a random website tells me the average film budget in 1978 was about $5M, and Wikipedia points out that this movie coming in just shy of $1M was a small budget for the time
in light of this, I'm pleasantly surprised by how much value they're getting on their money. really effective filmmaking tbh
Wikipedia says the film grossed $11M, so as far as all movies are investment schemes that produce entertainment as a side effect, this one was a damned fine exercise, 10Xing the budget ain't nothing to sniff at
Regarding the proverb given in this movie: "Trust in Allah, but tie up your camel", it seems to be a translation of a real hadith
[terrible accents intensify]
If anybody is personally familiar with the text of "Sinbad the Sailor" I would love to know more about how this movie follows or deviates from myth.
That kind of analysis has been some of my favorite posting in this little series on ancient mythology we've got going
kid understands what's up, he doesn't want to get Harryhausen-ed and promptly splits
Meanwhile, #Monsterdon roaring with approval as the big wooden lady kills a guy
statue starts doing the backstroke
"Mandrake root and a few chemicals is all that is needed"
is a real "and now, MAXIMUM ENERGY" type line IMO
surely we've seen blood magick on #Monsterdon before, but I cannot recall another time off-hand?
anyway, this is cool
oh my god I love the little scared demon homunculus birth and training sequence so much???
when your actual power as a villain is just good creature caretaking
"Dangerous? Dangerous?! You never told me it would be dangerous!"
[with shit-eating grin] "You didn't ask"
Really impressed by the pacing so far. Bit past the halfway mark and the stakes are pretty well-established and we've had multiple bits of drama to fill out our second act, and here comes the setup for the third.
All in all I'm impressed by how well every part of this movie is functioning to draw the viewer into the drama (modulo the brownface)
Cool caverns 👁️👄👁️
this puzzle could have been an e-mail
> GO NORTH
You can't go North yet, this Guy is still yakkin'.
> LISTEN to Guy
*Sigh*. If we must.
RE: https://live.acarsdrama.com/@acarsdrama/116276012189852160
When even ACARS gets in on #Monsterdon
"Come on, men, trust in Allah!"
[pants fall down, men burst into laughter]
"…but tie up your camel"
I enjoy how we have a failson who is inspired to courage etc. by Adventure
underused trope IMO
tfw the thief kills your homunculus twice
and now for your federally-mandated racism interlude
Buckle your swashes, here we go now
y'all were making star wars jokes before, but now here's general grievous
BRAVO to Harryhausen et al. Flowers for the VFX crew! 💐💐👏
I love these multi-monster movies where #Monsterdon is losing its mind for the Creatures and just when I think it's crested, a new Creature emerges
ohhh he wasn't worried about getting his vital life-force drained because the treasure at the end of the mcguffin path was the fountain of youth
huh
Koura, who turned water into piss
ANOTHER CREATURE HAS ENTERED THE FILM
VFX continuing to flex all over this movie 👏👏
Koura's youthful fountain of piss has turned purple, it's time for more sabre swashbuckling, but this time the villain has the power of Chroma Key
the fountain of piss turns briefly to a fountain of blood, before reflecting an absolutely dripped-out version of Sinbad
I gotta be honest with you Sinbad that is lookin kinda like a crown of ordinary riches to me
okay, I stand corrected, this crown heals burn wounds
The crew fucks off into the ocean with one last "Trust in Allah (but tie up your camel)"
That was a lot of fun!
SnoopJ
aburka 🫣
