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Jason and the Argonauts (1963,
UK/US)
In Don Chaffey's visually-stunning fantasy film -
a tale of the Greek myth adventure-search for the Golden Fleece of
a winged ram (a sign of authority to bring peace and health to the
land), noted for its creative animation effects by Ray Harryhausen
- [Note: the spectacular sole swordfighting skeleton in the
earlier The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) was multiplied in
this film]:
- the title character Jason (Todd Armstrong) on a
fateful voyage on his Argo ship to the island of Colchis
with his Argonauts
- the encounter on the Isle of Bronze with a giant bronze
statue known as Talos (the guard of Crete) that creakingly came to
life - eventually defeated by draining its bloody innards (ichor)
from its heel
Talos (Guard of Crete) Brought to Life
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- the Argonauts' battle against two half-human, half-bird
Harpies, flying vulturous creatures
- the sequence of sailing between Clashing Rocks when
the gigantic sea god Triton (a merman) held the rocks apart and protected
Jason's ship from being destroyed
- the scene of the Golden Fleece guarded by a 7-headed
Hydra
- the sword-wielding living skeleton warriors that were
transformed from the Hydra's teeth seeded in the ground, to engage
in battle with Jason and his Argonauts in broad daylight on a cliff
- a brilliantly-choreographed sequence; included was one semi-closeup
of a grinning skull of a skeleton waving his sword
Swordplay Against Skeletal Warriors
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Jason and Argo with Argonauts on Fateful Voyage
Sea God Triton
Battling the 7-Headed Hydra
The Golden Fleece
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