THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD

US, 1975, 105 minutes, Colour.
John Philip Law, Caroline Munro, Tom Baker, Gregoire Aslan, Douglas Wilmer, Martin Shaw
Directed by Gordon Hessler.

The Golden Voyage of Sinbad is a successor to 'The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad’ and to the later, 'Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger'. These are British productions and designed for juvenile and family audiences. They take the famous legend and are quite action-packed. However what distinguishes them from other films is Dynamation, a process of using animated figures with live action, developed by Ray Harryhausen. The same processes were used In a lot of films about prehistoric times, for example ‘Creatures the World Forgot’, 'When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth', 'The Land that Time Forgot’ and so on. These ‘Sinbad' films are very enjoyable In their way, the first one probably being the best. There has been a succession of Sinbads over the decades from Kerwin Matthews In 1957 to John Philip Law in the early 70s to John Wayne's son Patrick in the late 70s.

1 How enjoyable a film? For whom was it made? What age group?

2. How successful were the adventures? In conception, screen play, special effects, excitement?

3. How attractive was the Arabian setting? Dreams and adventures? audience response to Arabian stories?

4. Comment on the effectiveness of Dynarama and the effects. The birds, the little man, the centaur? the god with six arms, what did they add to the film?

5. Comment on Sinbad as a hero. Was he attractive, good - not evil? His relationship with the heroine, his men, his skill in the fights?

6. How good a villain was Koura? His evil ambitions, aging, magic powers, final destruction?

7. How attractive was the heroine, the sailors, the lazy sailor?

8. Action, characters and effects all combing for successful entertainment?