Tag: Jason and the Argonauts

It’s Killing My Spirit

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Hospital bed - Wikipedia

Lately when I go to bed at night, I dream of being hauled back to the hospital. These dreams are not restful!

And it’s daunting to see how many of our little circle need prayers. Erlene, Phoebe, the Ingrams–all standin’ in the need o’ prayer, as the old song says. (And why am I so into spirituals this morning? Is the Lord trying to tell me something?)

Well, friends and fellow soldiers, you certainly have my prayers, and I know I have yours. I’ve been a patient for three months now and I’m really tired of it. And I still can’t find Ozias, Prince Enthroned. I have the book in longhand on legal pads, so I know I wrote it. But where’s the finished product? Did I somehow manage to lose it, somewhere in the bowels of some omnivorous computer?

We aspire to watching Jason and the Argonauts this afternoon. Some Ray Harryhausen monsters and Bernard Hermann music, with root beer, might have a restorative effect.

Let’s Watch ‘Jason and the Argonauts’

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Skeletons vs Jason & The Argonauts, 1963

Finally, at last, our brand-new Windows 11 computer is working again. It’s raining outside, PSE&G called to warn us about losing power in a coming storm… and we want to relax.

What with Ray Harryhausen’s special effects and Bernard Herrmann’s music score, Jason and the Argonauts looks like just the ticket for a rainy afternoon. Pure entertainment: it will make no demands on us.Haven’t had much luck with our weekends lately; we hope that is about to change. We’ve got a ton of preparations to make, sailing toward Christmas.

But first… Oy, Rodney. That’s relaxing, too.

Skeletons Attack!

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All right, enough nooze already.

This scene from Jason and the Argonauts, a masterpiece by special effects wizard Ray Harryhausen, is one of my all-time favorites.

And hey! When it comes to martial arts, that bit when the skeletons suddenly scream and rush in to attack your opponent–it really works! Provided you can get the skeletons going in the first place. I can’t say I ever mastered that aspect of karate.

Don’t Let This Happen to You!

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The following is a public service announcement from B.S. Nooze & World Retort.

Bronze giants may be all the rage in Europe, these days; but check out this video from Palma Fumare, California. You’ll change your mind about wanting one of these in your neighborhood.

“It was dreadful!” said a resident, Mrs. Ermine Mucilage. “These two idiots come running up from the swimming pool and I don’t know what they did, but suddenly our bronze giant was wrecking the whole block! Everywhere he stepped, another squashed house!”

The World Economic Forum has offered to “disable” the giants in return for all private property owned by persons who are not them.

P.S.–This video clip did not come from that low-budget travesty, Jason and the Argonaut. Just one Argonaut! How cheap can you get?

Some of My Favorite Films

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ALASTAIR SIM SCROOGE (1951 Stock Photo - Alamy

Our friend Mike has asked me to name the movies that I really like. Fair enough–although I have so many favorites, I couldn’t possibly name them all. So I’ll just trot out a few that would always be on the list regardless.

Scrooge. This is the 1951 “Christmas Carol” starring Alistair Sim. We make sure to watch it every Christmas. Nothing beats Alistair Sim’s performance.

Gunga Din. You’re only young once, but you can be immature forever. We might call this movie a celebration of male silliness–only it’s so much fun! I don’t know whether to call this “ham acting” or histrionic brilliance. Either way it works for me.

Jurassic Park. I can’t help it, I’m a lifelong dinosaur freak. But what I love even more about this movie is the way it totally shreds the whole idea that Science Is Always Right And We’re In Control And What Could Possibly Go Wrong!

Never Let Go. (1960) Peter Sellers takes a break from comedy to be a villain–and turns in a great performance. Richard Todd is the poor underdog who has to go up against a ruthless criminal. No kidding, it’s up there with The Iliad.

Treasure Island. The 1934 version, with Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper and a fantastic supporting cast. Another one of my absolutely all-time favorites–starting with the titles (“Sixteen men on a dead man’s chest, yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum”)! If this movie can’t crank you over, better see if you can still fog a mirror.

Jason and the Argonauts. Glorious musical score by Bernard Herrmann, and some of the best-ever special effects by Ray Harryhausen. See the colossal statue of Talos come to life! Fight off an platoon of animated skeletons! It just doesn’t get better than this.

The Uninvited. Understated film in black and white, widely regarded as one of the best ghost stories ever filmed. Starring Ray Milland and Cornelia Otis Skinner. No sex, no gore, no cussin’, no computer-generated razzle-dazzle… but really, truly creepy! Its reputation is well-earned.

That’s seven of my favorites. I could do this all day, but can’t spare the time.

Yo! out there! I’d very much enjoy seeing your list of favorites.

Attack of the Skeletons!

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I’d like to watch one of my all-time favorite movies today–Jason and the Argonauts (1963), featuring two of the most extraordinary special effects scenes ever created: the skeletons’ attack, and the colossal statue of Talos coming to life. These were the work of the late Ray Harryhausen: and although most of our current special effects tools and techniques were not available to him in 1963… he didn’t need ’em!

So here is a bit of the skeletons’ attack. The whole movie’s available on YouTube, in case you want to join me in watching it. If you’ve never seen it before, you’ll be astounded by what could be done, back then, without computers.

Hey, you might even get a little bit scared, for a minute or two! But don’t worry: this kind of scare only lasts a few minutes, and then you can have a laugh about it. Really, it’s a form of sanity medicine.

A Bit of Mythological Silliness

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Image result for images of jason and the clashing rocks

One way to get your ship through the Clashing Rocks…

You do wonder about some of the things that go on in Greek mythology.

Jason and the Argonauts have to get through the Clashing Rocks that guard the Bosporus, without the ship getting cracked like a nutshell. In the Ray Harryhausen movie, this giant merman-thing (pictured above) comes up and holds the rocks apart for them. In other versions of the story, this doesn’t happen. Instead, for instance, they send a dove through the rocks and, after they move apart again after squashing the poor bird, the Argonauts are able to row real fast and get through, with only the Argo’s stern ornament bitten off.

Uh, guys… why didn’t you beach the Argo and haul it overland on rollers, as ancient sailors often did with their ships, and put it back in the water when you’d passed by the Clashing Rocks? No one seems to have thought of that. One is reminded of Laurel and Hardy in The Music Box, lugging the piano up those horribly steep stairs when they could’ve just carted it around the block to the front door. Duh…

Oddly enough, in later centuries, Greek and Roman ships routinely passed through the strait without seeing hide nor hair of the Clashing Rocks. The myth says that after Jason got through, the rocks didn’t clash together anymore. Perhaps their failure to crush the Argo made them give it up. Who knew great big rocks can get down-hearted?

Ah, well, they don’t call it mythology for nothing.