Some movies just don’t hold up. One of those, honestly, is The Black Hole, Disney’s 1979 science fiction movie*. Like Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Black Hole seemed to be emboldened by Star Wars‘ success but tried to ape 2001: A Space Odyssey and ended up being pretty airless and dull. As a kid I would flip my shit over anything related to space, so I ate the movie up, but subsequent reviewings really exposed me to the tedium my parents must have experienced taking me to the film.
Disney’s going back to their weird little late 70s/early 80s dark period, first with Tron Legacy, a sequel to the classic (but also really, really slow) video game movie and now with a remake of The Black Hole. And it’s the same guy doing both, Joseph Kosinski. While giving interviews about Tron Legacy, Kosinski tells the folks at MTV that The Black Hole is in the script stage and that they’re keeping some elements of the original.
“I saw ‘Black Hole’ as a little kid,” said Kosinski. “What sticks out most is the robot Maximilian. The blades and the vicious killing of Anthony Perkins. That freaked me out and that’s definitely going to be an element that will be preserved. The design of the Cygnus ship is one of the most iconic spaceships ever put to film. From a conceptual point of view, we know so much more about black holes now, the crazy things that go on as you approach them due to the intense gravitational pull and the effects on time and space. All that could provide us with some really cool film if we embrace it in a hard science way.”
He actually namedrops 2001 when talking about his vision for the movie, and that makes me worried. I hope he means ‘like 2001 if 2001 had all kinds of bad ass battles against robots and hideous looking cyborgs.’
* My personal connection to The Black Hole: I had already seen the movie twice when my uncle decided he wanted to take me to see The Jerk, so we told my family we were seeing The Black Hole again. I would be able to answer any questions about the movie and my family wouldn’t know I had just been taken to my first rated R movie.
30 comments
I thought Event Horizon was the hard sci-fi version of The Black Hole? Oh, wait…
Devin, do the writers have a picture of your asshole for an accurate depiction of a black hole?
TBC kicked ass in 79.
It sucks ass now.
They better damn well keep V.I.N.C.E.N.T.
I'm glad they're going to preserve the killing of Anthony Perkins
So I guess Devin will call anyone that actually likes this movie and "idiot" or a "moron" or someone with "bad taste". Just like he does on the forums when someone doesn't agree with him. Sorry you have daddy abandonment issues, kiddo.
No offence, but utter crap it doesn't hold up. It's one of the best things Disney ever made that's for sure and as a hard edged scifi movie, it's right up there – yes there are the elements for kids but really, it's not a kids film. Brutal murders, subjegation of free will, obsession and madness plus a contemplation of life after death all wrapped up in a movie with no easy answers. If we got as much in most scifi these days we'd be lucky. It's a great movie. End of story.
I have to disagree with you on this one Devin. The Black Hole still holds up, I watched it on one of the HD channels a few months ago and it looked really sweet. Plus, the score by John Barry is freaking amazing, I still love the "overture" in the beginning.
Well played, sir. WELL PLAYED.
I always loved The Black Hole, for me it was another great version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (in space). For me, it still holds up mostly due to the music and the freaky ending.
"weird little late 70s/early 80s dark period" I'm expecting word on "The Watcher in the Woods" followed by the "Flight of the Navigator" reboots any day now.
OK, first of all, I just saw it again recently, and no, it doesn't hold up. It's not the dated effects (they are), the over-the-top acting (it is).it's the straddling of family friendly and tough sci-fi that don't gel. The film felt uncomfortable with itself. Can it be remade better? Sure. Oh, and #7, read #10 w/o the positive spin. Tick off your list. It's there.
And on an unrelated note, go see The Wolfman. Fuckin' great!
#2 I've seen the picture you're referring to. I thought the effect with the white stars was good, until I realise all the little white specks were actually Edgar Wright’s man goo.
Wow, some itchy vaginas around today in the comments section – invest in some Vagi-clean! Anyway, hopefully the 2001 reference will be related to the sense of awe, rather than the pacing. But fuck, he's dead on with the Max and Cygnus points. Saw the DVD on sale yesterday for 10 bucks – am tempted to grab it anyway as I haven't seen in it in 10 years or more. From memory it's a movie begging for a remake to iron out the kinks.
I dunno guys – there's lots wrong with the original BLACK HOLE – mostly that the characters seem so stiff compared to the likes of Luke and Han – but there's lots good about it. It really rocked my ass in the cinema, and personally I think it DOES hold up on the small screen. It's slow-burning, but intense, and definitely scary. And one thing's for sure – no one is going to better John Barry's score.
I just watched this two days ago and while it is a bit slow, I think a lot of the model effects are still gorgeous. Rather than a reboot, I'd like to see something like Tron Legacy and have a rescue crew trying to find out what happened to crew of the Palamino.
Man, I love the Jerk. I haven't seen that movie in a while. Perfect day to watch it being snowed in and all.
Next Disney remake: CONDORMAN – we can only hope. This one is due for a remake.
Imagine a robot sentries vs. zombie crew finale and this could be one of the best remakes ever.
C'mooooon.
Beyond childhood affinity, how can anyone possibly say The Black Hole holds up in 2010. Sure it's got an eerie concept/theme, great ship designs, cool robots and a fantastic score, but the guts of the movie– the stuff that suspends disbelief and characters who sustain and propel the story– are embarrassing. Old Bob? The goofy shootout scene with "Star"? Joseph Bottoms' horrible Lt. Pfizer? The top-to-bottom inane dialogue? Now creaky FX? Yeah, elements are iconic, but The Black Hole, as a complete film, doesn't hold up in the least.
As a kid who had The Black Hole lunch pail, the "See, Hear and Read" storybook pictured above, and listened to the vinyl soundtrack popping under the needle ad infinitum, adulthood revisits show this sucker's spent decades begging for a remake.
I, for one, am happy it's finally receiving one.
Yeah, your "uncle." Sure…
i vote condor man – with Michael Crawford reprising his role. No, the rock! yeah the rock, and the rock for VINCENT too. Yeah the rock, for everything!
Let's be honest, the film was all about the design. The Cygnus is iconic, as is Maximilian. Keep the general awesomeness of those two, the skeleton of the story (crew enslaved by madman to find god via black hole) and a reboot can completely work.
TBH was way to silly to be taken seriously, even then. I went to premiere and saw the HUGE disappointment on people's faces. Even in 70mm with Harrison and Peter Ellenshaw's SFX, it was a bomb. Way too Disney. Flopped at BO and will again. Can't they find something new, like "Stranger in a strange land" or "Left hand of darkness?"
You know what John Waters says: Remake the bad films, not the good ones.
I was a hardcore robot buff and Black Hole delivered on that account and I still think of Maximilian when I see robots/droids in other films. Everyone I know who saw the film, even my parents, remembers Maximilian when the film is brought up. The Disney film with the "big creepy red robot."
The potential remake could be amazing, even if the original seems dated. As long as keep Maximilian like he was: the silent ominous predator, didn't have a single line, didn't need one.
I smell a Dragonslayer remake ….
I myself am glad to see this movie remade for several reasons. At the time (1979), this movie was the darkest Disney film I had ever seen, and the special effects were great. Of course, it's easy for people NOW to compare it to recent films and be critical. If this movie is done right, no 'heaven' and 'hell' references from the first film (as they traveled through the black hole) and keep it pure science. Believe me, there's a LOT worst movies being made in Hollywood (Yogi Bear the movie).
I dunno, I liked that this movie had the balls to include an awsome depiction of Christian mythology/theology and the visions of Hell (and Heaven) f'ed me up as a little kid–as an adult I love it even more. I hope they keep that aspect somehow while still honoring the advances in physics and come off with a great piece of film, but unfortunately, most remakes are crap….so…..
Okay maybe I'm a little late in the comment department here but yes a remake would be good if the makers of the movie don't make it into a kid crap fest for the family. The reason the it being the original didn't do well in theaters is cause it just didn't keep to the darkness that the movie was originally aiming for instead they had crappy robots for humor meant to appease the kids. It is obviouse only Max and the mad captain of the cygnus was to be taken seriously and the rest of the cast were well just cannon fodder that were fill-ins for an excuse to make a dull story that much more a crap-fest! Let's not forget the ending which made no sense whatsoever too this day I'm still confused what it was intending so I won't get into that lame discussion! Okay a remake yes but keep it real like the new Batman movies otherwise if you can't do that just don't make a remake at all!
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