Creatures mythical, monstrous and magical

Press, 20 August 1981, Page 8 (Supplement)

Creatures mythical, monstrous and magical

One of the wonders of “Clash of the Titans,” which starts 'at the Savoy tomorrow, is the special effects created by Ray Harryhausen, who already has made a name for himself as a cinema techni-cian-magician, notably in “Jason and the Argonauts.” Harryhausen’s world is peopled by creatures mythical, monstrous and magical. From his research and his imagination, he pulls out a wealth of ingenious characters for every movie he makes.

In past films Ray’s creatures have included a bridge-devouring octopus, dinosaurs, pterodactyls, swordfighting skeletons, chess-

playing baboons and a host of other appealing, or possibly appalling, creatures. This talent for originating the fascinating, if sometimes slightly frightening, has not been checked in “Clash of the Titans,” He again has conscripted a host of the weird and wonderful:

There is the magical, owl, BUBO, forged by the blacksmith, Hephaestus, at Athene’s command. Fashioned from golden metal. Bubo has a talent beyond the ordinary. He leads Perseus to the lair of the Stygian witches and when Perseus ultimately stands against the fnonstrOfls Kraken it is Bubo who saves

the day. The owl is sacred to Athene and was thought by ancient man to be an animal of magic and superstition. A symbol of gloom and death, the owl was also revered as the possessor of great wisdom.

PEGASUS, the flying horse, carried Perseus into battle against the kraken. The pure white horse with wings to lift him through the skies is captured and tamed by Perseus at the Wells of the Moon. For his loyalty Pegasus was rewarded by Zeus with a permanent place in the heavens, where he lives among the constellations and carries the great gods’ thunderbolts.

DIOSKILOS is not so appealing. A giant, ferocious wolf-dog with two heads, Dioskilos guards the entrance to Medusa’s sanctuary. In a terrifying fight, Perseus with Aphrodite’s sword severs one of the heads but the dog keeps attacking until, with one lunge, Perseus drives his sword through the body of Dioskilos. The MEDUSA was once a beautiful young girl seduced by Poseidon in the shape of a horse (some say a bird). Unfortunately the sea-god chose a temple dedicated to Athene as the setting for his seduction. The goddess was a enraged, feeling this to be slight to her dignity, and in revenge turned Medusa’s hair into snakes. So ugly was Medusa that one glance could turn a man to stone.

The KRAKEN is a giant sea-monster, the mutant child born of the union of one of the mighty Titans and a pre-historic reptile. Released from its ancient home on the sea-bed to avenge the pride of Cassiopeia, the Kraken rises in an explosion of churning sea to take Andromeda as a sacrifice before being sent to a lasting death at the hand of Perseus. CALIBOS was once a golden, handsome youth but is now an odious, satanic, mutation, pa'rtly human, partly satyr. Cursed by Zeus, Calibos, with • one cloven hoof, reptilian tail, clawed hands and goat-horned head lives in a foul, stinking swamp crawling with cor-

rupt and awful creatures. Desirous of Andromeda’s love, Calibos has at his command a giant vulture, a rapacious bird of prey who carries off Andromeda in a gilded cage. CHARON is the boatman who ferries people to the Isle of the Dead, hooded and cloaked in black. As Perseus

comes, close to pay the boatman with silver coins, he sees the outstretched hand of 3 skeleton and beneath the fustian cowl a grinning sightleGlAJ<T SCORPION'S who spring from the blood of the severed Gorgon head can kill a man with one venomous sting.