tell your dad he and the others made someone in belgium VERY HAPPY I went all the way to italy to get the toys (the only place where the film was highly popular, don t ask me why) and I would carry the smallest version of vincent with me everywhere at all times
God bless you for R2D2s wilder cousin, Vincent! Best robo gunslinger west of Sol! And thank you for terrifying the hell out of us with that book-shredding, sausage maker, Max!
Well done! Thank your father! Maximillian (I don;t think of him as a "Max") was terrifying! Everyone I know LOVED the film and we (myself included) loved VIncent and Old Bob! Were they miniatures/animated or scaled as we saw- about half-human size?
I watched this movie at the cinema when it was first released. Four times. It fascinated me, and it's bleakness chilled me. It was one of those movies that I could not stop thinking about. The weird ending is more than a little disturbing, and very reminiscent of the 'Night On A Bare Mountain' segment of Disney's 'Fantasia', with Maximillian standing in for the Daemon Chernabog. Alan Dean Foster's novel is even bleaker, with nobody surviving, but being crushed out of existence. 1979 was a good year for him - he wrote the novelisations of 'Alien', 'Star Trek: The Motion Picture', and 'The Black Hole'. I have a set of Black Hole figures, and the pop-up book, the teaser poster, the cinema poster, the 'Fotonovel', and a set of lobby cards. There's still a place in my heart for this movie. Can you tell? My favourite line from the movie is Harry Booth talking to the limping humanoid gardener, asking if it can talk. Booth (Ernest Borgnine) answers himself: "No, that would make you too real, wouldn't it?" It further establishes just how very creepy the humanoids are.
Can you imagine a prequel that takes us from the construction and launch of the Cygnus through Reinhard's hollowing out of the crew, to the moments before the Palimino crew arrive on the bridge? What an epic that would be.
That would be fantastic. I'm trying to think who would be a good actor to portray Reinhard. Christoph Walz comes to mind. It would be amazing to see the Cygnus on earth so we can get a sense of how enormous it is. We could see BOB when he was new and in good condition too. This would be much better than a remake.
Could have been much worse. In reality, blood would have been spraying everywhere. If this movie had been made five years later it would have been directed by James Cameron and definitely have been bloody and more gruesome.
thank you so much, that film was so underated ! I was crazy about it when it came out (still am) and wrote a long article to defend it and wrote that no it was not a poor parent of star wars (which I love too) that it was pure disney as a "20 000 leagues under the sea" in space and a "fantasia" ending I sent it ot a magazine and got no answer then saw it in a hard cover book about science fiction, signed by someone else (they had changed a word here and there, meaning the same thing) not fair ! but still made me happy my big disappointment : no extras on the dvd ! so your video here more than compensates for it Joseph bottoms as mister special effects (well it was his name in french) was so forgotten that I was not sure of it anymore, I thought I had dreamed it, thanks for the color picture ! I just want to add than yvette mimieux was in another disney movie "monkeys go home", not one of the best but a delightful song by the shermans, sung by maurice chevalier, in the weakest disney period of time (you can even see that the meat stolen by the dogs is plastic, lol...and a few years later, wow, look at the black hole ! great art work poor dog actors, why not give them the real thing? THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU ( I still treasure my vincent robot, he s having tea with my R2D2 and BB8, and all the disney princesses, maximillian only invited from time to time, when he promises to behave)
The music is what always caught my attention with the Black Hole. It was simply amazing. It added to the atmosphere of the movie so well. I loved this movie as a kid. Your critique is dead on with the issues, and I would also love to see what a modern take of this story could do.
It is a beautiful score (if a bit repetitive at the beginning). The score broadens as we see more of the Cygnus, and the story unfolds. I love the track: "Durant Is Dead" I think my only other irk with an otherwise magnificent score is "Laser Battle". Something about it is off-putting when we see the Palomino crew shpoting it out with the sentries. The whole piece sounds prematurely victorious. No suspense to heighten the tension of the gunfights. That's just me. I love the score, and often sleep to it. 👍👍
There is a huge possibility for any remake to be a tragedy, I'm thinking of most of the remakes that have been done in the past 20 years. If a remake had the pacing, effects, and similar plot devices as Interstellar then it could work, but it shouldn't be just a quick cash-grab kids film, and any current-day politics would need to be kept out of it. I'd want it to follow the same basic story but with a few differences along the way.
40 years later, I'm _still_ torn over which Black Hole scene was scariest for me: The "Durant taking the crew member's mask off and there's a withered human gasping for breath beneath" scene, the "Maximilian ripping a hole through Durant" scene or the "Reinhardt and Maximilian becoming one in Hell" scene. Tough call, really.
@@BloodyBay Same, regarding the most scary scenes when I was kid, but as a grown up, I now get a shiver whenever I watch the scene where the captain strolls through the deserted barracks - a gripping metaphor of the soullessness of a totalitarian dictatorship [ where 'nobody's home', figuratively, and in this case, literally ]: what a "the end justifies the means" ethos leads to [ which Reinhardt explicitly states, a couple minutes prior ]. To me, this has become the core scene and message of the film - the actual 'black hole' where humanity ends. The haunting music of that sequence really drives home the point. I also appreciate the epic depiction of hell, at the end, which I never had a problem with and always made sense to me, even as a kid. Though, today, I can't help but think that it is a distinctly 'Calvinist' ( Anglo-Saxon! ) version of Hell, where even the enslaved crew of the Cygnus are damned just the same [ if that's indeed what the hooded masses in the inferno's canyons stand for ], through no fault of their own! ...They were never among the 'chosen'. That's kind of disturbing, the more I think of it, actually [ Hell being a Calvinist inferno ]! ...Or, an alternative interpretation might simply be that a "the end justifies the means" ethos, together with deception, which is the essence of military strategy and warfare, makes specters of us all. Note: I believe the project started in late 1975-early 1976, less than one year after the end of the Vietnam war, so the notion of "does the end justify the means?" must have weighed heavily on the writers' minds ( as it did Lucas ).
I agree with you on everything except V.I.N.C.E.N.T. I thought he was condescending and annoying. I think the movie would have been better without Vincent and more of Maximilian! 😂😂😂
George Lucas had nothing on Maximilian, when it came to evil robots. He was as great, as an evil robot, as Darth Vader was as an evil human character. In fact, Maximilian would have been awesome as a personal robot for Darth Vader. He looked very much like the Imperial Guard, which were dressed in red, who protected the Emperor and Vader when he was in his meditation chamber or Bacta Tank. I can also picture him traveling around with Vader, as both a body guard and servant. He would have needed the ability to talk though, with a voice as iconic as Vader's voice. It would also be cool if he wielded light sabers like General Grievous.
Between that and the skewering of Anthony Perkins is what freaked me out as a kid. The borderline creepy music in some scenes by John Barry didn't help either. Still, this is one of my all time favorite sci-fi flicks.
I disagree, having seen both star wars and the black hole on the big screen during first run, I was disappointed. Of course I was 9 when it came out. My parents were expecting another star wars were really disappointed. Funny now. Back then Disney was competing for the attention of the kids of the era in action figure sales and copying Lucasfilms patented cinematography failing in the process. Now, they own it out right. Well if you can't beat them buy them works in guess.
The score of the movie remains one of my all time favourites and the gothic look and feel of the Cygnus. I can't believe the figures didn't sell. My friends and I loved them!
@@TheInflictedOops, you're right. Marvin Hamlisch filled in for usual Bond composer John Barry, as Barry was unavailable for work in the United Kingdom due to tax reasons
I saw the movie as a 12 year old. The Ending was so Hieronymous Bosch, I left the theatre thinking "WTF did I just watch?" Though I do think the scene of Reinhardt and Maximillian merging was well-done. Nowadays, people would be shouting, "Now kiss!"
The ending makes perfect sense. Spoiler Below: When the movie's heroes get pulled into the black hole along with the bad guys, we see images of Hell. The bad guy doctor and the evil robot are fused into one being for their eternal torment. Then the good guys venture to heaven, see crystal archways and an angelic being, only to then be sent to a new world to live in peace.
I saw "The Black Hole" when it was released in cinema. Years later I saw Disney's "Fantasia". In my opinion the ending of "The Black Hole" is a SciFi-Version of the ending of "Fantasia", a combination of the "Night on a Bald Mountain"- and the "Ave Maria"-sequence.
@@Lumibear. Well because a lot of movies have meanings of our real world. Asking bigger question. Its far more intriguing than 'the heroes win and fly away'. Art imitating life. I'm guessing you aren't a 2001: A space odyssey fan?
The visual effects were, and still are, absolutely stunning... The Cygnus and the black hole itself were just phenomenal... And the burning asteroid rolling through the ship was just amazing to me as a kid. The film definitely has some campiness to it but all in all a decent movie
The ending; If you've ever read "Dante's Inferno" (The Divine Comedy), then the end makes perfect sense. Even a little knowledge of that work explains a lot of what is going on in "The Black Hole". Borgnine's character even mentions "Dante's Inferno" by name in the opening of the film. The hellish vision followed by escape into what looks like heaven (complete with a guiding angel) all make more sense in light of the story that inspired it.
I've always felt that the final scene is Kate's psychic look into Reinhart's dying mind...he is forced to accept that Maximillian is a both a product and a part of himself and his personal hell is to be stuck forever in the defunct body of a killing machine while trapped with all those he has doomed...the image of the angel is Kate's mind rejecting that fate and rising above it...but hey, that's just my take...the scene is open enough to mean anything...
@@peterisnardi1197 I saw it as a wacky mystical duality, where Rinehart's personality is split into two fates as he both embraces and loathes his creation-turned-overlord; damned to a horrific imprisonment with Maximillian, and also liberated to celestial bliss. At least in any credible Western spiritual tradition, it is simply bizarre and un-credible.
a guiding angel? thank you so much for that explanation, I thought it was kate's soul (as she mentions her father she misses, aa second before) but I was not sure, thanks! I hadn t read dante's inferno at the time
Many people have asked about the ending of the movie. The most coherent explanation was provided in the paperback book for the movie. They don't blatantly mention it, but Dr.Reinhard has an internal "esp" device allowing contact with Maximillian, just as Dr.Kate does with Vincent. The book describes that only "esp" linked people/robots are able to survive the Black Hole journey and make it through. Reinhard and Maximillian "combine" through their "esp" link, but as they have no vehicle, they remain stuck inside the Black Hole. The 4 crew members are able to link together via Dr.Kate and her "esp" link. Thus, they make it through safely in their vehicle. The "world" landscape inside the black hole is described as (more or less) fantasies of the mind. The "people" are the crew, and as they were changed by Dr.Reinhards machines, they survive, but unable to leave. Once through the black hole, (they survived) they speed towards a planet...end-of-movie.
I saw The Black Hole when it opened in 1979 and absolutely loved it! Back then we didn’t judge a sci-fi or fantasy movie by critics or rotten tomatoes reviews! I still love it and have seen if multiple times!!!! Thanks for the video!
Maximillian Schell did everything but portrait a blunt villain full of cliches. Dr. Reinhard was charismatic and menacing, and carried many chunks of the movie.
And his line, "The word 'impossible', Mr. Booth, is only found in the dictionary of fools" was one I heard used a lot after that movie, and actually became somewhat of an inspirational line for me through most of my life.
As a kid I found the adult themes really compelling. Unlike usual Disney projects, this film was allowed to remain dark and mysterious in a way that generates a really emotional response.
I saw this in the theater back in '79. I was 12, and absolutely LOVED it. I had all the records, half of the toys(they were rare back then, too), and have bought the movie on every format it's come out on. Both versions of VHS(full screen and letterbox), both versions of DVD, the Blu-Ray, and iTunes. Personally, I find the movie to be incredibly entertaining. Yes, it does have some flaws, but I feel they give the movie character/charm. Given how Hollywood has shit up remakes and reboots over the past 20 years, I'm going to pass on a re-make. Besides, they no doubt would completely alter the religious tones of the ending, and while I'm not a religious person, I feel that ending fit the narrative extremely well. Reinhart ending up forever trapped in Maximillian, his own creation, and overseeing his own personal Hell..... very fitting. Also, the crew who allowed it all to happen, being punished with him. One thing you didn't mention, is that Slim Pickins and Roddy McDowell were finally given proper voice credits starting with the DVD release. All in all, The Black Hole is a fine movie, and it stands alone with it's originality. While we have, since it's release, learned much more about Black Holes, and space in general, the movie still holds up in my opinion. Space movies of the era were always trying to "rip off" Star Wars, at least The Black Hole can only be accused of swiping the idea of robots as major characters. Even that wasn't an entirely new concept.
I had all the figures, but the internal rubber band that held each together was of poor quality, and broke on nearly all of them. I suspect this had added to their rarity.
Right on, it was awesome! I was 11 and nearly crapped my pants when Maximillian shredded Anthony Perkins, haha. What a year 1979 was for sci-fi with ALIEN and ST:TMP as well. Thankfully my parents were cool and took me to see all of them.
I haven't thought about this movie in years. Even though I've never seen it, I did visit Disneyland when it was coming out and they had elaborate window displays on Main Street that depicted scenes with models and animatronic figures. I think they pretty much gave away the ending of the movie in the last window but I was only 8 at the time so my memory is hazy.
@@k1productions87 Agreed. I think it's fair to look at both of those as sister scores. Barry was clearly working with the same depth and drama and ended up with some of the best music he ever composed. Outstanding music.
Thanks for promoting this film, i was blown away with the film after watching your review. Easily one of the best sci fi movies, easy to watch, stunning visuals, one of the most intense and shocking plots ever.
@@Skybaby79 I saw it as a kid and it scared the hell of out me. But I see what you are saying, it kind of does look like a turkey. I used to wonder what a remake of the movie would be like, with Hector as an essentially good robot, that ended up saving the three humans from some catastrophe or alien presence.
@@dewfall56 Fist thing that came to my mind! I definitely think Hector was scarier (and also more powerful) than Maximilian, especially since he was (literally) madly in love with the damsel in distress of the movie. Talk about psycho robots!
I'm not sure it was MEANT to be a throwback, though- I think the producers simply weren't aware that big-budget science fiction movies could look modern in the '70s without harkening back to the cheese of the '50s. Watching it again, it's incredible that The Black Hole was made *after* Star Wars and Alien.
Forbidden Planet bore little resemblance to The big-screen Flicks of the 50s and early 60s. It was both envisioned and executed as the first true high-production-value sci-fi theater film. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-BD_Ns-GcnnI.html
@@TheInflicted I thought it looked modern enough for the time, keeping in mind that this was Disney dipping their toe into something darker and more grown-up than what they were known for. Comparing it to Star Wars(the original), it's not that different aesthetically.
Scariest moment for me was the moment when the humanoid has its mask removed by Dr Durant, and the human underneath gasps for air! Couldn't look for years!
I remember seeing this in the theater. It's such a highly underrated movie and I still love it today. I still have my Vincent, Maximilian and Old Bob figures.
That movie always had a "Nautilus" feel to it, like in the novel "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea". With a Captain that is far away from society and a mysterious crew, doing something most scientists dream off. In the case of Nautilus to dive deep down in the ocean ... in the case of The Black Hole here being at the edge of a real Black Hole and trying to enter it, pass it and come out on the other side. What a Exhilarating idea.
My friends and I saw this film on 2 consecutive nights. Firstly because of the action, and secondly that it carried the trailer for The Empire Strikes Back which we thought was amazing.
@Dave Volsky No matter how many times I see this film, I have NEVER understood the significance if the "Hell" ending. It has always been my impression that near the final third of the film, someone else took over & went a TOTALLY different direction than was originally intended.
I've always loved this movie from the time I saw it in the theater. Later on I found this film to be very reminiscent of 20,000 Leagues with Dr. Reinhart as Capt. Nemo
I remember as a 12 year old going to my local Odeon to see this 5 or 6 times. Each time I had to make a difficult choice between this and The Spaceman and King Arthur. The Black Hole usually won!
11:33 Yes, it looked amazing on the big screen. I was 11 years old, when my older brother and me watched it on its release in Germany. I was so thrilled from the first second, i never forgot. Now as an adult, i'm seeing with other eyes and i am aware of all its flaws, but at the same time i remember, that this movie once sucked me in just like the black hole it deals with. I probably got never again immersed into a movie to this extent.
FYI Star Trek the Motion Picture wasn't a summer release. They had production delays (I think due to SFX) and frantically pushed the film out on Dec 6, 1979 in order to qualify for the Oscars that year.
Star Trek had a locked-in release date of Dec. 7, 1979 because of the block booking Paramount had done with theaters. Had they missed that date they would have hit with a class action lawsuit.
All to produce the one movie Trek fans nigh-unanimously deny is canon: Star Trek: The mixed-up Picture Paramount quickly and smartly about-faced to the formula they knew worked, and the iconic crew crushed it with the able aid of Ricardo Montalban and the fantastic plastic chest.
I saw The Black Hole in theaters in 1979(I was 12 at the time). I am SO glad that I did, too. I love this movie! While Slim Pickins and Roddy McDowel weren't credited for their voice work at the time, they were added to the credits on the DVD/Blu-Ray/Digital releases. I don't remember if they were credited on the VHS release, and I no longer have the tapes to confirm. The "Overture" is amazing, and is an amazing piece of music. I know the movie has flaws... but dammit, I love it as it stands. I had many of the action figures, all of the records, and still have the novelization. Much of which I still have to this day. I swear, Disney needs to NEVER reboot/reimagine/etc this movie. Just leave it be... it's amazing as it is, and there is no way they could improve it. The FX flaws aren't a major issue, and the acting is perfectly fine. For the love of God, leave this one be.
I saw it in a theater when I was 5. And loooooved it. So much so, I begged and cried for my dad to take me back to the theater the next day to see it again. And he (very uncharacteristically) did! I remember also when they used to sell movie-specific merchandise in theaters, and I took home a very cool Black Hole T-shirt after the second viewing. There’s probably a photo of me in that T-shirt, somewhere…
The ending is my absolute favorite part; everything during the final scene. The whole merging of the villain and max the robot then lording over hell is so strange and poetic and totally unique to the cinema world. This and TRON are two of my favorites and two of the most original Science Fiction movie concepts ever conceived, even though I only really like Black Hole for the final scene and that awesome devil robot.
I am glad others appreciate the ending. It seems some like symbolic imagery done brilliantly whilst others just want simple straight narrative, where no interpretation is required.
I like how you said "quality" remake. Given Hollywood's track record with big star, big budget remakes that were terrible or flops. The original script writers, directors, and crew had a vision and tried to tell that story as they saw it. With remakes they just take a classic story and do a cookie-cutter retelling without all of the vision of the original and none of the heart that made it a classic among fans to begin with. I would love a remake of this, but modern Hollywood would probably screw it up.
I dunno. This movie comes from a time when they had to work harder to sell disbelief. Now a days with the lazy generation it would only be a Michael Bay-esque nightmare. This is one of those movies where the musical score is so engaging. Not many movies now days utilize the soundtrack as much to sell the narrative.
@@HuntingTarg probably. Good point though as that movie along with all of Nolans movies use the soundtrack to emphasize the narrative. Probably the closes thing to a reimagining. But this movie in of itself is timeless. A remake would only diminish its quality. It's the same reason we dont see a remake of say Casablanca or Gone With The Wind.
It's one of my most favourite movies. I was totally frightened when I watched it as a kid. The score is amazing and the atmosphere is just so dark and grim... I really enjoy this movie today with my 45 years of age.
9:15 "A title that appears to be both sexist and racist" I think I may have never facepalmed so hard in my life. Holy shit. Was this guy the original SJW prototype?
@@magneto44 Where did _that_ myth come from? You got it backward. It's SJWs who are triggered and offended by everything. The rest of us just use the term to describe such people. Yes, in casual conversation. Because SJWs are a thing and they are ridiculous.
@@magneto44 Evidence, please. Saying a thing does not make it so. SJWs, by definition, are the recently common group of pepetually offened and easily triggered people. It isn't a very sound argument to suggest that those who _refer_ to such people in casual conversation are, themselves, easily triggered and perpetually offended. The two groups could not be more different.
One correction - Star Trek The Motion Picture was also a Christmas 1979 release. Alien was summer 1979. The Black Hole looked good on the big screen, but even at 14 I could tell it was poorly made. The science was awful (no spacesuits as the Cygnus is collapsing around them).
I assumed the Cygnus's magical containment field (that protected the ship from the black hole's tidal forces) was still functioning & holding in the atmosphere in the crumbling ship.
ariel films inc No, Star Trek The Motion Picture did not come out in the UK 6 months before anywhere else. The production was so behind, they were literally editing right up to the premiere. Director Robert Wise says he took the just-finished print to the Washington DC premiere. The director cut that came out on DVD is a much better version of the film.
The Black Hole has a special place in my heart. It was my first trip to the cinema at age 8. My dad tried to convince the ticket lady that I was 12 which was the minimum age allowed for the movie here in Denmark, and I remember correcting him. The ticket lady laughed and let us in - and I remember not understanding the odd look from my dad. Anyway - I loved the film, even though I did not understand much of it. I was in love with all things tech - and the buttons, the robots, the spaceships and costumes. It blew me away. And it scared me alot when Maximillian turned evil. But I loved the film. I still do to this day, even though it hasn't aged that well..
I grew up watching this as often as my parents would let me. Loved it. It couldnt be remade today though. The public didnt understand what blackholes really were. The kid friendly robots were my least favorite part, even as a kid. It always reminded me of 20,000 leagues under the sea, not (later) event horizon. EH the ship went somewhere and came back. BH the ship went somewhere after the new crew got onboard.
What's confusing about the ending? The probe ship survived and is in an unknown part of the universe. Maximilian and Reinhardt are fused together in hell. No, this film shouldn't be remade. Try thinking of new plots rather than constantly redoing what's already been done before.
The problem is that Hollywood continues to insist on remaking good movies, or at least movies without significant flaws. If they're going to waste their time on such activity, at least remake a flawed one. The problem with that however is that they would just replace the wonderful analog FX imagery of the original with standard-issue CGI. The one positive thing about The Black Hole is that it definitely had a distinctive look.
@@satyr1968 Indeed, and a modern remake would doubtless just be an explosion/effects fest, or riddled with SJW/identity politics (which ruined SW), or both. Sometimes a good old movie should just be left alone. I can think of others which stand out like this, such as, "Colossus: The Forbin Project" (which Terminator and others ripped off), "The French Connection" and, "The Andromeda Strain". ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-tzND6KmoT-c.html A great many movies back then had a certain punch which is utterly missing today. They knew better how to use music and other aspects of film making. I recommend, "The Fall of the Roman Empire" from 1964. Not scifi, just comes to mind because its outdoor shots and battle scenes are extraordinary, perhaps the largest number of real horses in one shot I can recall: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3cYVLXric5E.html These days just about everything is CGI, so a scene in LoTR might look cool, but it isn't real, but back then they actually went location hunting and it does make a difference to one's sense of what one is watching, eg. the film has a lot of scenes filmed on location with real snow falling, while other places were just excellent choices for particular shots (today the sunshafts in the following part would be CGI, back then they found a good place and filmed at the right time of day & conditions): ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3cYVLXric5E.html
The Black Hole will forever be a classic film.Love it or hate it, it will always be a classic.Always!!!!😃Yes in 1979 i saw it on the big screen and it was awesome.I still 💘 love and respect the movie today.Peace.
OK, now I *LOVE* that bit of trivia. Guy didn't like the robot prototype model, so he beat it with a baseball bat until it looked battered enough, then they built the models off that. THAT is badass!
Nice video, Johnathan. Well done. Did you know that Alex Durant was killed three different ways across three different mediums? In the movie, of course, he is killed by Maximilian's cuisinart weaponry. In the novel, he is killed by Maximilian's laser arm. In the comic book, he is killed directly by Hans Reinhardt himself with a dual laser weapon. The Black Hole is definitely a guilty pleasure fave of mine. I think the two most cringe worthy lines in the film are: Kate McRae: U.S.S. Cygnus. It's mission to discover habitable life in outer space; same as ours. Then later.. Charlie Pizer: Maybe Reinhard lied. Maybe there are some survivors still alive. I love the differing designs of the ships. The Palomino looks like something from a possible near-future space probe mission. The Cygnus looks like something from the mind of Jules Verne.
I love the Cygnus ship and I actually built one in the Survival Craft that took me over 2 years to make that I posted on RU-vid 7 video tour of the Cygnus. What I love about this move is it was a different type of the science fiction movie. It was a mystery, battle, Disaster and then the after life hell scene. Also I love how the laser guns sound. There a scene in the movie when that huge flat screen fell on Maximillion Schell and this is in I believe in 1979 and now today we have flat screen T.Vs I'm thinking wow! We didn't have those type of flat screen back then it was only the projection t.v. screens LOL
And now it's flipped again and we have small and cheap video projectors in our homes with cloth movie screens that don't weigh enough to hurt anything.
My brother and I had both issues of the comic, and I had the novelization...Actually, a few yrs ago, I did a bit of searching on the internet, and found the novelization in .pdf form
The Black Hole was my first Sci-fi movie. I had the read-along book long before I saw it. I remember bursting into tears because of old Bob at the end. I played with my Maximillian and Vincent toys. Good times.
I think your overall review is accurate, but too negative in parts. I watched this when I was about 8 or 9 and LOVED it. Already being a massive fan of Star Wars I lapped this film up. The music was so dark and some of the scenes disturbing...but mixed with light and funny moments. Vincent and B.O.B are genius creations. And the ending was so strange that I still think about it today. What a shame it didn't do as well as it deserved at the time...but the cult following since hopefully makes up for that.
When I saw Star Wars in the theatre, I was 8 years old and my first impression of Darth Vader was that he was a badass villain. Two years later, Maximilian scared the shit out of me.
I think the Cygnus is one of the absolute coolest looking space ships I've ever seen. It's like a Gothic cathedral in space. And Maximilian is hands down one of the most intimidating robots ever created, though I wonder why he lacks the ability to speak.
Saw The Black Hole when I was 7 years old. Loved it. The scene where Durant removed the worker drone's face mask really freaked me out! :-) I remember seeing a cool VINCENT mockup at one of the theaters where the movie was showing.
I was 15 years old when I saw this in the movies. I saw it multiple times in the Theater. I bought everything related to the film. The Soundtrack is still one of my favorites of all time. I also saw another favorite film of mine,' Star Trek the motion picture that also came out in December of 1979. Two movies that I still love ❤️ today.
Though I was only 12 on the release of this movie, I liked it although I felt it was a bit scary and creepy at the time, especially the scene when Maximilian kills and the crushing of the ship as it entered the black hole.. I remember feeling that it was very dark for a Disney movie. This movie, Star Wars, and the Space:1999 t.v. show cemented my love for sci-fi to this day.
The first time I wasn't sure I liked it, but I was amazed by the effects watching it in the theater. I've seen it recently and it's impressive now. Edit: I’ve thought about this more, especially what impressed me. Having seen Star Wars, Star Trek TMP, and Alien before, I thought the visuals of space were much better than these, especially the black hole itself. The Cygnus was incredible as well. And while yes the script needed more work, comparing it to the Woke era I have no complaints.
You're 100% correct. Movies that should be remade are those like this one. That had potential, but never lived up it in its entirety. Yet they keep remaking movies that are already perfect as they are.
I saw it on the big screen in 1979, and I loved it. Obviously as I've grown up, I've seen the flaws, but I think a lot of people overlook the very good qualities of this film. It has a truly creepy feel. In general, I'm against remakes, but this is one that really should be remade.
I saw the movie in 79 when it came out, and it was as powerful as Star Wars to me (I was five at the time). One of the things that really impacted me was the opening title sequence. THAT was memorable. Looking at it as an adult, I do see several valid criticisms of the movie now, but that being said I still enjoy it. If it were to be remade, it would have to be done right (problem is that too many modern movies have become platforms for activism sermons or social propaganda instead of just telling a good story).
@@HuntingTarg No you are spot on as i was 23 in 1980 so pretty much full grown also i left home aged 16 and the 1st star wars was the 70s when i was 20 :) oh i forgot to mention the big pile of child like jawas that got incinerated
...Good On Ya Jonathan...Thank You for all your efforts in covering so meany classic personal memory's regained by your making of these look backs by yourself...Takes me right back to those days my Friend... Very Best Regards and Thanks out to you Jonathan... Good On Ya Mate Jigger
Appreciate this review/synopsis, thank you. A couple of things: The narration is rather sing-songy and its being read from a script comes across obviously (minor). Regarding the movie reviewer who declared the movie title to be "racist and sexist": I can't imagine an idiot more ill-suited for reviewing movies. Thanks!
Man, that ending - confused me when I was 11, still confuses me at 51. Very brave of Disney to allow it. I don't have a theory as to what's happening, I just let it wash over me.
@@SWGhostbuster Exactly. Why do so few see this? An evil being trapped within his own evil creation; two entities in some effect becoming one. Maximillian is the cage from which Reinhardt will forever be part of in eternal torment. As you sat the alter ego.
I did get to see this on the big screen when it came out in theatres. It was shown at the Alabama Theater in downtown Birmingham, AL. Absolutely fantastic presentation!
This film always seemed like "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" in space... but not nearly as good. The director of "Tron: Legacy" was supposed to do a remake, but I think Disney scrapped it after they bought Lucasfilm and started wasting everyone's time producing terrible Star Wars films.
20k Leagues-that's a great analogy. I enjoyed this film but it did manage to irritate me with several of the Disneyesque treatments. Vincent and bob were was just a little too cute, and the human actors were pretty stale. The overall theme was pretty cool though.
I was 12 when it came out. I LOVED it! I saw it several times and bought the soundtrack album. I also bought some model kits of characters from the film. I probably have the comic books and other publications about it. At the time, one of my favorite movies of all time was 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and The Black Hole felt to me like a very exciting update to that story. The visual effects really impressed me, too. Best of all, the movie had Anthony Perkins and Roddy McDowell (whose voice was unmistakable despite his lack of an on-screen credit). I adored both of them.
Although I really did love this video, I was kinda hoping a closer examination of the ending. That was without a doubt one of the weirdest endings to a sci fi film ever! Did Maximillian actually absorb that guy and they rule in hell? Was there an angel leading them out? How many drugs were consumed to make that ending???
I first saw this movie when I was nine years old. I always thought the ending was the flaming wreckage of the Cygnus. Notice as the camera moves down what looks like a canyon as it approaches the massive fire, just before it exits the 'canyon', there are what look like scorched electrical conduits and electrical cables on the right, and on the left what looks like two sets of ultra high voltage power junctions. The massive fire we see next resembles the big control center Reinhardt had shown them much earlier in the movie. Remember Reinhard's narration in that scene: "There is enough instant energy down there to power all of Earth". That's how I always interpreted the 'hell' scene. Here's what nine year old me was thinking the first time I ever saw that scene: "What a total, senseless waste of a beautiful ship. Smooth move Dr. Reinhardt, ya fucking jackass!!"
@@jjohn2k If that is the Cygnus, it almost looks like it's made of rock. I think it was meant to resemble both a wrecked Cygnus and a hellish "city" of towers and walkways over a lake of fire.
I saw this when I was a kid and really liked the movie, I got a large model kit of the ship, built it and it was still hanging in my room when I left home to serve in the Army.
I thought the ending had the heroes flying through heaven, but coming out alive on the other side of the black hole. The villain on the other hand did not survive the journey through the black hole. He ended up in hell forever imprisoned inside Maximilian.
Renhardt/Maximilian isn't just "in hell" they are positioned above the sous in torment, above the inferno, presiding over it. It is representative of what he did to th e Cygnus crew... they were tormented I tell hell Reinhardt created.... Reinhardt/Maximilian symbolically becomes the Devil... ne cou,d interpret the end sequence as everyone des, the bad guy goes where bad guys go, and the good guys g to the other place...
I was 9 at the time this unforgettable movie came out in theaters. My brothers and myself were all obsessed over the robots! Maximillion is in my opinion one of the most creative villains Disney has ever produced. Who cares what the critics banter on about! I still love this futuristic gem and my kids love it!!
I already liked and sub'd in the 1st 10 seconds of this video as I do LOVE this old movie I grew up with. Hardly ANYONE recalls this movie except my brotha from anotha motha. A definite Disney cult classic that has been under played and forgotten. THANK YOU!!!
I do feel this one was greatly underrated. The haunting score was amazing; I'll have to dig it up. The special effects were outstanding for the time. I thought the comic robots with their cartoonish eyes were a bit silly though. The disconnect between all the adult-toned scenes versus the more kid-oriented robot scenes reminds me of a similar disconnect in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. That, too, seemed like a kids' movie and an adult movie tied together by a string. Just curious, for those who got the DVD: are there adult scenes that were left out of the theater release? Any chance for an improved director's cut?
Walt disney was a mason, he was a pedaphile, he was also a jew........so there were demons in every corner and what better cover for a masonic pedaphile jew than to run a company for children and call it family entertainment the whole of hollywood is like this but disney is the flagship !!!!!!!
That robot terrified me when I was young. Weird mix of cute and scary characters indeed. Loved the fragile glass space station. Still have fond memories of this movie.
When I was a kid I had black hole pillow cases and bed sheets. I always wondered what it was. My parents told me it was a movie but I never ended up seeing it til way later.
Me too. I had the bed set but never saw the film until I was an adult. The Black Hole merchandise must have been inexpensive and that's why my mom bought it.
Maximilian, the most evil robot in the history of Sci Fi? I wish Moebius Models or Polar Lights would do a reissue of the 1979 MPC 1979 Maximilian Model Kit , as he'd look good next to my Robby the Robot, and the B9 Robot from Lost in Space models I've built over the past couple of years.
Wow, you really have this covered! I still have that narration album, the Black Hole storybook, and I remember that "Beyond the Black Hole" comic. I do love the opening sequence; the movie really had its moments, but many of the special effects look really bad. This movie has to have the most bizarre ending for a Disney movie after going through the Black Hole.
Amazing film. My childhood was richer for it. Kids movies have lost the real dark side. I'm glad I had things like this that didn't give me a happy ever after or explain its self to me. I still loved the "good guys win" cartoon movies, but things like this and Watership Down treated me like a person capable of thinking for my self instead of something to be entertained with colours and music slapped on top of a simple story.
The black hole was a very impressionable film to a tiny me way back then. At the school library they had a pop up book that I loved to look at. I have that very book in my collection today.
8:38, The complete series of comics *was* released in South America as six issues, and Europe as three double-sized issues. The crew arrives in an alternate universe where they are "reunited" with Old Bob, Kate's father, and unfortunately Reinhardt and Maximilian too. I *think* the story ends with the crew heading back through the Einstein-Rosen bridge and onward to Earth. (I wanted to check this for you, but I can't find the comics in my collection right now! When I do, I'll edit my comment!)
