Disney's Forgotten Cosmic Horror: THE BLACK HOLE

[@MattDraper]

What's your favorite space movie?

[@ginofrancejr555]

2001 a space odyssey star trek films aliens and the one with tye Sheridan and lily rose depp

[@_GeneralMechanics_]

How much time you got?

[@jamesabernethy7896]

I love sci-fi but strangely a lot of the movies I like most are earthbound. I keep flipping between Star Trek 2 and 6 as to what would be my favourite.

[@Enshohma]

This one (The Black Hole) for sure as my tope favorite with Japanese fantasy film Message from Space coming a close second.

[@The7thDraconian]

Gun to my head, probably Alien. Real original I know, but sometimes the obvious choice is obvious for a reason. My runner's up are also pretty obvious with 2001: A Space Odyssey and Wall-E. Though what I've heard about the film Moon makes it sound like it could be a new favorite of mine if I ever find the time to sit my ass down and watch the whole thing.

[@nabguy]

Within the last two years, I happened to be watching this with my mother. Shortly after Anthony Perkins' demise at the 'hands' of Maximilian, I was asked to hit pause. Several seconds later came a borderline shriek of "I took you to see this as a CHILD?!? What was I thinking?"

[@TransparencyandMerit]

My old man took me to see the Wild Bunch and Cross of Iron when I was a kid however it was shocking for a PG film

[@sevenodonata]

I saw Jaws with my dad when I was 6! 😂

[@MrJohndoakes]

Children just took horrifying stuff like that head on. Remember that they made a 12-inch "Alien" toy in 1979-1980....because "Star Wars" had toys.

[@ZiddersRooFurry]

My mom took me to see this when I was six XD That scene stuck with me for a long time. I remember my older sister and I would play pretend, and I'd always get killed by Maximillian and die the same way Tony Perkins did.

[@leonardHughes-iq3wv]

I also went at an early age.my father and mother didn't care for it.dads reaction was what a waste of money that was.

[@mikemoore7297]

Saw The Black Hole in theaters when I was 8 and I loved it and all my friends loved it . 46 years later it's still one of my top 5 favorite movies of all time right up there with Alien , The Thing and Star Wars.

[@dos_feratu]

Came here to say the same thing.

[@highriskgunman4181]

seen it in the theater when i was 12 and i just realized that they came up with the idea that a scientific experiment dealing with singularities could lead to the Hell universe from Doom.

[@scottgallagher5344]

@@dos_feratu Same here

[@Eviltot]

I saw it when I was 5 and have loved it ever since.

[@patrickancona1193]

Same, bit slow but ended well, got the trash can robots for Christmas that year too

[@scarpad]

The John Barry Music in this movie is so good.

[@zeroman614]

Really the music and production design were the only good things about this movie.

[@pauln6]

Still one of my favourite movie soundtracks. I could have the opening scene up to the point where they dock with the Cygnus on loop forever.

[@astropioneer3296]

Loved the poster as a kid, and that meteor rolling through the ship was amazing.

[@RobinDale50]

The pinnacle of 70s minor-key soundtracks. See also: Raise the Titanic and Moonraker, among many others. It wasn't until the early 80s that movies, and particularly scifi movies, moved to brighter, less downbeat, soundtracks.

[@philfedora495]

Another John Barry banger. I didnt even know he did the soundtrack to this.

[@Nono-hk3is]

"Get rid of B.O.B. and V.I.N.C.E.N.T.'s wacky adventures." How DARE you, Matthew.

[@thewiirocks]

i agree. The movie was fantastic. Silly robots and all. The real problem was the ending. An unsatisfying ending causes audiences to leave the theater without that elation of wanting more. Which prevents the word of mouth push needed to make a movie really take off. The Black Hole was a fantastic movie that simply lacks an ending.

[@joeltasker6956]

They’re the best thing about it. Silly adventures? They do most of the investigation and have the most effective story arc.

[@Pantheragem]

​@thewiirocks The ending is exactly the ending of "Dante's Inferno", as the next story was to be a journey through Heaven. Though it was never written. This movie is really "Dante's Inferno" in space, so the ending fits.

[@AdamSternberg]

@@joeltasker6956 Quite the opposite. They introduced an unnecessary silliness to the film that absolutely doesn't work. At best, their dialog together is just total cringe.

[@ElvenRaptor]

The silly robots ARE the reason I can stand to watch the film. God only knows they're more interesting than the stiff humans.

[@1kylecurry]

"The Black Hole" is a universally underrated sci-fi space adventure with some horror themes. Yes, it's flawed, however still entertaining & charming in its own way. Still hoping for a proper remake.

[@alexandresobreiramartins9461]

I think this deserves far more praise than it gets.

[@1kylecurry]

@alexandresobreiramartins9461 I completely agree

[@charlestonjew7587]

Well, we did get 1997's 'Event Horizon', which is sort of the spiritual successor to 'The Black Hole' but I would be interested in a direct remake.

[@1kylecurry]

@charlestonjew7587 Indeed. Totally agree 💯

[@mikepastor.k6233]

It didn't help by getting panned by critics. Siskel and Ebert both gave it thumbs down and mocked the black hole, looking like a big blue toilet bowl 😮

[@Datan0de]

I once held a double feature of The Black Hole and Event Horizon. Watching the two movies back to back is a unique experience that I recommend to anyone who loved The Black Hole and has a strong stomach. Both movies are underrated gems that tell the same basic story with VERY different tone. IMHO, watching them together improves both movies.

[@angelaharris53]

After seeing the video here and being reminded of the The Black Hole again (I was very young when it came out so I've only seen it a few times), my thoughts were making the connections between the two and I agree that you are likely right. Now, I have something to go do.

[@craftpaint1644]

Sunshine also has parallel psychological horror. Dedicated genius driven mad by his passions.

[@jayblack7495]

Very much an influence over Warhammer 40K...

[@l.salisbury1253]

Remember when this came out- it was the first-ever Disney feature to receive a PG! - a VERY controversial decision at that time! I think Black Hole has more in common with Forbidden Planet than Star Wars, or Alien...

[@marhawkman303]

yeah, it's old-school sci-fi from before it became boring and formulaic.

[@MostlyPennyCat]

Forbidden Planet is a stone cold _masterpiece_

[@ShadowSumac]

Black Hole does not deserve to be mentioned nowhere near Forbidden Planet. They like on different planes alltogether.

[@noman6041]

The Black Hole was one of the BEST sci-fi movies ever made. [I don't consider it to be a 'horror' movie] I had the great honor of seeing this movie in the theater and came away loving it. It really deserves more appreciation and love-how could this movie have been a flop? Fantastic cast and special effects and a brilliant score from John Barry. Total escapism and pure storytelling. GREAT movie! And despite what anyone else says, it DOES still hold up and it's far better than most of the sci-fi we get today. It is a true classic and will never be forgotten. And a remake would be a crime. This movie deserves the respect of being left alone and untarnished. A remake would only ruin it's beauty.

[@Lennis01]

I used to think The Black Hole would benefit greatly from a remake. Perhaps I still would if Disney hadn't destroyed every franchise they've touched for the past 15 years.

[@IshCiss]

I wouldn't mind if this movie was explored more with a sequel than much of Disney's recent stuff

[@MostlyPennyCat]

I own a 16mm Technicolour print of The Black Hole. It's a treasured possession.

[@mlj1111]

Maximilian and the references to Dante's inferno make it a horror movie. Those scenes gave me nightmares as a kid. Anthony Perkin's death still make me shudder.

[@Enshohma]

I know A LOT of shade has been thrown at this film and while it is hokey, it's like an well staged operatic take on old school science fiction, both 1950s space thrillers and the pulp shorts that came well before them. It's a beautifully made flawed gem. Also, Maximillian the robot is easily one of the top 10 live action Disney villains.

[@DavidPaulMorgan]

i can certainly see 'echoes' of Forbidden Planet in parts of this.

[@michaelwills1926]

I wouldn’t say it’s hokey at all

[@ShadowSumac]

It is too old school. After Star Wars it looks like an ancient derelict and not even in a good nostalgic or corny way. And I don't mean story, but in general - production quality, designs.

[@peanutbutterjeff5364]

Although I don’t enjoy The Black Hole as much as other cult classic Disney movies like Tron, the “look” of it draws me in. The practical effects of the black hole itself and the designs of the Cygnus always have me in awe.

[@ShinGallon]

The Cygnus is one of my favorite sci-fi spaceships. It's so weird and unlike anything that would ever actually be made, it's a ship that could ONLY exist in a movie.

[@alexandresobreiramartins9461]

@@ShinGallon Cygnus is a haunted castle in space. Absolutely wonderful!

[@mimavox-swe]

​@@ShinGallon Yes! The design is absolutely stunning. And the fact that it's more or less deserted makes it wonderfully eery.

[@ShadowSumac]

Tron is one of my favorite movies of all time. Black Hole - is not, to say the least. And I think they are quite different when it comes to quality, regardless of money wasted on Black Hole.

[@jonathanmulondo9206]

Even though it was meant for a younger audience, The Black Hole is scary and unsettling. It's like if Junji Ito or Lovecraft made a Disney movie 🎥.

[@marhawkman303]

it was the old school approach of taking an adult movie... and... tweaking it... just enough...

[@MostlyPennyCat]

​@@marhawkman303 To scare the living crap out of 6 year olds... 😮

[@marhawkman303]

@ GOOD! :Þ

[@ValosiTiamata]

The thing about The Black Hole is that it ended up being far more existential horror than a sci-fi romp. All throughout are little philosophical debates and moral dilemmas you barely notice, only to have the ending slam you head-on with the concept of religion and what might lie on the other side (of death). Did our heroes survive? Are they in an alternate reality? Or did they die and emerging from the black hole is actually them entering the afterlife? When you look at the movie as purely sci-fi, it has memorable characters and moments, but doesn't make much sense. But when you come BACK to it with a philosophical mindset, the amount of potential symbolism, nod to cults (lobotomies taking the place of brainwashing initiates, for example), and the brutal dance of life and death portrayed by the Black Hole itself make this movie an unforgettable (if imperfect) masterpiece.

[@CTimmerman]

If you like your existentialism a little less dark, watch Ghost in the Shell (1995) or The Matrix.

[@s1n4m1n]

Agree. It’s a very deep movie from a philosophical and religious standpoint.

[@kenweller2032]

I saw this as a twelve tear old and thought it was pretty good, not STAR WARS, but good. Shortly after that I saw a review on TV with my brother and mom on PM Magazine, a show that was syndicated to local stations with some local input which aired in the late 70's - early 80's. Anyway, the movie must have struck a religious nerve with the critic and the review was what seemed like a long rant about the film being heretical and ungodly. My mom, brother and myself were quite perplexed. We never saw a review from her again.

[@Large23collectibles]

Saw this move in the 80's when I was 7 and it blew my mind. Saw it on Disney plus not that long ago and it still holds up.

[@newtypepunk9967]

This was the first film that I recorded on VHS off TV, and I watched it so many times after. Bob dying is still one of the saddest moments in movies for me, and the way Vincent just floats off with the sad eyes, so much emotion between two tin cans, its un real. Oh and that ending was crazy, Dr Hans punished for his sins being trapped not only in hell but inside his very own robot, that is truly messed up.

[@chargingrhino5636]

And you don't have to look too closely at Maximillian to see a human body won't fit inside that armor with arms and legs intact. 😱

[@scottielise]

So Mickey Mouse makes Event Horizon. Got it.

[@geraldmartin7703]

Event Horizon with two cute little robots.

[@B_Estes_Undegöetz]

@@geraldmartin7703Except Black Hole came out much earlier than Event Horizon. Two decades earlier. So … get the cause and effect right. “ Event Horizon” is Paul W.S. Anderson / Resident Evil version of “Black Hole”. Black Hole had so much potential. It was the old-school Disney elements … aging 50s Hollywood B-movie “stars” and the self-conscious efforts to be both “kid-friendly” while deliberately trying to achieve a PG-rating to be more “grown up”; all that self-conscious planning and deliberation to keep things “Disney” is what ruined the film. Too self-conscious and built by committee. The coming crap of Hollywood committee filmmaking we see today was already fully underway and trying to put the organic realism of the 1970s far into the rear view mirror to embrace the Reagan neoliberal capitalist “trickle down” 1980s.

[@michaelwills1926]

@@B_Estes_Undegöetzthis was an amazing movie in all respects. Its only fault was following Star Wars and being expected to hold that same line of adventure rather than the contemplative film it was.

[@B_Estes_Undegöetz]

@ I was a teenager when it came out and can remember thinking “what a silly idea to use all these hasbeen 50s actors and then tack on, seemingly at the last minute and arbitrarily to sell kids toys to really small kids, these silly childish robots just because Star Wars had a pair of robots + an evil magic human cyborg (Vader) (Star Wars’ were much cooler ones than the Disney ones which were, or felt like, they were anyway, consciously trying to prevent the future of science fiction (like we’d already seen in the class conscious film “Alien” just two years earlier) from happening and trying to recreate a cheesy 1950s feeling “Lost in Space” (the original one … not the remake) or any number of B-movies from the late 1950s. Why take a script based on at the time the most up to date science, and then waste the truly amazing talents of the visual effects people and the unique cool look of the Cygnus ship … and then weld that awful 1950s cast and consciously movie-nostalgia look of the actual characters and robots? The 70s were a reactionary decade without a doubt with nostalgia for the 50s (trying to convince people all that political awareness and growing power and education of the working people that had occurred since the end of WWII culminating in the radical almost socialist politics of some (certainly not all … ) in America of the late 1960s … the 70s wanted to create a nostalgia for an imagined 50s that never really happened. The 80s solidified the renunciation of the 60s. “The Black Hole” was a weird, first draft like effort create a new science fiction that WASN’T progressive or on the side of working people and wanted to re-create a 50s science fiction of ham-handed paranoia of “other”. And Disney you can tell after watching it again in retrospect was already up to its tricks we’re all too familiar with now … too worried about making a “movie-product” that checked all the right bean counter boxes rather than making the best movie with the talent and money available to them. Corporate Disney being Corporate Disney. Oh well. A missed opportunity for true greatness there. The potential for a real stunner and an unforgettable movie for the ages was there. They were too worried about what corporate types always seem to worry about; a checklist of things that made money for other people often twenty or more years ago.

[@highriskgunman4181]

More like Disney came up with the idea that scientific experiments dealing with singularities lead to the Hell universe from DOOM.

[@gustavohernandeza.890]

I, for one; would like to see a video on Hollywood's 70s disaster movies

[@MattDraper]

Ok that's one vote!

[@SleepingDragon3]

@@MattDraperyou have a second vote

[@davidvitti8240]

@@MattDraper 3rd vote!

[@beatlesfansam]

4th vote!

[@georgelea4297]

@MattDraper 4th vote

[@Cbiz210]

Saw this movie with a child and found it fascinating and traumatizing at the same time... It is one of those movies that stays with you for a while after watching it as a kid.

[@SingularityOrbit]

When I saw Star Wars as a very small child, what I learned was that laser swords and X-Wings were cool. When I saw The Black Hole, though, I realized that I was expected to think about the ending, ask questions, and work it out from the clues. It was my very small self's first foray into "pondering the world around me." Also, the dark tone of this film made it much easier to slide into The Empire Strikes Back the following year.

[@allthingsnerd.4484]

That’s a really good point about how this movie kind of prepared 8 year old me for ESB the next year…. Having to sort out an ending that doesn’t wrap everything up neatly, where the good guys don’t “win” but break even at best.

[@RazaXML]

forgotten? says you. it's always been one of my favorites

[@bsharp3281]

I like your thought about remaking The Black Hole. Disney remakes their hits when they should remake their failures. Do it right this time.

[@jacktuls3236]

We haven’t forgotten, we’ve all been waiting for a remake.

[@KlingonCaptain]

It's called "Event Horizon."

[@michaelwills1926]

@@Ctrlallterrors101it would be cool but then then again we know how it works with reboots in the common era

[@Phreno_Xeno]

Not everything needs a remake. Certainly not this.

[@flea4061]

No you don't. It would ne a woke mess.

[@Lennis01]

First, Bob Iger needs to go. Do that, and we can have a remake discussion again. He's ruined too many franchises to be trusted with anything else.

[@AJLangford]

The problem with looking at a movie aimed at young audiences as an adult, is simply that. As a 12yo who saw this in the cinema, I loved it. 12 is probably a good age for some of the more disturbing elements, and they were disturbing, yet were not too gratuitous (mind you I saw Alien in the same year which freaked me out but left no long lasting affects as film studios and guardians would have us believe). I love the obvious Star Wars similarities and the dark mood and the great score and this was all obvious to me at the time. Young enough to like the robots and not find them annoying as an adult might. Plus I knew who Roddy McDowell was being a Planet of the Apes fan so it was more reason to like his onscreen persona. Personally I think the reviewer has come at this as not the target audience and all the other comments testify to that. In retrospect, there are some uneven elements but it still worked for me and I remember it as being quite big at the time. It was forgotten quickly yes but undeservedly so. I find it thrilling rather than slow. I loved the mystery of it and the villians were very dark. Those darker elements is what sets it apart from other Disney/Children's films and I would rate way above a lot of the tripe Disney dish out today.

[@calvarez7394]

When I watched this as a kid when it came out, this movie really affected me in many ways. It's still with me. Especially Maximillian, Vincent, and BoB.

[@nickmandl]

As a matter of fact, diamond select did indeed release new the black hole toys as recently as just a couple years ago

[@newdefsys]

Iv'e always referred to The Black Hole as the last 1950's movie. Had it come out 20 years sooner it would have been a smash hit.

[@Anynom]

I remember seeing this in theaters at four years old. A lot went over my head but still gripping and amazing, beautiful score and very underrated as both sci-fi and horror.

[@Lennis01]

I bet your parents were more than a little mortified when Alex got cut down by Maximillian (albeit without blood). Like, "What did we just subject our kid to?" How does a four-year-old react to something like that?

[@scarpad]

we need this in 4k

[@Theomite]

THIS.

[@nealwhaley63]

Good luck - Disney phoned in the blu-ray, so I doubt anyone cares that much besides the fans.

[@Theomite]

@ Fine, somebody else can do it. They like money, especially if it's at no cost for them.

[@scarpad]

Yeah Criterion who did Wall-E or vinegar Syndrome

[@Theomite]

@@scarpad Criterion.

[@richardmattocks]

The look and style of animation of the actual Black Hope is just so beautiful and also hints at its infinite power.

[@rossrreyes]

The representation of what happened to Max at the end is one of the most foreboding ominous sentences an evil human can be condemned to

[@ntilewills5679]

The thing that I find a lot of people get wrong about this movie, is what all it got right. How many Sci-Fi space movies show some of where the food production occurred? And not only did they show the nuclear reactor but they showed the plasma engines a first that I'm aware of! And lastly they showed the crew quarters. Now yes I'm not a big fan of the Heaven & Hell ending and would have preferred a wormhole journey to a new universe without all that fanfare. But the designers gave the ship a one of a kind gothic steam punkish futuristic feel and that is truly remarkable.

[@mimavox-swe]

I have a comic sequel that actually does just that: Puts them in a kind of mirror universe on the other side of the black hole.

[@Shuukuriimudaisuki-sama]

The Black Hole has been one of my favorite movies since I was a kid. It had me utterly fascinated in the same way that Star Wars did, but was (as you might expect) a lot more terrifying as well. I didn't have a full appreciation for all the nuances of the film until I got older, nor did I realize how the film struggled to get out of production hell and even appear on the big screen. It may have been a commercial and critical flop, but it still holds a place in my heart. A while back, as I rewatched the film (as I often do now and again), I came to feel that it REALLY could have taken off if it had focused more on the horror aspect...but of course, being connected to Disney, that was off the table. I would totally be down for a remake of some kind that went just a bit darker with the story elements, but as it stands, The Black Hole is definitely worth a watch, if only for the novelty of it all.

[@IdleNomad]

I don't know, the black hole was more influential to me as a little kid than star wars. The ending scene where the doctor and Maximilian appear to make love and then merge together into Satan really haunted my childhood. The entire movie was kid-level space horror and it worked on me big time. I was equal parts enthralled and mentally shook. It took 8 year old me a long time to process. I'm not sure I'll ever get over the robot with insane human eyes darting back and forth. That metaphor was ahead of its time.

[@BoyNamedSue4]

The ending is forever burned into my brain.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

Yeah, bad horror acid trip for me as an 11yo !!! 🫤

[@stephenvelez9710]

Saw this when came, pays to have a dad who grew up on Science Fiction and Horror films of the 30s-50s. Loved it, loved how spooky it was. Another great video, Matt. You have a knack for pulling the interesting elements out of Disney.

[@bahamutt68]

One of the ones that need to be remade. Interstellar style with a director that sees the Black Holes mystery

[@theblacklagoon]

I remember seeing this in theaters when I was a kid. It was a lot to take in for a nine year old lol. I also still have the soundtrack on vinyl. Oh, and I did have the action figures, but they ended up in a yard sale. :/

[@oaf-77]

i have the pop up book, the board game, the lunch box and the paper dolls

[@ShinGallon]

I remember seeing this movie as a child in the theater, and to this day it remains a favorite. It's got more going for it than against it IMO: The Cygnus is an absolute triumph of set and production design, being both a spaceship as well as a haunted gothic cathedral, it oozes "atmosphere" (maybe that's how they survived outside the ship!). John Barry's score is big and bombastic, but has just enough moments of genuine mood and somber moments ("Pretty Busy" and "Six Robots' are two of my favorite tracks). Maximillian is still one of cinema's most intimidating robots. Vincent, while cute, has such an utter sarcastic and snarky rejoinder for everything, and coupled with Roddy McDowall's performance I can't help but love him (the novellization explains his and Dr. McCrae's ESP connection as actually being cybernetic implants in her brain to allow communication, so it's really more bluetooth than psychic powers). It's not perfect. It's weirdly paced and uneven, but it most definitely has horrifying implications (you just KNOW the crew wasn't anesthetized for their lobotomies because Dr. McCrae wasn't either). But damn if I don't enjoy the hell out of this weird little movie. Hell I joined the Disney Movie Club because that was the only way to get a Bluray copy. But I also love TRON, so maybe I just like oddball sci-fi.

[@JeffreyDeCristofaro]

"A Journey That Begins Where Everything Ends." One of my favorite movie taglines. Love Roddy McDowall voicing V.I.N.C.E.N.T. and the evocative John Barry score as well!

[@gdave53925_]

I love The Black Hole. It was a childhood favorite, I remember seeing it in the theaters when it came out. It was more science fiction to fill my love of it after Star Wars. It's so beautiful to watch.

[@sequoyahwright]

I was 9 and I loved The Black Hole WAY more than I ever loved Star Wars. I mean just look at Maximillian! Most awesome and scary robot ever. And it goes to Hell! Gold.

[@AJ82778]

As a 9 year old when this came out, The Black Hole was a great stop-gap between Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back. Sprinkle in some Buck Rogers and Alien, and it was a great time. I had all of the Black Hole action figures and the Cygnus model (which came with glow-in-the-dark paint for the windows).

[@alphawoolf5981]

My Dad took us to see this movie when it was released and we all loved it. A different movie and we loved it. And the soundtrack is a true classic.

[@dmisfit79]

I loved this movie! The ending freaked me out as a kid!🔥

[@richardmattocks]

I saw this in the cinema when it was released… loved it… and Maximilian terrified me, and IMHO is right up there with most terrifying robots in movies.

[@NefariousKoel]

I always get a kick out of the Canadian version of robots; "RO-butts". It made some appearances today! 😃

[@Comicbroe405]

Woah.. As a fan of the cosmic horror genre I have to watch this.

[@chargingrhino5636]

The movie grinds its proverbial gears trying to accommodate "kid friendly" in a show that's largely cosmic horror. Some of the special effects have aged surprisingly well while others haven't. The acting is acceptable, for the most part. If you're younger than 45, you probably won't recognize any of the actors. And remember that EVERYONE was competing with "Star Wars" in the late '70s. Caveats notwithstanding, it's definitely worth a watch.

[@chargingrhino5636]

Oh, and the 3-minute musical intro set to a totally black screen is intentional. You'll think something is wrong with the video's playback, but that's how they made it. All these years later I still don't understand why Disney did that.

[@Comicbroe405]

@@chargingrhino5636 That's cool. Thanks.

[@Lennis01]

@@chargingrhino5636 I think many films of yesteryear did that if the musical score was a defining aspect of the film. Star Trek: The Motion Picture also did this, and that came out the same year as The Black Hole.

[@GwydionFrost]

The Black Hole is so prime for a re-imagining, I yearn for it. Keep the Cygnus.

[@Lennis01]

Not under Bob Iger. Best to wait a few more years for the house of mouse to do some much needed housecleaning.

[@mimavox-swe]

Reinhardt lives!

[@johnpittsii7524]

Thanks for the amazing video Matt ❤️

[@colincasey440]

this needs to be rebooted as a pure horror movie

[@davidconway6874]

I was 9 years old when I saw this in theaters and that ending left me in a daze. I had the impression that Maximillian, whom I still have the occasional nightmare about, was actually Satan or at least inhabited by a demonic force. The scene where they "join" had a weird intimacy that almost seemed sexual and really disturbed me.

[@chargingrhino5636]

I was about the same age as you when this came out. Maximillian gave me nightmares for years afterwards!

[@Lennis01]

I was seven when the film came out, but Maximillian somehow didn't give me nightmares. Probably because V.I.N.Cent was able to beat him. I was actually more disturbed by the images of the Cygnus burning in hell. A sad fate for one of the great ships of sci-fi.

[@SingularityOrbit]

There are a few comments relating _The Black Hole_ to _Event Horizon._ _Event Horizon_ was set in 2047 (unlikely, but go with it), and _The Black Hole_ was set in 2130. It seems entirely plausible that some space corporation would have fixed the error in the _Event Horizon's_ drive, sent out (and lost) two more big ships, and then space exploration would have been cut back to much smaller ships with little fold drives (explaining how the _Palomino_ could possibly be as far out in space as the _Cygnus_ ). Also, after the absolute horror of the _Event Horizon's_ disaster, space agencies would have gone out of their way to clean up the image of space travel. "Sure, there was an awful tragedy with the prototype, but that was decades ago! We're a small, agile, cutting-edge operation now. Robo-telepathy ensures that the crew will be warned if something mind-altering tries to affect the crew. Did you see our cute robot? He's the most friend-shaped thing ever! We're ready for the future!"

[@CTimmerman]

Until the friendly robots were banned and replaced with friendly servo skulls.

[@SingularityOrbit]

@@CTimmerman Y'know, it's weird -- skull-shaped 'bots aren't nice to be around, but somehow they're still more "friend-shaped" than those upsetting cherub things. I'm always afraid they're going to put out a candle or knock one over with their wings, and then whoops! Hell gets into the ship again! (Or however the Emperor's Gellar Field miracle works. I don't know, I work in the Historical Film Archive all day.)

[@CTimmerman]

Skull-shaped robots can be friends. 790 for one is quite friendly to Zev, but only Zev. Cherubs gladly bring ammo to any Sister iirc. Cherubs can be kept away with a cage, and can light high candles better than Watchers in the Dark.

[@SingularityOrbit]

@ The Watchers in the Dark bring us back visually to Reinhardt's "robot" servants working silently in their robes. Ultimately, those little guys represent that intelligent, highly motivated assistance is always better than programmed, by-the-numbers assistance. In a pinch, though, I'd still rather have V.I.N.Cent by my side that a servo skull. Even if he can get sarcastic at times.

[@petebyrdie4799]

Some striking visuals, iconic robot designs, a great score by John Barry. There's a lot to impress in The Black Hole. I'm convinced if the ending made more sense this movie would at least be better remembered.

[@madaxe606]

One of those few films well suited to another go with a remake.

[@ChristopherMurphy1969]

9:23 - Gotta love Disney's "protect the children" mindset behind the rating decisions for this movie. I was ten years old when I saw this movie in December of '79 and by then, I was a seasoned veteran of horror movies. I had survived Jaws, Amnityville Horror, Alien, The Omen, Halloween, etc. so the "horror" aspects of this film were quaint compared to what I, and the vast majority of my fellow "latchkey kids", had already witnessed many, many times.

[@davidrhode7019]

I also saw that movie as a kid, and yeah, that was a trip! I never got the toys, but I did acquire the model kits. Sadly, I was too young to assemble them with any skill. The Cygnus and Maximillian, especially, were awesome designs.

[@chargingrhino5636]

I never got into the action figures, but I had thousands of "Black Hole" trading cards. The style of the U.S.S. Cygnus was decades ahead of its time. What a great setting for cosmic horror!

[@65hi863dhyu]

Loved it. Truly creep and horrifying for a child.

[@beatlesfansam]

I'm glad you covered this movie! I saw it in the theater as a kid (I was 9 at the time) and don't remember much aside from Maximillian and the cool visual effects. Like many kids at the time, I was into the space movies (Star Wars, Star Trek) and shows (Battlestar Galactica), and was glad my parents took me to see this. Now I want to go back and watch it again.

[@guillermo9631]

Definitely a guilty pleasure because of its preposterous premise of surviving a voyage into a black hole. What makes the movie unique is the fantastic model of the Cygnus which influenced another cult film, Event Horizon. I also love the epic John Barry score and the fantastic journey back to the Palomino as the Cygnus is being destroyed by the gravitational forces of the black hole. Even though a lot of Trekkies don't like it, I really enjoy ST:TMP (Director's Cut) as a great epic 70s space adventure! Aah, the good old days before CGI!

[@Theomite]

THE BLACK HOLE and EVENT HORIZON is a great back-to-back double feature idea!

[@Lennis01]

The director's cut of Star Trek TMP is a masterclass in the importance of editing. I couldn't believe just how much better that version of the film was with a handful of tweaks.

[@asbury29]

Thanks for covering this. I have fond memories of seeing it in the theatre with my Dad when I was 10 and discussing both the scientific and religious-philosophical aspects of the movie. The VERY weird ending has certainly been an influence on my appreciation of cosmic horror and fantasy/sci-fi cross-overs in literature and film ever since.

[@shallendor]

The Black Hole was such a fun movie!, with a great cast!

[@midnightmosesuk]

I saw this at the cinema when I was a kid. I remember how much I disliked Vincent and Old Bob. They just totally took me out of the film. If they hadn't made them so cute and made them a bit more believable it would've gone some way towards improving the film. When you described the film it reminded me a bit of Event Horizon and I think there is quite a few parallels between both films.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

The contrast between them and the Maximilian was a total WTF ???

[@MrElfyrion]

This movie needs a remake

[@jasonmaclean719]

I watch this movie now and it feels like a mashup of Event Horizon and MST3K if the Bots went crazy and took over the S.O.L.

[@CinnamonGrrlErin1]

So the Bots would have a mutiny in space? All you need to add is Reb Brown driving around in a golf cart 😂

[@jasonmaclean719]

@CinnamonGrrlErin1 BigMcLargeHuge!!😅😅

[@jasonmaclean719]

@@CinnamonGrrlErin1 Well played fellow MSTie😎

[@syrophenikan]

Thanks so much for this. This is my ALL-TIME “guilty pleasure” film. The soundtrack is amazing. Great job!

[@carebear224]

I loved this movie as a kid. I was too young to understand any of it, but it had robots and lasers and that was good enough for me.

[@JoeLovesComics]

WOW I had never heard of this but it sounds fascinating, thanks! 😮

[@amynielson4188]

We had the storybook with photos from the movie. I don’t know how I saw it, my memories are from before we had a VCR, but it totally creeped me out as a kid.

[@ZiddersRooFurry]

Two twelve-foot-long brass models of the Cygnus were created. They were acid-etched in order to give them a greenish patina-you can see this during the Palamino's initial flyby. One of the models was destroyed for film's climactic sequence. The other was stored away in a crate that was later left exposed to the elements. After being stuck outside for a few years a forklift dropped something on it and destroyed it. :(

[@mikemoore7297]

Cygnus was on display for many years at MGM studio at Walt Disney World. And they had VINCENT and Maxamillion on display at D23 one year.

[@BruceCarroll]

That is not "footage from the movie." That is the overture. Back in the day, many movies had overtures, which played while the audience took their seats.

[@boobah5643]

Why have overtures when you can sell ads to your more-or-less captive audience?

[@t3llur1de]

Overture music was anachronistic by the time "The Black Hole" was released. Much more of a 1950s thing, appropriate to TBH's use of '50s call-backs. But its use -- like the '50s elements themselves -- was past its time at the end of the 1970s.

[@rayay9581]

You listen to the John Barry score and it sounds a lot like the Moonraker score he did that same year for UA.

[@chargingrhino5636]

Great point! I hadn't made that connection before, but it's spot on.

[@Lennis01]

Definite similarities.

[@alfmaster2256]

One of my favorite space movies! Saw this when I was 8 in the theaters and it kept me in complete awe between the effects, storytelling and general depth of the movie! You could definitely remake this today with some minor tweaks to improve upon pacing and exposition and explore the line between genius and megalomania a little more. The revelation of the horrors on the ship was stunning at the time! Yes, some of the acting was a little wooden with Anthony Perkins not turning in a great performance but the I remember a comic book being done for what happened after they went through the black hole but I sadly no longer have it.

[@AngelPerez-tu1nk]

I wish Disney played risks like this nowadays. Yes I know this one bombed but it's the principle that matters. PS: Matt... I'm not gonna let you forget... you know what I mean... ... ... ... Woo-hoo!

[@MattDraper]

2029

[@AngelPerez-tu1nk]

@@MattDraper Oh you cheeky bastard

[@WraySatchel]

I still clearly remember going to watch it in the theater when I was 7. It had a huge impact on me as a kid.

[@scottzimmer3594]

When Disney Plus came out, this was the first thing I watched. I loved this as a kid when it first came out and still love it to this day.

[@otterpoet]

Absolutely loved this film as a kid - saw it three times opening weekend (just kept going back). And it still has a special place in my heart. Although, I'd argue it was more 'gothic' horror than cosmic horror. You've got the haunted cathedral, the Frankenstein 'monsters,' grandiose aesthetics, bleak atmosphere, and the obsessive clash between science and religiosity. Was lucky(?) as a kid, 'cause I caught many of the references as I grew up on reading Poe and knew about Dante's Inferno. In the end, it has some serious flaws, but bloody hell - talk about coloring outside the lines.

[@jeenkzk5919]

Getting on the bandwagon or not, at least Disney was taking a risk on how the film was made. It was the last actual old-school Disney movie. They were also not afraid to frighten children. Sadly today, all the decisions are made by executives who have no clue what people want now. I remember watching this as a child when the Disney Channel was new back around 83 and I remember liking it. I’m glad to know that there has been a cult following in the past 10 to 15 years.

[@dannyp5178]

I saw it when it was released. I was 6 then. I absolutely loved it. I got the toys, model kits & everything. I was & still am a fan of it. Though not scientifically accurate at all, it was fun & the special effects were amazing at the time. It lit up a love for space that continues today.

[@The7thDraconian]

What I've seen of Maximillian has me curious about the rest of the movie cause even in the short clips I saw he was such an intimidating presence. Might check it out even if it won't blow my mind. Sometimes a flawed, but ambitious 7/10 experience can be just as valuable as the polished, but conventional 9/10's.

[@chargingrhino5636]

It was state-of-the-art moviemaking for the late '70s, and while some of the special effects look dated, others have survived surprisingly well. Maximillian is utterly terrifying, even four-and-a-half decades later. And there's no better setting for a cosmic horror movie than the U.S.S. Cygnus. If you don't go into it expecting an Academy Award-winning film, I think you stand a chance of enjoying it.

[@mimavox-swe]

I love this movie soo much, and still watch it regurarly. What really sets it apart is the fantastic set designs in combination with the absolutely awesome soundtrack. It creates a vibe that is second to none.

[@patlussenden4536]

I saw this on VHS after it left the theaters. Visually stunning. I was too young to get the more subtle themes. Rewatched it again as an adult. You are spot on. It was overcooked. It needed to be a full horror movie. My fave space movie…..anything Star Trek. All the bad and the good.

[@personatodo]

Black Hole should be remade with a more scientifically accurate black hole like the one in Interstellar and combine the horror elements similar to Event Horizon. Disney's Black Hole looks dated even for its time and looks more like a sci-fi from the 50s. The cartoonish looking robots with big eyes just look too silly for a dark sci-fi like this.

[@TheBrettAbides]

Yeah, as amazing as some visuals in The Black Hole are, plenty of sci-fi movies from 1979/1980 with half of TBH's budget have held up better, especially Alien. I'd even argue that dollar-for-dollar Battle Beyond The Stars has held up better, a lot of it thanks to some young guy who worked on it named James Cameron. I don't know if it was the cinematography or what, but one thing that really dates The Black Hole is that it has too much of that '70s Disney live action movie look. Tron came out just a couple of years later, and doesn't have that problem, the live action scenes in it look very much like a "modern" movie.

[@richosthoff7212]

This flick was released when I was 4. I was obsessed! Had The Black Hole toys, bed sheets, and wallpaper!

[@CaptainDylan72]

I remember seeing this twice in the theaters when it came out at age 7. I think I've always figured the ending was kinda stupid and crazy but it doesn't ruin the rest of the film for me. I take it as more metaphorical or abstract--maybe a dream sequence. I think one of the most underrated parts is how the Anthony Perkins scientist is so in awe of his idol that he doesn't look at his flaws. It creates tension between the others. The music and sets were great, but I remember the drama and suspense the best. I feel like the action is actually just the right amount of action and makes the main part of the movie a thriller with horror undertones. I was dismayed to go see it played at a fan showing and the younger people were making fun of it. It deserves better.

[@neohermitist]

I like your word choice of "idol". This movie is DEEP. Note Reinhardt gives Durant his "life's work" in a large tome that resembles a medieval manuscript of Holy Scriptures. He tells Durant to take it and tell others of his discoveries like Durant being a prophet (a true believer). Later Durant learns the true horrors of Reinhardt's work when he unmasks one of the "poor souls" who are brain dead zombies. He loses his faith and tries to defend himself from Maximillian with the Scriptures to no avail and dies.

[@Pantheragem]

The movie is "Dante's Inferno" in space. A tour through hell. The nightmarish ending is still one of the scariest things I've ever seen in a movie. Movies don't scare me, but this gets as close as they come. I was five when the movie came out and was instantly obsessed with the robots. I made my mom take me to see it a few times.

[@krakow95]

I still watch this movie. Good sci-fi, good characters, and an attempt to film the interior of a spaceship in free fall. And the Cygnus is eerily cool.

[@Jack_Stafford]

Great movie, saw it as a special birthday outing as a kid. As a Star Wars nut, I loved the robots and the spaceships, lasers, and the amazing orchestral score. Loved Vincent! I have the action figure, and he found a welcome place in my Death Star playset alongside R2 and C3PO (remember, they had floating robots in the original Star Wars too!) The Black Hole surpassed Star Wars in a number of ways, the sets are AMAZING, the multi level bridge set shames any Star Destroyer, and the complicated, backlit, LCARS displays predated the comptuer displays that Trek instituted in The Next Generation a decade later. A totally underated movie, with plenty enough excitement and staks for me as a child, and wonderous visuals to keep me interested, but I'm not sure today's generation, who all seem to have ADHD and the attention span of a gnat, can truly appreciate its themes, pace, and sophisticated nature. If there aren't crazy CGI explosions every 10 seconds that make no sense and are forgotten as soon as the next scene happens, it seems no kid takes the time to study, listen, appreciate and EXPERIENCE quality movies like this, ST The Motion Picture or even Star Wars anymore.

[@DCMarvelMultiverse]

SW: Young heroes, cool weapons, and striking robots. BH: Geezers, weapons designed for the hell of it, and two big eyed robots that can't do anything.

[@jasoncaldwell5627]

Good news! A couple of companies make Black Hole toys- but only of the three robots.

[@logan502]

Found the dvd ,and rewatched.Actually saw this in the theatre as a teen.Great review.Love this movie…

[@johnreynolds2512]

Saw it in the theater as a HS freshman. I honestly kind of preferred it over the first Trek movie, which was a snooze-fest.

[@DysfunctionalParrot]

Must have gone back to the small town theatre 10 times to see this.

[@RyanMichero]

Great video. I love some of the stuff from this weird era of Disney. The movies that were big for me were this, Tron, and Something Wicked This Way Comes (which is straight up horror, with even some gore in it, and was completely terrifying when I saw it in the theater as a kid).

[@homerthompson6481]

Love this! Two forgotten Disney films I'd love to see covered would be Something Wicked this Way Comes and Flight of the Navigator. Both also had long in the making remakes that never quite happened.

[@baronvonzollo5297]

I loved this movie when it came out. When I had a family of my own, I showed my kids the movie on night. When it came time for bed, they were crying and didn't want to go. They thought that a black hole would come for them in the middle of the night. My wife was not happy.

[@tanyanike]

I remember this as a child…it always both fascinated and creeped me out!

[@mangrove]

It's still a mystery as to who played the "angel" at the end. Some have speculated that it's Yvette Mimieux (can't be certain, since we only see her from behind). Others have theorized that the angel was a manifestation of Dr. McRae's ESP abilities.

[@allthingsnerd.4484]

I even heard a theory that the angel was Dr. McRae’s father guiding them through to safety.

[@Lennis01]

Never heard the theory about Kate. It's long been speculated that the angel is her father.

[@s1n4m1n]

From the point the camera zooms into Kate’s eye to the point the angel enters the light we are seeing what Kate perceived in her mind’s eye. IOW we were in a world beyond sensory perception. The angel then should be Kate reentering normal perception and we the audience following her. Then BOOM right out white hole and heading towards a new world. We were all, in a sense, taken through the black hole.

[@grimfic]

I watched this every Christmas for about 10 years in the 80's.

[@oneopinion6806]

Saw this as a kid in the 80's. The spinning bladed hands of the red robot grinding up one of the characters--even though what happens is off screen--haunted my childhood nightmares for a long time.

[@thepman1964]

Back in the day (1980-'81) HBO used to show Disney films. "The Black Hole" was one such film, and I watched it whenever I could. The Cygnus is still one of the coolest spaceships in film. Great effects, great robots. I also love the titular Hole as an actual hole and not as a sphere as in "Interstellar". Screw physics. That animated, slowly swirling cosmic toiled bowl of oblivion really fascinated me.

[@Blue-Tiger-u7s]

What really worked for the movie was the design language--the Cygnus was inspired by the Victorian iron and glass structure of the Crystal Palace in London, and is probably the only spaceship that had an external framework with an inner surface that glowed when the lights are on--most spaceships have random point lights on the surface intending to look like a building at night with some of the offices occupied. The inside of the command center had panels and controls that seemed to follow patterns rather than the old school blinking lights and random knobs. Maximilian (the robot) was one of the best sci-fi henchmen. What seemed to go flat or needed more was McCrae's father was on the Cygnus, but it doesn't matter--and a very strange connection the Palomino is heading home and just comes across it. She's also psychic (what are they used for in space?) but aside from warning Vincent in one scene it also doesn't matter. Reinhardt, while Schell was a good actor, is too much the mad scientist in a haunted mansion. Why was he fixated on the Black Hole? What did he think he'd find? And lastly Vincent and Bob had the same problem as C-3PO. A few light touches of humor is all that was needed, not cartoon characters in the middle of it. Ernest Borgnine just seemed out of place---loved most of his roles but here he was a cowardly old guy who is a journalist (?) along on the mission. The ending is a mess, you can interpret it as Reinhardt filled out his role as running an empty house of the forsaken, just now in a literal sense. However the crew goes to Heaven, but not, flying to a strange new world. So the Black Hole was both an alternate reality of your life is your fate but also a doorway across the universe. Rather than try to be a Star Wars/Horror movie mash, I think it would have been better to make a profound hard science fiction plot, such as questioning the nature of our reality or a time loop. Many people at the time were unhappy with a PG movie from Disney, and this movie fostered the creation of Touchstone Pictures for movies that were too adult for the kid friendly Disney brand.

[@s1n4m1n]

She's also psychic (what are they used for in space?) but aside from warning Vincent in one scene it also doesn't matter ---- It does matter, she has ESP, extra sensory perception. So when in the black hole they zoom into her pupil and we see what she sees with her mind’s eye and that is when it cuts to the Hell scene. What happened to Reinhardt did not happen in the physical universe (it was outside the senses). This is a great payoff for the set up. This movie is a fantastic piece of religious fiction.