tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2913482816817781658.post9037461317144304343..comments2023-12-14T04:22:18.917-08:00Comments on The Terrible Claw Reviews: Tentacles (1977) [Nature's Fury Blogathon]Random Deinonychushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11187199074166806590noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2913482816817781658.post-73629215613742679192018-07-22T11:12:02.573-07:002018-07-22T11:12:02.573-07:00I think the score by Stelvio Cipriani is really go...I think the score by Stelvio Cipriani is really good: full of harpsichords, plus some electronic music (to be honest, it is too good for this film!)<br /><br />I think it's great that somehow the producers managed to snag John Huston, Henry Fonda, Shelly Winters and Bo Hopkins to appear in the film, with Hopkins and Huston doing better than the others (though Huston does refer to the creature as a squid in one scene, rather than an octopus.)<br /><br />I like the interesting stylistic choices used, such as the use of still frames in the yacht attack sequence and some sound effect-free sequences, plus the film looks pretty good.<br /><br />On the negative side, most of the time the makers merely use a real octopus to represent the monster, though prop tentacles and a prop octopus head & eye are featured sparingly. The film is also not very gory, though I think the living octopus is killed for real at the end (ripped to bits by model killer whales.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2913482816817781658.post-60047894642580768292016-07-06T12:57:44.550-07:002016-07-06T12:57:44.550-07:00Magnificent review! I find myself wondering if the...Magnificent review! I find myself wondering if there was some kind of sudden lifting of blindness to the intelligence of cephalopods toward the end of the last century, or if the octopodes realized that they had better stop hiding their light under a bucket, because this isn't the only film that's almost ruined by casual violence toward those living the tentacled lifestyle. This one gets all the way to ruined on its other merits, but there's that sequence in the middle of BEAST FROM 20000 FATHOMS just before Cecil Kellaway gets munched-- an octopus gets dropped onto the head a small shark which has clearly been drinking gin while someone told it its sister was catcalled by a squid, in a very tiny tank, framed as a display of the instinctive hatred of the two species. Why do that to a Harryhausen film?<br /><br />It's encouraging to hear that there's a new release of REPTILICUS, as I love that sad little brain-damaged film; it might be worth letting TENTACLES into the house to have the other one at hand.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2913482816817781658.post-28635843169442819862016-06-19T16:46:29.495-07:002016-06-19T16:46:29.495-07:00Impressive post ! I have a soft spot for this movi...Impressive post ! I have a soft spot for this movie as I saw it at the drive-in (on a double feature I think with DAMNATION ALLEY). The Italians have a special affinity for these things and this is one of the "best" (along with GREAT WHITE). Dick https://www.blogger.com/profile/00409849079342411514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2913482816817781658.post-68544228458189945602016-06-19T16:46:22.797-07:002016-06-19T16:46:22.797-07:00Impressive post ! I have a soft spot for this movi...Impressive post ! I have a soft spot for this movie as I saw it at the drive-in (on a double feature I think with DAMNATION ALLEY). The Italians have a special affinity for these things and this is one of the "best" (along with GREAT WHITE). Dick https://www.blogger.com/profile/00409849079342411514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2913482816817781658.post-69850405175167356672016-06-19T11:34:04.878-07:002016-06-19T11:34:04.878-07:00Is it wrong that I'm still intrigued by this f...Is it wrong that I'm still intrigued by this film, despite everything you've mentioned? Perhaps if I ever have a couple of hours to kill... Based on your comments, I'm surprised an alliance of cephalopods didn't sue the filmmakers for defamation.<br /><br />Fun review! Many thanks for enduring Tentacles and taking part in the Nature's Fury Blogathon.Barry P.https://www.blogger.com/profile/11251536316431708240noreply@blogger.com