Posted by thad on 11/19/06 03:56

markh29@sympatico.ca wrote:
> DVD Review: FORBIDDEN PLANET 2-disc 50th Anniversary Special Edition
>
> Remastered with lots of goodies, the classic sci-fi film is reviewed,
> along with separate reviews for Robby the Robot's subsequent
> appearances in The Invisible Boy, and TV's The Thin Man.
>
> Read the review:
> http://www.kqek.com/dvd_reviews/f/3162_ForbiddenPlanet1956.htm

The review is interesting (and I bought the DVD, too), but I take issue
with two points in that review:

1. the sound quality is not excellent, it's too low. I compared
against
several other DVDs selected at random to assure there wasn't anything
wrong with my system and the fault definitely lies with the new FP DVD

2. though the review mentioned the Criterion laserdisc and its extras,
the
review gives the impression the new FP DVD has everything; it doesn't.

In fact, it pales in comparison to the extras on the Criterion LD
(which I
just finished rewatching). The LD has complete text scripts, so many
more photos, clothing designs, etc etc there's simply no comparison.

The LD extras even include the novelizations and two points overlooked
in the DVD extras:

1. why the Earth animals existed on Altair IV. They were created by
Morbius and, when dissected, really had nothing inside them since
Morbius
was a philologist and not a doctor/biologist; it was literally the
Krell machine
that was keeping the animals alive

2. description of the Krell. Many points overlooked in the DVD extras
but are
on the Criterion LD. Consider:

a. Morbius' comment while at the machine: "I often wish I had more arms
and
legs to operate the machinery" and the headset for "a larger cranium".

b. the entrance stairway to the Krell lab: two sets of stairs with a
ramp between
them -- the ramp for the tail of a broad multi-legged creature whose
multiple legs
would be on the flanking stairs.

c. lack of any pictures of the Krell in Krell art or books? Not
really; Morbius
simply didn't know how to retrieve them from the vast library.
Speculation
abounds they were probably arachnid-like or crab-like given the
stairs/ramp
and the dimensions of the portal and doors. It was probably just as
well to
not show any pictures so we could conjure shapes up in our own minds.
:-)

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