Monday, April 16, 2012

C is for Clash of the Titans

I was 11 years old when the marketing began from Clash of the Titans.  I had already experienced the wonder of Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back and had my mind blown as much by the toy tie-ins as the movies themselves (strangely Marvel's Star Wars comic wasn't what got me to read them and I never collected it until well after Dark Horse picked up the license).  I'm sure my recollection is off, but it felt like I waited months after getting the toys to see the film.  Unfortunately, this was the first film that ever missed my expectations.  I actually hated it.  I remember being shocked at seeing a naked breast and felt the film wasn't really for kids.  At 11.  I did, however, find Bubo adorable.

The reason this film is on my list is that I used the time leading up to the release to devour Greek Mythology.  And then Norse, Native American, Aboriginal, Aztec, etc.  Even though I still can't watch the dreadful thing, I can't overlook its contribution to who I am.  Of course, I hated how they butchered the Myths, themselves.

I wish I could pretend that I had any appreciate for Ray Harryhausen's final work, but the whole thing fell short for me.

I am probably in the minority here, but 2010's remake is exactly what my inner 11 year old wanted all those many years ago.  I thoroughly enjoyed this film on every level (yes, it butchered the myths as well, but I just didn't care).  I can watch this film over and over and though I haven't seen the sequel (the cost for a family of 4 or 5 to see a film is a luxury beyond our budget), I very well might this week on our vacation.  One of the trailers even gave me an appreciation for Marilyn Manson's Sweet Dreams, something I thought to be impossible.


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's the thing about films - they're an entirely separate entity to the 'inspiration' which triggers them. Rarely do they conform to the stories which they're supposed to come from. When viewed entirely alone however, sometimes, we can see them as wonderful things in their own right. I'm glad your 11 year old self was satisfied and enjoyed the re-make :-P

Cross Planes said...

Thanks for the insight!

Unknown said...

You should check out iTunesU. It has several courses in Mythology, especially greek. It shows how butchering the myths is entirely apropos. Great post.

Cross Planes said...

Will do & thank you!

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