retromaster2000 Review of The Beast of Hollow Mountain

The Beast of Hollow Mountain (1956)

Great Story by Willis O'Brien but what happened to the Stop-Motion Animation Work?

[5/10 · 29 December 2006]

I got this movie a long time ago on VHS from Incredibly Strange Filmworks who deals with rare Sci-Fi, Horror Classics & more. I got it for Christmas one year I believe. I saw it it was pretty good I was disappointed by the Stop-Motion Animation I was used to seeing good smooth animation from Willis O'Brien & Pete Peterson also Ray Harryhausen & David Allen. Jim Danforth is also one of the best won 2 Oscars. I didn't know of him at the time though. Anyway it is a Sci-Fi / Western / Thriller about a Dinosaur hiding out in Hollow Mountain & the swamps & only coming out during times of drought to feed on the local Cattle. Good script by O'Brien. Edward Nassour who Directed also did The Stop-Motion Work which is too jerky not very good animation. Willis O'Brien & Pete Peterson should of did the animation I heard that the budget was too low so O'Brien turned it down. I guess that makes sense to do good smooth animation u need a lot of time. Nassour didn't have that time & Budget. The next year's The Black Scorpion (1957) was done by O'Brien & Peterson excellent Animation up their with the best Stop-Motion Work. Obviously with Scorpion they had the time & the budget to make good effective animation. When it comes to Stop-Motion to make it good u need time & a lot of money in those days. Nassour obviously didn't have it. The Allosaurus looks really nice & detailed I am sure nice armature & the rest was great & very detailed. Just Nassour didn't know what he was doing with the Stop-Motion Work. It is an Allosaurus too not a T-Rex I am sick of reading these other comments saying it's a T-Rex if u know dinosaurs like me count the fingers a Rex has 2 Fingers an Allosaurus has 3 fingers. In the film it has three so it's an Allosaurus. Same with "The Valley Of Gwangi" (1969) which was 100 times better of a Sci-Fi / Western / Thriller with more dinosaurs & brilliant Stop-Motion Work from the master Ray Harryhausen. Gwangi was also an Allosaurus. Anyway Hollow Mountain is alright it isn't the greatest animation but it is decent I guess. With the budget & time that's all that could be done so. Any O'Brien & Peterson, Harryhausen, Allen, or Danforth Film is far better cause they are among the Stop-Motion Masters. Nassour was a Director & isn't known for animation he just did it cause he couldn't get anyone else Harryhausen would of probably turned it down as well. Anyway "Earth vs. The Flying Saucers" (1956) came out & he was already probably working on "20 Million Miles To Earth" which came out the previous year 1957. It is still a good combination & story it isn't the worst Dinosaur Movie I have seen worse. It just isn't as good as u would expect especially for Dino & Stop-Motion Fans. I have this film on DVD+R Pan & Scan Version from Flix Movie Channel it is on their often so if u wanna check it on it's on their a lot. I also have a VHS Transfer on DVD+R of The 2.35:1 Letter-Box Version. Anyway 5 out of 10 for this. Thought I would mention I just recently got on a website like eBay called ioffer a far surperior Laserdisc Transfer of the film on DVD-R in LBOX 2.35:1 also includes a nice menu with chapter stops & Trailer. It was only 10 bucks too in all with shipping beat that! Plus I got 2 other Sci-Fi Films with it for free "The Cosmic Monsters" (1958) & "Fire Maidens From Outer Space" (1956) Cosmic I really like but Fire Maidens was alright they also have the trailers along with nice menus.