MovieChat Forums > One Million Years B.C. (1967) Discussion > Last 3 mins. in B+W on 'Hammer Collectio...

Last 3 mins. in B+W on 'Hammer Collection' R2 DVD - Why???

posted 18 years ago by stoneracket
13 replies | jump to latest

I just purchased the recent ( Nov. 2006 - Optimum Home Entertainment ) "Hammer Collection" Region 2 DVD and the last scene ( approx. 3 minutes ) after the volcanic eruption is entirely in black and white. What's up with this anyway? I would also like to know about the previous Region 2 DVD release ( July 2002 - Warner Home Video ) and if it truly is the uncut version of the film. This Optimum release runs only 96 minutes and, according to IMDB, the original British release running time is 100 minutes. Amazon UK lists the 2002 Warner DVD release as running only 88 minutes. Can someone who owns this Warner Region 2 DVD of One Million Years B.C. please respond to my questions here? Thanks in advance.

[–] petersj-2 18 years ago

I could be quite wrong but I noticed this too. I think it was intentional asw an effect to show the "light" of the volcano...the symboilc darkness of the new world. It just looked too intentional.. mind you this is only a guess.

[–] Jiiimbooh 18 years ago

I have a region 1 release and it's also black & white the last couple of minutes, so it seems it's meant to be that way. I agree with the previous poster that it looked intentional.

___
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"It doesn't do anything. That's the beauty of it."

[–] dk2-1 18 years ago

It was intentional; the idea was that the volcanic "output" rendered the atmosphere heavy with "smoke," and all after was subsuquently seen through a "moribound lense" in shades of black and gray--due to the heavy black smoke.

:-/

[–] onnanob2 15 years ago

I don't think it was true black and white, since shades of blue can be seen at times when the sky is shown.

A volcanic eruption spews a lot of ash into the air. The ash falls onto the earth creating a temporary bleak, colorless world. It's kind of like snow. Both ash and snow fall, covering everything, and making everything the same color (or lack of color). This was the best they could do to create that bleak, colorless effect in 1966.

A similar outcome can be seen in the 1997 disaster movie, "Volcano".

[–] vincenzo66 15 years ago

Yes the UK Optimum DVD features the full uncut (ie UK theatrical) print of the film. I have the 1993 Warner video which also features the cinema print, and the final eruption 'after effects' are in black & white (or grey/blue) as well. Seems to have been done in order to add a symbolic ash effect to the end of the film.

[–] mehaul 15 years ago

My Region 1 Wide Screen Release (from 20th Century Fox!) runs 91 minutes. The use of the lens filtering also negated the need to extensively apply body make-up to depict the ash coating all characters would have had on them. Though a few close ups of one or two done with some ash would have accomplished the mislead much better.
My copy also comes with Spanish subtitles. Wish they came in English. Tumak ug Loana and Loana ach Tumak must have been quite steamy as my version comes unrated.

[–] Bacaruda 14 years ago

I have ''The Ultimate Hammer Collection'' box set(region 2) and on my disc the last minutes are not entirely in B&W. They have an orange filter. So it's more like black, white and orange. Which would symbolize the volcanic cloud or something, I guess.
Oh, and mine is 93 minutes long.

__________________________________
''All art is quite useless'' - Oscar Wilde

[–] chesterbosco 14 years ago

The final minutes are Sepia Toned in all versions. Why? I don't know. I saw it theatrically and it was just as puzzling back then. It would sure be nice if they could print the film without the contribution of horrible composer Mario Nascimbene. God his stuff is dreadful.

[–] surfink 13 years ago

Nascimbene dreadful? Whaaaat? It's been a while since I've seen the three other Hammer films he scored (Vengeance of She, When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth, Creatures the World Forgot), so I'm not commenting on those, but I just watched OMBC again today and I couldn't disagree more with your comment.

His "primitive" percussion-based score sets the perfect tone for this film, helping tremendously to realize the otherworldly, prehistoric atmosphere. In my mind, a traditional orchestral score would have turned this into a completely different film, and probably ruined it. What exactly would you prefer?

You're entitled to your opinion, of course, but I think his score is fabulous and one of the best elements of the movie, along with Ray's FX, the desolate locations, and Raquel and Martine Beswick, of course.

[–] craigballantyne2006 12 years ago

chesterbosco black and white is what I thought at first but before the end credits came up I then thought sepia.

[–] bryangermany 14 years ago

Hi there,
I have the 2002 year DVD release of this film. It was a StudioCanal release.
Please also remember or note: While a film shown in a cinema maybe 100 minutes in length, once it is coverted to PAL the European standard, the running time speads up a few minutes. This is why you will notice European DVD releases are a few minutes shorter then the actural time. Adding 3 or 4 minutes to a DVD films length then may egual the original run time. If it is still less then I would say the film is edited. Of course this exsample is roughly for a 100 minute film. The Pal speed-up, or so it is called, is 4% faster for the movie.
The audio pitch will be 4% higher.

[–] tbennett20 13 years ago

I saw the movie in the theatre and I had forgotten about the b&w ending. It was kind of strange but I liked the movie and I remember Raquel was awesome.She is still beautiful today. I would like to get the DVD. I just watched 100 rifles online. It is a movie that needs to be seen in widescreen for sure.