"Clash of the Titans" (1981) with Chris McMichen

Tim Williams: Before digital pixels ruled the screen, this 80s flick took us to the shores of ancient Greece where gods played chess with the lives of mortals and monsters lurked in every shadow. The story of Perseus and his quest for Andromeda had everything, a flying horse, a terrifying Gorgon with a gaze of stone, and a mechanical owl that captured the hearts of kids everywhere. But beneath the fantasy was a star-studded production featuring Hollywood royalty like Laurence Olivier and Maggie Smith. It was a film that defined the sword and sandal genre for a generation, proving that a little bit of clay and a lot of imagination could create a spectacle that felt larger than life. So collect your invisibility helmet, take up your shield and get ready to ride Pegasus as Chris McMichen and I discuss Clash of the Titans from 1981 on episode of the 80s flick flashback podcast. Welcome to the show. am your host, Tim Williams. Joining me today to help us navigate this hero's journey as a man who knows his way around a cult classic and always brings a fantastic perspective to our deep dives. He's a great friend of the show. Please welcome back to the mic, Chris McMichen. How you doing, Chris?

Chris: Doing great! Ready to talk about Clash of the Titans!

Tim Williams: Yes, So, I want to jump right into it because this is a very early memory for me, 1981. So we'll just jump right in. When did you see Clash of the Titans for the very first time?

Chris: Clash of the Titans for me is a unique movie that I have actually never seen in a theater before. This was on like whatever the early version of, you know, cable movies channels were, you know, if HBO was around back then, I don't even know. you know, that that that may be where I first saw it. It certainly was on television movie network type, you know, experience for me first. And

Tim Williams: Okay. Okay. Yeah, right. It was, yeah. Mm-hmm.

Chris: love Greek mythology. just do. always have enjoyed it. It's a big, you it's a big fun fictional area for me to kind of, you know, research and ⁓ like stories, the ideas, the and antagonists involved in those stories and the lessons that out of them, all those kinds of things just really appealed to me when I was a kid. So I liked this movie ago, but it's been a long time.

Tim Williams: Okay. Mm-hmm. So this is actually a movie that I did see in the theater. I have a very vivid memory. Probably one of the first like not one of the first movies, but one of the first movies that I remember seeing in the theater. The first movie I remember seeing the theater was the Muppet movie, which came out in 79. This being 81, ⁓ got a, don't remember when Fox and the Hound. That's another one I remember early. but I remember my mom, I remember sitting next to my mom when this movie, and this is the, what I remember. the breastfeeding scene when that happened, ⁓ remember looking at my mom going, I'm not supposed to see this. I'm not in. My mom was like, it's okay. She's just breastfeeding. It's natural. It's okay. But cause I was like, you know, not allowed to see that, know, that's PG PG. have that in it. That's what I, that's what I thought. like, as a five six year old kid seeing it for the first time, but, you know, past that, I remember seeing the theater. remember loving it and just being completely enthralled by it. You know, just a great.

Chris: Yeah

Tim Williams: Like said, a hero's journey, the, the effects that are totally outdated now, but we're great at that time, or at least for me as a kid. but yeah, I like you. had HBO probably not, I think a couple of years later when HBO kind of like kind of hit, but being a PJ movie, we've talked about this on the podcast a lot, PG movies. They ran during the day. They didn't show anything right at R until after nine o'clock at night. So anything that was PG would run. if not every day, maybe twice a day you know, as they were getting more movies to play. So I've seen this movie so many times, but I had not watched it in a long time. So next question, when did you see it last before rewatching it for the podcast?

Chris: Yes. It's been a very long time ago Yeah, yeah, I I saw it a bunch of times around the time that it came out and the years like let's say in the six or seven years after it came out Okay, because they played this movie. You're right. They played it ⁓ a lot. Okay, they played it a lot

Tim Williams: Mm-hmm. Right, right, right. Mm-hmm.

Chris: And you know, with only a couple things and you know, there's no language in it, anything like that. So you can play it anywhere pretty much. You blur out a couple of little small things like the breastfeeding scene you mentioned, you know, and you can play it on network TV every day if you like. But so I saw it a bunch, but I'm sure it's been, you know, probably 30 years since I've seen it since before, you know, before I saw it this week again and refreshed it in my mind. But even then I

Tim Williams: Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Right. Hehehehehe

Chris: I remembered it well. I just seen it so many times before.

Tim Williams: Yeah. Yeah. Kind of the same. Like I, I can't remember when the last time I watched it, I might've seen it within the last 20 years. Like, you know, if I happen to be on a stra, I know like they did the remake was like 2011, I think is when the remake came out. so it might've been, they might've, might've played it on TV. Like, you know, some of the TBS or TNT might've played the old one, just like get it back in people's minds. Cause I was gonna say, I think this was probably one that was on TBS a bunch too, like through the eighties as well. Like after it finished on HBO and being on like regular TV or for us in Atlanta, it was regular TV. Everybody else was still like basic cable. But, but yeah, but I still, so I'm sure I'd seen it on TV a bunch too, but, I had not seen it. So I would say like maybe in 2011, I might've rewatched it. But like, like you said, when I watched it again yesterday, I remembered a lot. Like I remember things as they were coming up like, oh, I totally remember this or, I remember this, you know. So it wasn't a whole lot. It wasn't like a first time watch for me for sure. But it was a it was a it was a fun rewatch. And it's one of those movies where like, once again, with the special effects as, you know, dated as they are, it's like, oh, this was much, much cooler in my memory than it is now, but still still fun to watch. So.

Chris: it. Yes.

Tim Williams: Well, we've talked about the gods and monsters. Now it's time to see if your knowledge of this production is written in the stars. We're heading into our trivia segment, Risky Quizness. I've gathered five facts and a few clever myths from the 1981 production files. I'll give you the statement. You tell me if it's true or false. So Chris, are you ready to face the quiz or is the Medusa stare already starting to set in?

Chris: I'll try not to turn into stone while we get through this, you

Tim Williams: Alright, five questions. Here we go. Number one, true or false? The character of Bubo the Mechanical Owl was added to the script specifically capitalize on the popularity of R2-D2 from Star Wars. True or false?

Chris: I would say yes, because when I rewatched it even yesterday, little sounds that he makes and things I thought were very imitative and even of his mannerisms of being a little bit clumsy here and there. So I would say that's a definite truth.

Tim Williams: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yep, that was true. Director Desmond Davis and the producers felt that a cute mechanical sidekick would appeal to the same audience that fell in love with R2D2. However, visual effects veteran Harryhausen famously wasn't a huge fan of the idea. He had a lot of stuff to do in this production. So doing a mechanical owl was probably not what he wanted to spend time on. All right, next, number two, true or false, Clash of the Titans was the very last feature film to showcase the stop motion visual effects of legendary Ray Harryhausen, which we just mentioned. So true or false, was this his last feature film?

Chris: Wow, the last one. Hmm. I actually have no idea. I'm gonna guess, considering his popularity at the time, I guess I'll say no. That he probably tried something after that, but let's see.

Tim Williams: ⁓ Nope, that one is true. did after the film, he retired from ⁓ filmmaking, making Medusa and the crack in his final big screen creations. ⁓

Chris: Ugh. There you go. Gonna go out, go big.

Tim Williams: All right, so you're one and one. three, true or false, to make Medusa look more terrifying, her eyes were actually powered by tiny internal light bulbs and batteries hidden inside the model.

Chris: Hmm.

Tim Williams: True or false?

Chris: I know. guess based on the effects that I saw, let's guess false. I think that would probably add it in later on.

Tim Williams: That is correct. It is false. The glowing effect of Medusa's eyes was achieved through clever lighting on the set and post-production optical effects, not internal electronics. I think it was very clear to me that those were like added afterwards in the version that I was watching. All right, he's coming out of the hole. Yeah. ⁓ he's so he's two and one. So two right, one wrong. Here we go. Number four. True or false. Dame Maggie Smith. Sorry.

Chris: The color alone... Yeah.

Tim Williams: Dame Maggie Smith and Sir Lawrence Olivier refused to film their scenes together on the same set because of a long-standing personal feud. True or false?

Chris: That sounds like good drama for this podcast, ⁓ don't know. Obviously I didn't know anything about these characters other than who they were at the time. I was very young. Let's guess that that's, it sounds plausible, so I'm gonna say Drew.

Tim Williams: Yeah. Mm-hmm. This one is false. While they were both titans of acting, they were consummate professionals. However, many of the gods of Olympus scenes were filmed separately from the location shoots in Italy and Spain, but only for logistical reasons. all right, time to break the tie. You're two and two. So will he come out victorious? True or false? In actual Greek mythology, you probably know this one. The monster Perseus fights to save Andromeda is indeed called the Kraken.

Chris: Yeah. Gotcha.

Tim Williams: True or false?

Chris: I don't know that I I don't think it I don't think it's called that I know that release the crack and it's something that people talk about a lot, but I'm gonna guess false on that one

Tim Williams: Okay. Mm-hmm. All right. He pulled himself out of the hole. It is false. The Kraken is actually a creature of Norse mythology. In the original Greek myths, the sea monster is called Cetus. Is that right? Cetus. The filmmakers use Kraken because it sounded more formidable for a 1980s audience. And of course, that's it's kind of become synonymous now with any kind of like underwater monster. So release the Kraken. So all right. Good job. So he got he the test.

Chris: Sure.

Tim Williams: broke out of, you know, he's over 50, over 50-50. So that's good. So how did you do as a viewer, as a listener? How did you do on the quiz? Let us know. Sending us a comment, posting a comment here on YouTube or sending us a message on social media. We want to hear from you, see how you're doing. So, all right, well, let's jump into the cast. It's a pretty extensive cast, but I've tried to only cover those that I think either we would know like our main characters or had any kind of like history. or good filmography, but course, Perseus was played by Harry Hamlin, who did not know at the time. He's widely for this role. He reprised it in the 2007 Santa Monica studio video game, God of War II. And he is also well known as Kuzak in the legal drama series, LA Law, for which he received three Golden Globe nominations. what I remembered him from, of course, much later, which is why.

Chris: Yes.

Tim Williams: I'm pretty sure I saw it on like TBS LA Law had been on, because then I was like, ⁓ that's the same guy. I wouldn't have known that. not I was a big, ⁓ I think I ever watched an episode of LA Law, I knew it was popular. He also had a recurring role as Jim Cutler on the ABC drama Mad Men, where he received another prime time Emmy nomination for outstanding guest actor in a drama series. But before he considered for the role, other runner-ups were, Malcolm McDowell, Michael York, Richard Chamberlain. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was fairly unknown at the time, was briefly considered, but producer Charles H. Schneer felt that with the exception of Hercules, Greek heroes were athletic, but not overly muscular, relying more on cunning than strength. He also felt that casting a very muscular actor was a cliche, harkening back to the Italian sword and sandal movies of the 1950s 1960s. I would not have wanted to see Schwarzenegger in this role at all.

Chris: new. Didn't he go on to play Hercules or something? I thought he did. So yeah, that's right.

Tim Williams: He did, he was in Hercules in New York, think, know, kind of around the same time. I think it was like 79, might've been before the 80s. Yeah, yeah, ⁓ And then of course, with accent, I think dubbed his voice in Hercules in New York, pretty sure.

Chris: They found his right place then.

Tim Williams: According to Harry Hamlin, prior to choosing to this movie, he was considering doing another project with Richard Burton, a movie adaptation of the story of Tristan and I so Tristan and Assault Assault. I can always say the wrong is old. Thank you, Tristan and his old that became Love Spell released in 1981. He moved what became this movie despite not knowing anything about it, only for the opportunity to work with Laurence Olivier, the one actor he considered even greater in stature than Burton. So.

Chris: is old.

Tim Williams: He got to work with Laurence Olivier. So yeah, Harry Hamlin. thought he was, I yeah, zero scenes together. Yeah.

Chris: Even though they had, I was going to say, even though they had zero scenes together, that's right. I mean, you say work together, I guess you could be on the same film set at the same time. You talk to the guy, but as far as work together, they didn't get to do much of that.

Tim Williams: Yeah. Yeah, not much at all. So, but yeah, but so how do you feel about Harry Hamlin as Perseus? Was he, I thought he was a a good casting choice.

Chris: without a doubt. mean, obviously with his record of all the awards he's won, the guy can act. There's no doubt about it. And, you know, ⁓ seeing this movie so many times, I can't imagine anybody else playing the role. ⁓ just does such a good job. The of, and it struck me again, just kind of watching it yesterday, but he's almost got like a childlike quality because he's been on an isolated island for so long. ⁓

Tim Williams: Mm-hmm. ⁓ for sure. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah, he does. Mm Yeah.

Chris: He really doesn't understand and the idea of bringing him to Joppa when they do, you know, just transporting him by pulling him out and setting him down on the, in the amphitheater. learning everything for the first time. It really is a good portrayal of things.

Tim Williams: Mm-hmm. Mm Yeah, I agree. So I liked him. That was a good good choice. So. So for the role of Andromeda, they cast Judy Bowker. She's only known for this movie, Brother, Son, Sister Moon in 1972 and Count Dracula in 1977. That's really all I have on her. There wasn't much other than that. So but yeah.

Chris: Yeah. I think she did some theater acting like she's ⁓ British, think, pretty sure. So, but that's, that may be where she finally wound up doing most of her work is on the real stage.

Tim Williams: Yeah, yeah. Yeah, there were a lot of, yeah. Mm hmm. Yeah. ⁓ yeah. There were a lot of there was a lot of theater, a lot of British theater actors in it because so I didn't put in the notes. But like the reason they chose the director for this was because he had done some BBC Shakespeare productions like he had filmed some Shakespeare productions. which it does feel very like Shakespeare or like some of the deliveries feel very like staged, you

Chris: Yep.

Tim Williams: Shakespearean type performances. I it fits. ⁓

Chris: Yeah, the timing is very Shakespearean. you know, the monologue dialogue stuff is all that way. So I can see that.

Tim Williams: Mm hmm. Yeah. Yeah. So then as Amon, we had Burgess Meredith, one of my favorites. Of course, we've talked about him previously on our Rocky three episode, but he was through he had a long career, most for playing the Penguin in the 1960s series Batman, which is what I knew him from. And course, Mickey in the Rocky film series. John Gilgud was the actual preferred choice, but MGM insisted on Burgess Meredith to have at least one American actor in there and prevent the public from thinking it was a holy British film, which makes sense. yeah, great. Another great character. I enjoyed him in this, you know, ⁓ good role. Yeah. Yeah.

Chris: Thank you Yes. Yes. I wish they had used him a little bit more in the second half of the movie. his dialogue with Perseus, two of them, their chemistry was really good together from the jump. And I just, ⁓ more I watched it back yesterday, I thought in the second half of the, I know they have a lot of action. They're trying to bring everything to the, ⁓ know, the climactic end there, but I love to have seen some more interplay between them along the journey. So.

Tim Williams: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah, I agree. would I would like to see him more in the back. Yeah, the back half. So. Well, and then we mentioned her before Dame Maggie Smith as Thedas. She was Oscar nominated for Othello in 65, travels with my aunt in 72, a room with the view in 85 and Gosford Park in 2001. Of course, she she was also in the Harry Potter film series. She also was in Death on the Nile in 78, Hook in 91, Sister Act in 92, The Secret Garden in 93.

Chris: But he was really good.

Tim Williams: And so many other things, of course, her final role, I think, was in Downton Abbey because she just passed away. I think it was just last year, right? I didn't put that in my notes, but recently passed. Yeah. She was actually married to the screenwriter, Beverly Cross, who had previously written Jason and the Argonauts in 1963 for producer Charles H. Schneer. Her friendship with Laurence Olivier convinced him to join the cast as well. So they were not rivals.

Chris: I'm not sure but it's been reason.

Tim Williams: They were actually good friends and were the reason that he came to do the movie. So, but yeah, guess when your husband's the screenwriter, you kind of, you know, get suckered into a movie, but no, she was good. And it was funny because when it, when she first, don't remember seeing her name in the opening credits. I probably was just looking away for something, but when, when she came on screen and started talking, I was like, I know that person. Like I'd I've seen like much younger, but I know, I know what that is. So when I realized it was Maggie Smith, I was like, man,

Chris: There you go.

Tim Williams: That was a good, like very early, early role for her, or at least for me to see her early role.

Chris: Yes, very good. She did great job. The, you know, the guide you like to hate.

Tim Williams: And then, go ahead. Yeah, exactly. she always plays that role. Those kind of roles really, really well, like very stern and very, ⁓ know, not not always like the bad guy, but very but very ⁓ and stern and, know, very So then we've got Ursula Andress as Aphrodite. Her breakthrough role was as a Bond girl in the James Bond film Doctor No.

Chris: Yes. Very serious.

Tim Williams: She later starred as Vesper Linde in the 1967 Bond parody Casino Royale. Other credits included Fun in Acapulco in 63, The Blue Max in 66, Red Sun in 71, The Fifth Musketeer in 79, and Peter the Great in 1986. Despite being listed on posters and having main title billing, she only has one line in the entire film. Like she's kind of at the beginning and that's it, so yeah.

Chris: Yes, you didn't do much. Cough

Tim Williams: But fun fact, her and Harry Hamlin began a relationship during production and their son, Dimitri, was born in 1980 after completion, the principal photography. So so they were even though like, did they have any scenes together? Like, how did they how did they even see each other? but yeah. All Moving right along, we're almost through the cast here. So we mentioned as well, Sir Lawrence Olivier as Zeus.

Chris: Right, know, that's true.

Tim Williams: He was known, been in movies and television through the 50s, from the 50s, very early on. But in the 80s, he had roles in The Jazz Singer in 1980 with Neil Diamond, The Bounty in 84 with Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins, and Wild Geese II. I didn't even know Wild Geese I, even, I missed the first one, so. But Wild Geese II in 85. He continued to work in television in 1981. he appeared as Lord Marchmaine and Brideshead revisited winning another Emmy. He was very ill during filming and often relied on his co-star Pat Roach for physical support between takes. Couldn't tell in his performance at all, but supposedly he was very sick during the movie, so, filming the movie.

Chris: Nope. Nope. mean, he wasn't, it's true. He wasn't like physically, you think of Zeus, you know, like the head of the gods to be like this big physical presence. Like, I mean, not quite an Arnold Schwarzenegger, but somebody that's more muscular and powerful than everyone else, but he didn't have that at all. He was just an old man in his normal state. the, the power he portrayed in confidence and, and you know, from a place of strength inside was, was very, very good, very good.

Tim Williams: Yeah, yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I was going to say that I was like, even though he didn't have the physical presence, he definitely brought that presence of he was Zeus, you know, the that they all were, you know, basic, you know, they were all under his dominion. guess she was a good word to say there.

Chris: Yep. ⁓ yeah.

Tim Williams: One of my favorite characters, Calibus. I know he's kind of like the bad guy, but man, what a memorable character like, you know, haunted my dreams as a kid, I'm sure. Played by Neil McCarthy, his film credits included memorable roles as a Welsh off soldier in Zulu in 1964. He was also in Rare Eagles Dare in 68, The Ruffians in 73 and Time Bandits in 1981. Another 80s movie that I saw a million times on HBO.

Chris: For sure.

Tim Williams: Initially, Calabas had no dialogue and was purely a stop motion character, but after a rewrite of the script, dialogue was added and the role was given to Neil McCarthy. which you may know this as well, Calabas, Lord of the Marsh and son of Thetis, does not appear in Greek mythology. He is based on Caliban, an antagonist William Shakespeare created in 19-

Chris: Calliball.

Tim Williams: He was an antagonist, William Shakespeare created in 1611 for the Tempest. In Greek mythology, the son of Thetis was Achilles, Greece's best warrior in the fight against Troy. So I'm sure you that being the Greek scholar you are. Right. ⁓

Chris: ⁓ I wouldn't go quite that far, but that I have heard before. Yeah, I did know that the other interesting thing about that actor is he's never shown in his regular form. He's only shown as the deformed Calabas I would have known him if he'd been in something the next day I'd seen him in I would have I don't even know right now what he looks like for real ⁓ just know what that deform, you know character stop-motion character looks like so

Tim Williams: Mm-hmm. Right. Right. No. Mm-hmm.

Chris: kind of wish they would have given him at least a moment on screen as just so the before picture, you know, when all we saw is the after it's hard ⁓ say how much he's changed or anything. ⁓

Tim Williams: Mm-hmm. Yeah, I... Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, and like once again being so long since I had seen it before he watching it There was a part of me that thought when he killed when he kills him at the end I thought that he would go back to his like normal You know his normal form and we would see what he would look like but he didn't and it was weird because like you know They own he really the actor was only there for like, you know kind of headshots Anytime he was like full body was all stop motion

Chris: Yeah.

Tim Williams: And I was like, man, they couldn't they just given him a full suit like they didn't need to be stop motion. But it might've been that thing because it was originally going to be a stop motion character. They had done those things already. It was like, we're not going to scrap that those effects to put him in a suit. So, but yeah, I, was, was, that was the interesting part of the going back and forth, but he was really good. I thought, you know, as once again, as a standout character for me in a, in a film that has many characters and many monsters, I thought he definitely stood out. to me.

Chris: Yes, very evil.

Tim Williams: All right, few more here we've got. I mentioned earlier Pat Roach, who Olivier, Lawrence Olivier on, played Hephaestus. Is that right?

Chris: Sure.

Tim Williams: Okay, all right. He was one of the other gods that there, I think. He was big guy though. Pat wrestled competitively the of Bomber Roach and at one time held both the British and European Heavyweight Wrestling Championships. While still in the wrestling game, Roach broke into acting with a bit part in Stanley Kubrick's film,

Chris: Who was that in the film? ⁓ okay.

Tim Williams: Barry Lyndon in 1975. He quickly became popular as an enforcer or warrior figure and appeared on screen with some of Hollywood's biggest names. Many people remember him as the muscle bound bald German guard who hands out a beating to Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark before being cut down by spinning plate and propeller. In other film roles, he nearly eliminates 007 Sean Connery in Never Say Never Again in 83. In dual roles as a resurrected demon and a fierce warrior, he fought

Chris: Yep. and

Tim Williams: Carl Schwarzenegger in the Conan sequel Conan the Destroyer in 84. And because beating up Indiana Jones needed to happen twice, he came back again as a ferocious Indian guard pummeling poor Harrison Ford once again in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom before falling into a rock crusher.

Chris: So a enforcer of many lives.

Tim Williams: Yes. And then it says here, he was back in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. So Indy actually, I think I've talked about this in the Indiana Jones episode that he the same big guy in all three movies as different characters. So he was always kind of like a big menacing person, which I guess is why Leonciolivo would lean him because he was such a big guy. ⁓

Chris: Wow. Sure, that makes sense.

Tim Williams: Yeah. Uh, even though we don't remember who he is in the movie, he did a lot. And last on the list as Poseidon Jack Gullum, his military background, commanding presence and deep booming voice, typecast him as soldiers and authority figures. Some of his most notable roles were in a sink, the Bismarck in 1960, sword of Sherwood forest in 60 as well. He was in Lawrence of Arabia in 62 Jason Argonauts in 63.

Chris: Right.

Tim Williams: Thunderball in 65, a man for all seasons to 66. And he also, which was what I remember from, he played Van Helsing in the Monster Squad in 1987. So much older in that role. But yeah, I love the scenes of him underwater. I'm like, surely he wasn't underwater. They were just like blowing, you know, the fan on to blow his hair and then they put the filter over top. So, but yeah. Yeah.

Chris: Yeah. to read. Yeah. He always has mouth wide open. I could understand that.

Tim Williams: Yeah, it's like he can definitely breathe underwater. No, So. So anybody else from the cast that you wanted to mention or did I cover them all or anybody that stood out to you or one of your favorites?

Chris: I never been underwater with my mouth wide open, but. Well, the only other one that we didn't mention is really liked the head of the guard from Joppa. He several lines. I thought he portrayed his, you know, his part very Another one of I'm sure that British type Shakespearean type, you know, people that they brought into the production just to give it a little more, you know,

Tim Williams: Mm-hmm. Right.

Chris: kind of Greek authenticity and that kind of feel to it. But I thought he did a good job. I would love to see his role amped up a little bit more too in the second half. I know he had to die, obviously, in the Scorpion battle, but he was ⁓ a good character along the way.

Tim Williams: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I did read that like, originally those roles were going to be a little bit more fleshed out, but they, had more, there was more of their story, but got cut because I mean, it's, I was actually surprised this movie was right at two hours. Like I was expecting an eighties movie. Most eighties movies now, you know, going back hour 40, maybe 45, but that's about it. But this one was actually like right at two hours. So they did have to, I'm sure they had to cut some things and it does, you kind feel the length at the end, but that act is pretty well packed with the action and like the of the conclusion of the story. So I could see where they had to cut some of out. But yeah, I would have liked to have seen more of both of those guys and more of their role of how they interacted with Perseus and kind of stuff. ⁓

Chris: for sure. For sure.

Tim Williams: All right, well, let's talk about iconic scenes, favorite scenes. So iconic scene. If someone says Clash of the Titans from 1981, what scene immediately pops in your head?

Chris: It's got to be right after the killing of a douche when Perseus comes out of the temple and he holds the head up high and there's big musical climax and there's you know, all kinds of thunder. mean, you know, they they roll it out at that moment. So for me, that's it. I really like the I like the scorpion scene a lot to

Tim Williams: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Chris: I've always thought scorpions are pretty menacing little guys, you know, on their own kind of the way they're built and to see them like man sized I was a, you know, a kid watching all this for the first time, I was like pretty terrifying stuff, you know, that, that a full sized scorpion could be after you, much less three of them, you know, those humongous claws and, and also, but those are two big scenes for me. also liked the, the ferryman being the,

Tim Williams: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, ⁓ yeah. Mm-hmm. ⁓ Mm-hmm.

Chris: a skeleton, right? that's another one that gave me some nightmares back in the day. But you know, like, Okay. But that, you know, it sets up that Isle of the Dead idea very well before they even set foot on it that you have a skeleton man along the way. But those are three of mine.

Tim Williams: ⁓ yeah, yeah. Hahaha! Yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah, iconic. ⁓ I'm the same. They're they're kind of blended together in my mind where he comes out and he holds the head right after he decapitates Medusa. But then also at the very end where he's holding it up to freeze Kraken. kind the you kind of the same in my mind. like, yeah, him holding the head of Medusa is that is the iconic scene for me for sure. Favorite scenes. I love. the sequence within Medusa's lair was always my favorite part. Like I remember, like when it started, I was like, ⁓ my gosh, I remember being the kid like just waiting for this scene, watching the beginning. Like the beginning, I the beginning, but like that was the scene I couldn't wait to get to. That was always my favorite scene of the movie. So that's definitely my favorite. I did put in the notes. The Medusa sequence is widely considered the film's masterpiece.

Chris: Yes. Thank

Tim Williams: It required three months to shoot with every snake on her head individually for every frame. So for them to do that, that special effect back then took three months to do, which is crazy. So. ⁓

Chris: That is crazy. Another thing about that part is I knew when the head of the guard did not go with him across to the aisle, that those three other dudes are gonna die. like in Star Wars, I mean, sorry, Star Trek, you can always tell when the guys in the red shirts would get beamed down with main cast and you're like, that guy's never coming back. So ⁓ you that? ⁓

Tim Williams: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, red shirt, yeah. ⁓ yeah, yeah. I've never seen, I've never, yeah, yeah, I've never seen him on the ship before. ⁓ yeah, he's gonna die before this episode's over. yeah. But yeah. Yeah. ⁓

Chris: Right? Cadet Randolph is it will see you later. Yeah, that's what I was thinking when those guys get in that boat with them. I'm like whether or not.

Tim Williams: Mm hmm. Yeah. So so that that that's by far like my favorite favorite scene. I do like the fight between Perseus and Calibus like they're when he cuts his arm off, ⁓ cuts his off like that was really good. I did like the scorpion scene like I mean, most of the action scenes are what I kind of remember. But yeah.

Chris: Yeah.

Tim Williams: Yeah, I think those are the ones that really stand out to me for sure.

Chris: Another interesting in it in is the capture Pegasus at the lake. That's another one that was interesting because ⁓ they about Pegasus and those winged horses in the beginning. ⁓ But you finally see it, even though the CGI, like we said, it's just not great compared to today's standards. ⁓ But that in today's standards, right? mean, the idea of it was just fantastic. And then him capturing him with his invisible helmet and

Tim Williams: Mm-hmm. Yep. Mm hmm. ⁓ yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. ⁓ yeah. Yeah

Chris: Kind of taming them down a little bit. There's some modern equivalents of it, like the Avatar guys trying to tame their flying beasts. Same kind of thing. It's a lot of that same kind of feeling to it. But earlier, of course, ⁓ I that too. The ⁓ flying was pretty amazing too. thing was ⁓ mongous. ⁓

Tim Williams: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was gonna say that was another scene that I remembered like when I guess the spirit of Andromeda comes like, goes awakened and gets put in the cage and flies off to see Calabas. Like I remember when that scene starts, I I totally, I remember being mesmerized by that as a kid too, like that whole sequence. then, you know, once again, it looks pretty tame today, but the scene.

Chris: Yes.

Tim Williams: after she's met with Calibus and kind of said, why you keep stop bringing me here, da da. And then she leaves and then he sees the footprints ⁓ ⁓ following him like, come on, dude, don't, don't make me. And then make noise to like, come on, man, you got to know that they can hear that. Right. So, but, but remember, I remember that scene too of like the seeing the, the footprints in the sand him, without his physical body. So we have.

Chris: Mm-hmm. Right? Another cool stop motion technique. They use that a couple of times in the film. It is good.

Tim Williams: Yeah. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Yeah. All right. Well, let's jump into some trivia. Maybe think of some other scenes as we're going through it. You probably know this once again, because you've you've studied this a little bit more than I had. I thought this was interesting. You know, the Titans actually preceded the Olympians in power. Cronus and Atlas were the most famous Titans. Ironically, none of the Titans from Greek mythology appear in this movie. In the movie, the Titans are the Norse Kraken who never appeared in Greek mythology at all and Medusa who was never considered a Titan by the Greeks. But ⁓ well.

Chris: Although she probably should have been. I mean, she wasn't like a naturally born Titan. She was cursed into being Medusa. But certainly that power, even when dead, I mean, it was widely known that her stare, even if she was no longer in the alive body, would still cause you to be turned to stone. And that's another thing that makes that scene you were talking about so...

Tim Williams: Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Chris: You know, obviously it's pivotal in the film, but it makes it so such a big, massive success that the, the devastation you see it happen to one of the guys. And when they got to the, ⁓ the Island, one of the first things that Perseus finds is that stone, you know, figure of a man you could tell was obviously a man. And so there was a lot of danger there and, that danger just kept getting heightened and heightened and heightened. So Titan or not, she, she scores that, that goal ⁓ or that.

Tim Williams: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Chris: that a word in my book. Official or not.

Tim Williams: ⁓ yeah, for sure. ⁓ Right. Let's So Greek hound. Sorry. Greek hell traditionally had three heads. Dio ⁓ Dio's Kylo's in movie. I'm all these words in this movie had only because it would have taken Ray Harryhausen too much time to animate a third head. So a little little off there.

Chris: Okay.

Tim Williams: then we mentioned already the quote from Zeus when he orders the destruction of Argos at the beginning of the film is quote-unquote let loose the Kraken. Many people however remember it as release the Kraken, but at the climax when he's secretly giving Perseus a heroic second wind he does say release the Kraken. that's we know it. We remember from the end not the beginning. So, but yeah.

Chris: Correct.

Tim Williams: So I did like this looking at, the original storyline focused just on Perseus and Andromeda's romance linking together a number of myths. Ray Harryhausen was brought on board, the story was changed to feature more monsters. Some early script ideas were Andromeda being naked when she was sacrificed, as it is in the myth, and the Kraken tearing Pegasus to pieces during the finale, but those were cut to preserve a PG rating, of course. It was given an A rating, which then meant advisable to no one under 14, but allowed children older than five. Some cuts also had to be made in Perseus's final fight with Calibus. I guess that rating was probably for the British rating, not the American rating. The original script called for Perseus to cut off Medusa's head simply by throwing his shield at her in an attempt to appease UK standards and practices censors. as the producers felt that the hero decapitating someone would not be appropriate for children in the audience. Harry Hamlin apparently was resistant to the idea from the beginning, as it wasn't in keeping with the actual Greek mythology. When the day came to film the scene and it hadn't been changed, he threatened to quit the movie and fly home. He remained in his trailer much to the annoyance of producers Charles Schneer and Ray Harryhausen. and director Desmond Davis. Hamlin was gradually able to get some of the other crew members on his side, which resulted in the scene being rewritten accordingly. So I kind of agree with him. needed that. mean, we didn't really see it like you knew it happened. So I like that it was kind of more off camera. So it wasn't as, I guess, for for a child. but yeah, I think I think it needed to be that way for the movie for sure.

Chris: Yeah, good for him for taking a stand.

Tim Williams: Mm-hmm. All right, and then, so there was a sequel titled Force of the Trojans, again written by Beverly Cross that was pitched to MGM in 1984, but was never made due to the complicated nature of the effects. So the sequel is to be based on the AENID, AENID, A-E-N-E-I-D.

Chris: Mm. I don't know.

Tim Williams: Maybe. OK. So I would say that the sequence based on the opening of the siege of Troy and the sneak attack of the city with the giant wooden horse and following the Trojan prince and his quest for revenge, following the death of his wife during the battle, eventually going on to found found the city of Rome and become the ancestor of all the Romans. The film was to have sequences featuring the giant talking sphinx of Fragiri Fragiri Fragia the fatal flight of. Deletus and Arcus Icarus, all these names. Icarus, there we go. A Pandora's Box sequence, ⁓ Jackalmen, a colony of Cyclops, the evil goddess, Hecate with three faces and six hands, each holding a different weapon and even the four horsemen of the apocalypse in the finale. Despite the film not being made, a lot of pre-production work went it, including plenty of concept art. So yeah, so they didn't make it.

Chris: Icarus.

Tim Williams: which seemed like that was a lot, that would have been a lot to do. I'm sure the effects would have been a little bit better in 84 than they were in 81 for sure.

Chris: That movie sounds like it would have been busy. Yeah.

Tim Williams: Yes, yeah, very busy. And I do remember this. I don't know if you remember this. In an attempt to cash in on the success of Kenner Star Wars toys, Mattel produced Clash of the Titan toys in 81. The toys released were Perseus, Thalo, Calibus, Charon, Pegasus and the Kraken. And I want to say I had at least one of those toys or I'd seen it somewhere because I remembered that very, very vividly. OK, yeah.

Chris: Hmm Yeah, I had a Pegasus toy, I'm sure, way back in the day.

Tim Williams: Yep. So I guess they didn't do as well, but I, like I said, I'm sure I had one of them. I might've had a Perseus. I probably had a Perseus one anyway. I can't remember now.

Chris: Probably worth a lot of money now if you can find it. Yeah, right. Yep.

Tim Williams: Yeah, I know if I could find it. It's long gone. Long, long gone. All right. Box Office Clash of the Titans was released on June 12th, 1981 and grossed six million dollars in one hundred. I'm sorry. thousand one hundred twenty seven theaters in its opening weekend. It came in second behind Raiders of the Lost Ark at the U.S. Box Office, which was released on the same date. Bad planning for them that they knew that it was going to be hit.

Chris: Yep.

Tim Williams: By the time it finished its theatrical run, it had grossed $41 million in North America and the film had a worldwide gross of over $70 million and was one of biggest hits. So it did make money, which I'm glad. They said it didn't, you know, there were some reports that said it didn't do well, but think it did well. Probably it wasn't as big as probably some of other movies that came out that year, but I think it still did well. Because once again, going back and watching it, I can't imagine the budget being like super huge, even with all the effects they did, but just looking back at it now, it's like, oof, shoestring budget, by standards. All right, now it's time to take a look at how well this 80s flick holds up today. It's the rewatchability and nostalgia meter. It's our way of measuring how enjoyable a movie is for repeat viewings along with the waves and nostalgia it brings. Here's how it works. It's a one to 10 scale. Any number between one and 10 will do, but here are a few parameters to help you decide. At the bottom of the meter is a number one, which means I saw it once and that was enough. In the middle is in the five, which is a good rewatch every couple of years. And at the top of the meter, the highly coveted 10, which means it's highly rewatchable. and full of nostalgia. So Chris, where does Clash of the Titans rank for you on the rewatchability and nostalgia meter?

Chris: Man, this is a really tough one. I think that I want to give it two ratings because I think based on effects or the lack of how they all hold up, I'd like to give it a three. But based on in the actual story, I'd love to give it more like a seven. So ⁓ somewhere in middle that, maybe five ⁓ probably is the reality me.

Tim Williams: Yeah. Right. Right.

Chris: The, you know, even the, the very beginning, just starting to watch the opening credits Poseidon is supposed to be a bird and the bird is like floating in and out of view. Like the bird's almost disappearing in a view of the, and he's supposed to be the only thing in the camera shot other than, know, the background of the, of the rest of the world there. And, so there, there are several things like that. ⁓ You obviously tell that when Poseidon's the cracking out that

Tim Williams: Okay. Mm-hmm. ⁓ Right. Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Chris: He and this little thing he's turning are real and everything else is fake. It's just so very different. And you know, I never noticed any of that when I was a kid. I didn't notice any of that. just, was the whole, you know, for me it was the spectacle of it and all of that. But my senses now that I've seen, you know, like Avatar for real, you your level of what you expect is just so different now.

Tim Williams: Yeah, yeah. No, no. Mm-hmm. ⁓ yeah Yeah.

Chris: But I really do. Like I said, the story though, it holds up. It's a story. It's a great hero story. Somebody who's taken from literally nothing, although he is the son of Zeus. He doesn't have any superpowers. You can tell that he's just a normal earthly guy. He gets a little bit of help from Zeus along the way with the helmet, the sword, shield, those sorts of things. But, you know, it's really his journey. like, like they make a big deal of it's his destiny, you know.

Tim Williams: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Mm-hmm. He didn't know that, yeah, but he didn't know that. Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Chris: to try to save Andromeda in the end. And it's a great story. for that, I'd push it up a little higher on the meter. So I'll go with five.

Tim Williams: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Okay. Okay. I mean, that, you know, that that sounds that sounds good. I mean, that's you know, once again, it's a good rewatch every couple of years. And I think that's kind of it. It's right around there for me. I'm going to bump it up a little bit and maybe give it a six, maybe six point five just because of the nostalgia, because it's one of the first movies I saw in the theater as a kid. watched it so many times as a kid. So like.

Chris: Mm-hmm.

Tim Williams: It's tied to my childhood. This is one of those movies like we talk about movies that are tied to your childhood. This is, you know, in that, especially early, early childhood, one of the first movies I remember seeing. So, um, so it, it holds a lot of nostalgia for me. So I'm going to, I'm going to go ahead and give it a seven just because the nostalgia kind of pushes it up, but it's not one that I'm going to want to watch every year. It's not going to be on a high rotating schedule for me, but every couple of years, it's probably good just to throw in and just, you know, Like I said, it's dated for sure, but it's an enjoyable watch for all the reasons that you said. The story is good. The acting is good. Seeing, you know, stars and old people in their prime. Some of the old mixed with like the young Hollywood Harry Hamlin in one of his first roles. So definitely as a movie lover, it's that you gotta watch a couple of times.

Chris: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Tim Williams: in your lifetime for sure. All right, well, let us know where you think Clash of the Titans should rank on the rewatchability and nostalgia meter. You can send us an email. Let us know on social media or leave us a comment right here YouTube if that's where you're watching us.

Chris: Mm-hmm. if there are people out there that haven't seen it in long time like you and I had, and I think it's definitely worth the watch again for sure. You know, bring bring it back and, you know, let it let folks know in the comments, they can say what they what they think along our lines or maybe a little higher, a little lower. It'd be interesting to see.

Tim Williams: Yeah. ⁓ yeah, yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Now, you did you stream it somewhere? Did you rent it? How did you watch it?

Chris: Yeah, I had to rent it. I had to rent it. That's the only way I could find it available. I rented off Prime, yes, on Amazon Prime.

Tim Williams: OK, yeah, I actually got the Blu Ray probably like a year or two ago. Pretty, pretty cheap. So and it was funny because I you I watched I put the Blu Ray in and obviously the Blu Ray came out right when the 2011 remake came out because it starts with like, here's a sneak peek of the new Clash of the Titans was like a 10 minute like commercial behind the scenes commercial for the new Clash of the Titans. So but yeah, which I was that a huge the first one was OK, like

Chris: ⁓ cool. Mm-hmm. Right. Yeah.

Tim Williams: The Clash of the Titans remake that they did was decent. The second one they made, The Wrath of the Titans, the sequel was terrible. I think I only watched that one once, but I haven't gone back and watched those in a while. but but yeah. All right, Chris, well, thanks for joining on this episode. Always good to have you on the show. And this was another phone line, like Chris said, if you haven't seen in a while, it's great to go back and rewatch, especially after this. Let's talk about it for 45 to 50 minutes. So.

Chris: Gotcha. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Tim Williams: Good to go back and see what we're talking about. All right, that's a wrap on another trip to the greatest decade of cinema. If we sparked a memory or helped you rediscover a classic, please head over to Apple Podcasts and leave us a five-star review. It truly helps the show reach more fans just like you. To make sure you're always in the loop for our next deep dive, hit that follow or subscribe button. And if you want to keep the show running, consider being a partner over at buymeacoffee.com. For more 80s goodness, our digital headquarters is always open. at 80sflickflashback.com. And while you're there, check out our T public store for original designs and movie inspired merch that will have you looking like an 80s icon. Just launched some new designs. One I thought of you, Chris, if you don't know, Chris has one of his favorite sayings from the plea Airplane, which ⁓ I don't you were on that episode with us, but. I just want you to know we're all counting on you. What's the what's the line? Yeah. Yeah, so. ⁓

Chris: Yes. Yeah, that's it. That's it. Where they come in the cockpit and even after the planes already crashed. Leslie Nelson. Just want you to know we're all counting. Yeah, that's awesome.

Tim Williams: Yes, he comes to the coffee like four times. Yeah, yeah. He's like, I just want to tell you good luck and we're all counting on you. So I actually put that on a T-shirt. Yeah, so so we have that's on a T-shirt now. So if you want to get that and amaze your friends, go check out our tea public store and order one. So all right, Chris, great to have you again. Appreciate you joining us. Thanks, everybody, for listening for the 80s flick flashback. I'm Tim Williams. Release the Kraken.

Chris: Very good.