The Black Hole (1979) [2/10]

[RAYMOND96195]

Hated the ending, and the two pot shaped robots, but other than that liked the movie hopefully the remake rumored to be in the planning stages will correct the flaws of this movie with a more keep it real approach to the story telling.

[helljumpr5150]

Why am i reminded of the Ishimura?

[AylaStarman13]

@helljumpr5150 dude i was thinking the same thing

[gandy74]

That saucy little pose and turn Sam Bottoms performs at 7:51 is something one would be more likely to observe on a Victoria's Secret catwalk than in outer space. Work it mama!

[NFreund]

that door hatch/door switch looks exactly like the panel on spocks rocket suite in star trek 1^^

[jwm239]

...2:10 - Yvette Mimieux's character seemed so cheerful, dialogue out of place during Vincent's sojourn. But I can identify with the quote, being a pilot (of a hang glider).

[SpartanStig117]

"im sorry i blew my stack" teeheehee

[ummagumma00]

fucking ship looks like a water tower on an old tenement building

[anastasiadate]

I love this movie! It's rare and still fun to watch.

[NorthWriter]

Hey, you know what I noticed? The Star Wars movies get put up and pulled down every 3 months, yet this one has been up for a couple of years...Disney obviously gives a rat's about their goofy clunker.

[Jewel3636]

The " oh sh*t " expression on Vincent's

face when the cord broke was priceless.

Poor little guy :(

[paradoxSeries]

I was born in '79 and I was born into a sci-fi family. I just rewind time in my head and remember that these shows were state of the art for their day. In the right mind set this show is awesome. It's 32 years behind in technology if you don't put it into context, right? I have a sci-fi webisode. To get to it, check out our channel on youtube.

[001jameschew]

ESP with a robot???

[joedgillis]

jesus that vincent thing looks like a cheap vacuum cleaner..... should have been scrapped

[forwardbias]

Keep in mind that blue light you see in this movie, in a real black hole, its black, in the form of x-rays. The disc is the accreation disc. Where matter is heated to millions of degrees. Quite a good movie, got me into quantum stuff.

[Spongebathe830]

7:30 best quote

[imrama]

i dislike that robot

[Baxrc]

I couldn't agree more.

[gerubach]

@ 0:00 Remember everyone! You've been warned! "Nothing to output bframe decoder lag".

[nancy6ify]

The little bot is kind of silly. Otherwise, not bad for 1979. I was 18 then.

[VYD239]

7:46 GAY

[Trudeau7900]

There is no sound in space, so when the Palomino docks there would not be any thudding. Oh well, I still love this movie. . . .

[Blisterdude123]

Interesting film so far. Wish it wouldn't play that theme incessantly though, dead irritating after a while.

[garcigarcia]

"no sir, to educate you". -LMAO probably the best one liner i"ve ever heard. X'D

[ratbert86]

2 people have met the goon squad.

[jwm239]

@ratbert86 ...and a 3rd did more recently...

[jontycampbell]

4:04 gives the distinct feeling of a submarine conning tower gliding heavily through the deep.

[americandodgeball]

"WE ARE ROBOTS AND AS SUCH OUR KNEES DO NOT BEND"

[TheShrek68]

Can Any One Tell Me Hwo The Voice Overs Were For ''V.i.n.c.e.n.t & B.o.b''?

[TheMindOfPat]

@TheShrek68 per wikipedia: Roddy McDowall as Voice of V.I.N.CENT (uncredited), Slim Pickens as Voice of Old B.O.B. (uncredited)

[Anynom]

@TheMindOfPat See, I KNEW that had to be McDowall but IMDB never said it.

[TheMindOfPat]

@Anynom Yeah... sort of like the voice of KITT I guess. :) I'm sure there's some actor's guild or union rule or something for why people would do work and not get credit -- or maybe they just think it'd be fun! But it is a little frustrating for people who have sort of "recognizable" voices that are just a little hard to place, decades later!

[outgroove]

gona watching every day that film , got it on my iphone 4 all situations .. ;)

[Trudeau7900]

@TheGrumpstein

I think it might be the way that it is being used. I mean, technology aside, making films is about the aesthetic eye and vision of the director and cinematographer, right?

[romeonarcizo]

I remember when VINCENT was in danger...and he saves himself...3:30...Everyone in the theater was exicted....great great movie

[Trudeau7900]

@vijil Very cool. I like knowing that new technology can be applied to recapture some of the genius and inspiration of old films.

[arsdag81]

Redban anyone?

[DingKong]

Great ship design on the Cygnus. Maximillian was as cool as he was terrifying

[UngaNica]

I am an ameteur astronomer... this movie ignited my passion for the Universe when I saw it... I was 5 years old :)

[dahanks1]

One thing I've noticed, is the background of space. In today's movies and series', it is always dark, with individual stars. This is the only movie I've ever seen, that accurately depicts the brightness of space.

[Mymumsey1]

An odd movie that didn't know if it was for kids or an older audience. Always loved the eerie opening music. Did you notice the computer effects? Disney was definitely ahead of the curve;a precursor to "Tron." I still have a "V.i.n.c.e.n.t." toy.

[cajam0710]

esp wtf?

[reefcut]

@cajam0710

everyone has esp, we were just waiting for the right time to tell you

[Maustrum]

I think what alot of people dont relize is that Disney was morphing from "bedknobs and broomsticks" to this in 4 years. That was a BIG step for disney. Look at all the old school hollywood actors in this movie to help pull it off.

[BabyWetsAllNight]

Average Sci Fi for 1979, but doesn't have shit on Ridley Scott's Alien released the same year, or 2001 almost 10 years earlier. I even prefer Silent Running to this movie but still, this movie has a dark and majestic atmosphere all it's own that is amazing, just not my perfect sci fi cup of tea.

[Doug19752533]

@BabyWetsAllNight i know what you mean. Disney was trying to compete with Star Trek The Motion Picture and Star Wars... it was kind of a retelling of "20,000 Leagues" in space. its also the first Disney movie ever not to be rated G... and they are doing a remake of it due in 2013

[jblcn1042]

were they on board the "vomit comet" plane when they filmed this??

[MrStillmans]

@jblcn1042 I figure they simply used cables for the anti gravity parts, but I'm not sure.

[jontycampbell]

@MrStillmans I'm sure cables were used, but they are well disguised. Note the taut jumpsuit on Ernest Borgnine as he climbs through a hatch and a peak next to his hips before the steam disguises it, and Perkins' cables. Damn well done though.

[jblcn1042]

ESP robots yeah right...stupidest idea ever :P

[Superx1demonx]

Rip go have sex with ur mom and enjoy it

[clintonearlwalker]

At the time of its release, the movie's opening credits sequence featured the longest computer graphics shot that had ever appeared in a film. The film also had the world's first digitally recorded soundtrack.

The Black Hole was also notable for being the first Disney film not to have a universal rating, due to mild language (being the first Disney film to include profanity of any type) and scenes of human death never seen in a Disney production before--wikipedia

[Superx1demonx]

God ur LOSERS GO KILL URSELFS

[RipCruncher1]

@Superx1demonx ~ only when you promise to grow yourself a pair of balls and learn how to spell okay sonny ?

[southport97]

This was Disney's biggest turd. Tron was a close second.

[jblcn1042]

@southport97 both this and Tron were unheralded greats in the movies...

[chewie211171]

At 0.14, the main control panel could double as something from Dr Who's TARDIS console

[theocruz02]

This ship design is so AWSOME...

[boriato]

Nothing against CGI, but it's over-used these days. Models should still be used, when possible. They look soooo much better!

[Povixas]

In their ship there is no gravity... They enter another one - there suddenly is...

[shamus10011]

@Povixas At 6:22, Charlie points out that the ship now has gravity. I think that the gravity is being generate by the Cygnus's gravity well generators, which are allowing it to be so close to the black hole without being sucked in.

[weldonwin]

I really never understood this whole thing about Kate and VIncent having this telepathic link to one another. Its never explained in anyway how it works or why only Kate can do it. I think there are suggestions that Reinhart can do it with Maximillan, which explains how Maximillan seems to 'say' things to Reinhart, when he never speaks

[electricalsemen]

Damn, that ship is even more enormous than I remember back when I first saw this as a kid.

[annata12]

These old movies showed space for what it actually is a dangerous lonely and dark expanse in which we are lost and tiny

[weldonwin]

@annata12 To quote the Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Space is big, really big. You might think its a long way down to the shops, but that peanuts compared to space. You really have no idea how truly, hugely, mind bogglingly massively BIG space is...

[bartholomewfargo]

I always liked the exchange:

"Were you programmed to annoy me?"

"No Mr. Pizer, to educate you."

[Stigmatainmypants]

@bartholomewfargo Yes, i loved pretty much anytime VINCENT quoted something.

[sabalouie2000]

Ernest Borgnine... memories of 'The Poseidon Adventure @1:32 lol

[MrJtr75]

In part one, someone made the comment that they liked Vincent more than R2-D2. R2 looked more like a robot than Vincent. Vincent looks more cartoonish. I do like this movie though.

[udoloh]

When vincent shoots out his cable, it makes the same sound as the doors on the enterprise.

[painsey]

why the fuck am i watching the is and not studying for my film degree

[MikeKye200]

So this is how Eric Cartman got his start in show business, dressed as a robot.

[bigollameo]

ESP???

[Atymeson]

I personally prefer the USS Palomino ( the smaller ship) to the USS Cygnus because it looks and behaves like a realistic spacecraft. One example being the deck arrangment being similar to a skyskraper with down being the direction the rocket nozzles are pointing. Another example was the lack of artificial gravity except when accelerating. I agree that this is an underrated sci-fi movie.

[britishstallion]

I used to love this movie cause there's something realistic about it !

And the USS cygnus is my all time favourite spaceship ! It is simply awesome !

[Trudeau790]

One thing I think gets lost in this digital age is the sense of dimension, especially in a movie about deep space. When you watch films like this or 2001 there is a depth and expanse that I do not think gets transmitted in quite the same way with the computerized effects we've become accustomed to.

[kriegsammler]

@Trudeau790 Oh I dunno.. The new Battlestar Galactica and even Firefly (same special effects company..) with those long distance shots of ships where they suddenly zoom in or out pretty effectively conveyed depth to me..

[Ryoku75]

@Trudeau790 I think that detail and form have been lost, CGI smoke looks more like clouds and alot of CGI characters look either a little or very jello-like in movement.

[Windclaw]

@Trudeau790

Another thing that seems lost in modern movies is the true sense of suspense and atmosphere. Even with a score in place, the stark sets and lack of talking makes even something not inherently scary like the sentry robots appearing surprising and suspenseful.

[Trudeau790]

@Windclaw I agree. The use of silence can be the most effective technique of all. Silence can really emphasize the inhuman and unresponsive side of space or of the robots you mention.

[zehnkatzen]

@Trudeau790 That's very true. "The Black Hole" is an immensely flawed attempt to compete in the SF arena with Star Wars, which was a hell of an act to try to follow. The parts that tried to please tried too hard and it showed. But the SFX, with model-based spaceships, succeeded wildly, and the designs of the Cygnus and Palomino show a level of creativity that set it apart from the Star Treks and Star Wars's. It's an entertaining movie, and I love it.

[vijil]

@Trudeau790 I think you're right, there is a certain something there. That said I work as a CG artist and I can say with confidence that it's really just a matter of time til we get it.

[jstephenj]

@Trudeau790 Duncan Hunter's Moon had that depth you refer to because it used alot of old school techniques like miniatures and actual sets.

[jontycampbell]

@jstephenj And glass mattes too?

[TheGrumpstein]

@Trudeau790 True I think. But why do you think that is? Is it the technology? Or the way it's being used?

[420Rokn]

@Trudeau790 The lighting in this movie isn't as good at 2001. They are going for a darker looking star ship style though. And of course in reality, you cant see black holes, because as they said, not even light can escape it. The only way to know a black hole is where it is is when there's nothing there at all.

Still a fun movie :D

[Calriec]

@420Rokn Besides, this thing looks more like a wormhole than a black hole.

[ancalites]

@Trudeau790 I get the same feeling. I think it might have a lot to the general tempo of sci-fi movies today vs. back then. These days everything movies so much quicker. Camera angles change suddenly and there's this rapid, flighty atmosphere to them. Movies like BH and 2001 had a more sedate and haunting vibe, and that's kind of what you expect space to be like: huge, timeless, mostly empty, cold, forboding. It's seems to be very hard for movie makers to evoke that sense anymore.

[Numinous20111]

@ancalites Fully agree with you. That's one of the main reasons why these older SF movies are more rewatchable, even if they're flawed. At least their makers were aware of the qualities you described.

[ultracairo]

sound's annoyingly low... 

[MasterJediDude]

I dig how Vincent stays in rotation with the camera. Fantastic effects.

[enrac5]

Wait, her ESP?

[mgil479]

thank you, for posting this movie!

[ummagumma00]

sure put a few people into a water tower and shoot it into space to search for aliens. only reinhardt has class!

[VainEldritch]

Maximillian rocks... the robot AND the actor heh.

[VainEldritch]

Maximillian rocks... the robot AND the actor heh.

[JayinMovingPictures]

This film in 1979 and then TRON in '83... seems like Disney were on a bit of a roll for a while back then.

[Palidor19]

these are actually decent SFX for 1979

[KickenItOldSchool]

@Palidor19 lol kinda funny theres no sound in Space

[dasbear]

yes, @Palidor19, the Effects ARE Special. It's not just one huge CG cartoon.

[MOTHMAN225]

@Palidor19 I agree, but I find the design of Vincent to be lacking. His eyes look like bits of paper with eyes painted with a sharpie.

[ajones35]

Just noticed, the lady has a bit of a booty on her! :D lol

[AROBASPARK]

The Cygnus is the coolest ship ever in a movie, love it's design:)

[spaceman022]

@AROBASPARK i wish there were a replica of that thing hehe

[JohanasBilderberg]

If they are under extreme gravity how can they fly around like under zero G?

[trynnallen]

Because everything is "falling" at the same rate. Same effect as Zero G on roller coaster.

[Chronicler177]

Good movie, I like the FX but i think that you'd have to read the book first to like it. Oh and VINCENT ROX!

[MisterCrazyLegs]

@Chronicler177 I agree. I read the book when I was in the 5th grade. Made watching it, a lot more fun. Disney did well by this movie.

[LittlefootJones]

This is a very good movie.

[Frostbyte380]

I dislike space movies, but for some reason I always liked this one.

[TheCastellan]

Space movies are 90% of what I watch myself. ;)

Anyhow, pity Disney did not stick to stuff like this.