scientist Dr. Hans Reinhardt (Maximillian Schell), who intends to explore the black hole in hopes of finding the universe's energy source. The cast includes Anthony Perkins, Robert Forster, Yvette Mimieux, and others. The Black Hole marked one of the Disney company's first PG-rated films. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cast Maximilian Schell as Dr. Hans Reinhardt Anthony Perkins as Dr. Alex Durant Robert Forster as Capt. Dan Holland Joseph Bottoms as Lt. Charles Pizer Yvette Mimieux as Dr. Kate McGraw Ernest Borgnine as Harry Booth Tom McLoughlin as Capt. S.T.A.R.

Crew John Mansbridge - Art Director Al Y. Roelofs - Art Director Bill Thomas - Costume Designer Gary Nelson - Director Gregg McLaughlin - Editor John Barry - Composer (Music Score) Robert J. Schiffer - Makeup Peter Ellenshaw - Production Designer Frank Phillips - Cinematographer Ron Miller - Producer Roger M. Shook - Set Designer Frank R. McKelvey - Set Designer Art Cruickshank - Special Effects Eustace Lycett - Special Effects Richard Landau - Screen Story Bob Barbash - Screen Story Gerry Day - Screenwriter Jeb Rosebrook - Screenwriter James MacDonald - Sound Effects Director Peter Ellenshaw - Visual Effects

The Black Hole
This Disney project, an attempt to challenge Star Wars, is too uneven for its own good but has earned a cult following thanks to its extraordinary look and willingness to take unusual chances. The most amazing thing about The Black Hole is how dark it is for a Disney production; it is full of horror-film-styled shocks, like the scene where Dr. Hans Reinhardt attacks one of the film's crew, and the surreal climax avoids the typical Disney happy ending. Unfortunately, the script doesn't live up to its ambitious aims; the story hints at dark avenues that it never truly commits to, and the characterizations are distressingly flat. The cast does the best they can with their mediocre roles, with Maximilian Schell turning in the most attention-grabbing work as Reinhardt and Yvette Mimieux doing the most emotionally affecting work as Kate. Behind the camera, director Gary Nelson creates some memorable set pieces (the best being a nerve-janging meteor attack), but lacks the style necessary to overpower the script's lack of substance. Despite these shortcomings, The Black Hole remains worthwhile as an experience in sight and sound. The goregously designed sets and spaceships are nothing short of stunning and the old-fashioned optical effects remain impressive even in this post-CGI era. The film also boasts an almost Wagnerian score by John Barry that could very well be his finest work outside the James Bond films. Ultimately, The Black Hole is too inconsistent in its storytelling to be truly satisfying, but its look and its unexpected surprises make it a worthwhile choice for patient cult film fanatics. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide
 

Art Cruickshank: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Visual Effects (nominated) Danny Lee: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Visual Effects (nominated) Eustace Lycett: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Visual Effects (nominated) Frank Phillips: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Cinematography (nominated) Harrison Ellenshaw: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Visual Effects (nominated) Joe Hale: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Visual Effects (nominated) Peter Ellenshaw: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Visual Effects (nominated)

General Specifications: Language Options: English, French, Spanish Subtitle Options: French Sound Processing: DD5.1: Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel Additional Features: "Through the Black Hole" featurette Extended trailer DVD Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1: Cinemascope MPAA Rating: PG DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 98 min   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- 1. Opening Titles/USS Cygnus [11:10] 2. Pulled Aboard [10:49] 3. Dr. Hans Reinhardt [11:28] 4. The Brink of a Great Discovery [9:04] 5. Reinhardt's Research [11:26] 6. Genius or Madman? [11:55] 7. No Escape [10:55] 8. Meteor Storm [8:33] 9. Into the Black Hole [9:46] 10. End Credits [2:32]