Jonathan Klotz | Posted
Watch enough science fiction and you’ll come across a few themes that every series deals with. and there was no one A murder mystery bottle episode about an evil twin or a parallel universe. Among these topics is the recently somewhat forgotten but once popular idea of miniature journeys into the human body.
Long before Ms. Frizzle takes her to one of her students on the Magic School Bus. Futurama The crew moved to Fry’s intestines. fantastic sailing We explored the inner self of a North Korean defector from the Soviet Union. The film won several awards, starred numerous stars, and to this day provides a visual language for every film or TV show that ventures inside the circulatory system.
Where no one has been before
Released in 1966, fantastic sailing It’s a technological marvel. The film’s original trailer heralded it as “a new kind of moviegoing experience,” and this time around, that wasn’t an exaggeration. It was true.
Five sailors board the submarine Proteus to save the life of Dr. Benes, a Soviet exile who invented miniaturization science. The submarine and its crew will then be tasked with removing the clots, which have been reduced to the size of microbes (one-tenth the size of a human cell) and difficult to access.
The journey to reach the destination passes through an unknown universe inside the human body. It’s a place full of things they’ve never seen before, and they only have one hour to survive.
The diving crew consists of brain surgeon Dr. Peter Duvall (Arthur Kennedy), his assistant Cora (Raquel Welch in her debut role), circulatory specialist Dr. Michaels (Donald Pleasance), Captain Owens (William Redfield), and the Proteus. there is. ‘ Pilot, and finally CIA agent Charles Grant (Stephen Boyd). Grant was dispatched by the United States Combined Miniature Deterrent Forces (CMDF) to prevent another attempt on Dr. Benes’ life. Of course, this actually happens.
Just looking at the cast, we now know exactly who the traitor is, but this was a year before Donald Pleasance debuted as Blofeld, James Bond’s nemesis. It was a twist at the time.
Dreamy visual showcase
A traitor aboard the Proteus adds to the tension as the sabotage begins, but the story could have been about saving lives without the Cold War subplot, and it would have been just as good. fantastic sailing It’s in peak condition as the crew explores the insides of Dr. Benes’ body and travels through the circulatory system through his heart, having to stop his heart to ensure safe passage.
They enter the lungs to collect oxygen, travel to the ears and even through the nervous system. Each new body part is another incredible visual playground for the cast to explore, and yes, it is. The special effects are incredibly rudimentary compared to the VFX showcases of modern blockbusters, but there’s definitely a kitschy charm to the “antibodies,” thick patches of string. A crew member throws it off-screen.
The background and visual effects of Proteus traveling through the body were sufficient. fantastic sailing It won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects and a second award for Best Art Direction, now known as Best Production Design. It was a well-deserved victory, and despite the ’60s special effects, the creepy white blood cell looks more like a monster from deep space than a vital, functional part of the human body.
Essential movies that define a genre
As groundbreaking and revolutionary as fantastic sailing Visually, the story’s discovery of conflict and danger in the simple act of exploration helped make it a genre-defining film. Isaac Asimov, one of the greatest science fiction writers of all time, wrote a novelization of the film that was released prior to it. It made the viewers believe it. fantastic sailing It was actually an adaptation of the film when it was developed first.
Asimov was a bit frustrated with some of the science in the film. He went on to write a sequel while honoring it in the novel. Fantastic Voyage II: Destination BrainIt was more scientifically accurate.
today, fantastic sailing It explores a new setting that has never before been realized on this scale and stands out as a turning point for science fiction cinema. story The focus was on exploration and discovery, which even at the time Hollywood movies replaced with aliens and monsters. It’s a simple plot, but even if there was There were no external conflicts, and the timer of just one hour to complete a mission added enough tension to make the whole process engaging.
You can stream fantastic sailing Today via VOD amazon prime, Apple TV, google playand Fandango at Home. It’s worth the trip.
