THE BLACK HOLE Would Be Considered A Sci-Fi Classic...IF It Hadn't Been Released As A Disney™ Film

[@chrissawyer1484]

The Mego Black Hole robot figures were awesome back in the day. I just wanted people to know that. Maximilian worked with the Empire in mine to destroy Vincent, Buck Rogers, and the Rebellion headed by Batman, Princess Leia, and Luke Skywalker.

[@TheWWFMankind]

I just did an image search... and yep, I had them too. I also had a Maximilian plastic model.

[@chrissawyer1484]

@@TheWWFMankind Those models were amazing. I bought Max and Vincent still sealed for my brother when he gets his master's degree next year.

[@NeuronalAxon]

@@chrissawyer1484 - NiB? How much were those, as a matter of interest?

[@chrissawyer1484]

@@NeuronalAxon I probably paid too much (when it comes to my brother, I am willing to overpay for things he wants), but I paid $155 with tax and shipping. It was NiB. Even had the Mom and Pop hobby store sticker on the cellophane.

[@NeuronalAxon]

@@chrissawyer1484 - It's a great gift, either way. What's the significance of the film for the two of you?

[@MidnightInExile]

Black Hole is a bit of a cult classic. Sci Fi fans who've seen it love it. I also had that record.

[@thatmttguy]

Maximilian was one of my favorite sci-fi robots as a kid.

[@uphilliceskater]

Saw it in the theater (we had 8 movie theaters in my toen outside Atlanta). I had the popup book, trading cards, and some of the robot figs, back then. You're right, I didn't realize until watching it again a few years ago how 1960s it seemed for the time, but the production design looks even better to me, now. That backdrop behind Maximilian reminds me of Barry Windsor-Smith's art in Weapon X. Awesome cast, and the score is great, too.

[@michaelconnor1542]

Loved the Black Hole as a kid. Really liked the end and how dark it was.

[@ainternet239]

I did see this film back in the day; the thing I recall is that I despised Disney films because they usually had dreadful child actors and a superficial story aimed at 12 year olds

[@NeuronalAxon]

Not this one, though.

[@ainternet239]

"Because they usually had" Wasn't that clear enough?

[@NeuronalAxon]

@@ainternet239 - Eh, not to me, I guess. Plz no bully - I am autism.

[@Jim-Tuner]

Yeah. The same year they produced "The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again ", "Unidentified Flying Oddball " and "Herbie goes Bananas". 1979 was the end of the line for the Disney child actors and Don Knotts/Tim Conway films.

[@NeuronalAxon]

@@Jim-Tuner - lol, yeah - I never liked the Herbie films.

[@thebluecollarhero]

Thx.. I have The Electric Company song in my head now.

[@treestandsafety3996]

I really wanted a V.I.N.C.E.N.T...

[@Makingnewnamesisdumb]

Other KZbinrs: "I should look up the actors in this movie on IMDB or something so I know their names and the stuff they did and I don't sound like an idiot." Zach: "UHHH It has, Uh, that lady from the purina puppy show commercial from 1964, and, like, uh, the guy that looks like Keanu Reeves but it was like 40 years before Keanu Reeves."

[@BigPhatMan]

When I was in kindergarten, there was a poster for The Black Hole on the wall. I didn't realize what it was until 15 years later. I still don't know why it was on the wall.

[@n3rdm4n]

A kindergarten teacher with good taste.

[@deestttone791]

Scholastic shilling for Disney - even then!

[@warrenjohn]

Your personal story at the beginning brought back so many memories of my childhood also. My cousins were so rich they had HBO, Atari and Pong, If you could believe it. I stayed over at their house often.

[@Jim-Tuner]

The film was released a week or so after the first Star Trek movie and got killed by it. Star Trek got all the attention and Black Hole got none. If it had been released in a more friendly environment, it might have got more attention. The script is confused because it went through about five different story versions. The original script was about a space station and it was a classic 1970s disaster movie. Then eventually the space station became a space ship but as you can see the change was consistently carried through on. The casting was rather strange in that they picked actors who would have been picked for this sort of film maybe 9 or 10 years before this. In its own way, its the last "true" Walt Disney film before the new regime took over from the Disney family.

[@NeuronalAxon]

Good analysis, IMO.

[@CaminoAir]

I grew up during that period. Late Spring/Summer still wasn't clearly established as 'blockbuster' season. Christmas was still a traditional release time to attract family/younger audiences. Also, simultaneous world wide releases were still a long time in the future. Studios would target their marketing for regional releases one at a time. 'Star Trek' was released around Easter period in Europe for example. An expensive Disney film would be expected to be released in December.

[@NeuronalAxon]

Awesome film. Try 'Dark Star' by John Carpenter - a very different film, but also awesome.

[@awakz100]

The surfing scene with the ladder at the end is poetic

[@NeuronalAxon]

@@awakz100 - It is, along with the soundtrack.

[@backwards7]

Some spoilers ahead ..... .... ... .. . I saw the Black Hole twice in the theatres as a kid. It came out in the UK around the same time as the first Star Trek movie. Both films are high concept sci-fi that were bizarrely targeted at the mass-market. I would have been six years old and I had to wrap my head around the ending, with Reinhardt trapped inside Maximilian in hell, while the humanoids from the Cynus file away in procession through the fiery canyons. And then that spirit flitting along a glacial succession of heavenly archways. Some people have speculated that Maximilian is Kate's father and that this is supposed to represent him being freed from the prison of his robot body. It would explain the earlier scene where Reinhardt begs Kate to protect him from Maximilian, who he no longer seems to be able to control. I bought The Black Hole on DVD quite recently. While the action scenes don't hold up (the target shoot between Vincent and the sentry droids is pretty cringe), the setting, the pacing, the atmosphere and the churning strings in the main theme are all superb. The greatest testimony to this film is that everyone I know, around my age, who saw it, still remembers it.

[@RobertChisholm]

9:06 My favorite take on robots are the drones from Silent Running (1972). They cast double amputees in robot suits to play the drones. The actors were walking on their hands and as a practical special effect it gave the drones and unusual walking stance. I saw The Black Hole back in the day in the theaters. The Black Hole would also play on TV a lot in the 80s. Either on ABC's The Wonderful World of Disney TV show (early 80s) or independent TV channels would play on a saturday afternoon (late 80s).

[@padrecocinero7700]

Black Hole was my first "horror film": I will never forget the robot Maximillian killing a man with his spiraling blades thru the pages of a book; the image of a crew turned into zombie cyborgs; the classic scene of the asteroid fireball rolling down the inner hull of the ship; or the vivid images of hell at the end. My aunt Patty took me to it and neither of us knew what we were getting into. BTW: I love that it had all those dark elements - made it more serious - it had stakes - and memorable to this day. I loved Bob and the other floating robot so much when I saw it as a kid.

[@AsDeadAsDillinger]

In 2019 this film was renamed _'The Hole of Colour'._

[@n3rdm4n]

I *HAVE* to watch this film. I think I saw this *before* I ever saw Star Wars and it gave me sci-fi autism.

[@NojSolrac]

If you watch Farscape, Pilot acts and sounds just like Vincent.

[@blvp2145]

Ya boi likes some farscape?

[@sandmanscomicsandnostalgia2930]

I still remember the day i saw this in the theatre. It was like my 2nd or 3rd movie. I was like 6 or 7 years old. Love it so much. It was one of the last movies to have an overture at the beginning of the movie. I remember my dad driving me home in this eerie dark-not dark evening (it was pitch black but the sky was bright blue - hard to describe). Our small northern town was still a train hub, so i could hear train noises noises in the distance which made me think of the Cygnus floating on the edge of the black hole for some reason. To this day when i think about this movie those memories, that atmosphere comes along with it.

[@dac357]

All I know is when this movie came out all 7 year old me wanted was the Maxilian robot action figure and never got it!

[@ComicBookGuy33]

www.ebay.com/p/Mego-Maximillian-The-Black-Hole-Action-Figure/152939577

[@likonatera7452]

Me too. One with light up eyes. But now that I think of it maybe those toys would be haunted. Imagine waking up at night and seeing that thing turning its head towards you, dissapear and turn up on top of the highest furnitures with his arms all raised up or even hovering upside down. Maybe that actually happened before mass production and nobody knew.

[@zeos386sx]

Are you sure you didn't watch Event Horizon?

[@Keyser666]

I loved this as a kid, especially the gothic horror elements that come in as the story progresses. I always saw Reinhardt as a kind of tragic figure and was fascinated by the really strange dynamic between him and Maximilian.

[@brianjordan2192]

Slim Pickens did the voice of the robot Bob. The "humanoids" were the Signis' crew, lobotomized and and modified with AI. I was 10 when this movie came out. I had a Black Hole lunchbox. The movie was great. Grossly underrated.

[@TimScottSuiGeneris]

Seeing as we're in the same age range and I remember these late 70s/80s movies as well, I'm going to throw out recommendations just for the hell of it. You're under no obligation to watch them if you so choose. Batteries Not Included Starman Innerspace Flash Gordon You already did Enemy Mine Alien Nation The over 45 plus crowd is quite amused with the nostalgia film reviews.

[@oisinoc]

When I was nine years old Crispy Pancakes gave away Black Hole stickers with every pack as a promo. The robots looked cool so I really wanted to see the film but, as always, I didn't get to go. It was Ireland in the 80s and my parents were stone broke. I only went to the cinema about three times as a kid. I pieced bits of the story together by buying Black Hole Bubble gum cards.

[@joejustjoe3689]

Excellent John Barry soundtrack and some of the most beautiful production design in a science fiction movie!

[@antoyal]

The score is awesome, yeah, and the main theme is especially badass.

[@joejustjoe3689]

@@antoyal Barry also did the score for StarCrash a year or so before this.

[@CP-qt1nm]

The score for this is one of my favourites.

[@christianhamel2700]

I saw that movie at the the theater... am not old...yes i am:(

[@buckrogers3982]

Me too man. It was a great watch when I was a kid!

[@the_weed_in_your_garden9319]

I saw it like that too. I'm old but still a badass. Cheer up😉

[@gordonguano]

The first comic books I ever owned were a four part adaptation of this. Maximillian looked a lot more menacing when I was 7.

[@NeuronalAxon]

Maximillian is a badass.

[@PopCultureMinefield]

Love the movie, but always disliked the decision to use obvious Star Wars-esque droids in it. Don't get me wrong, I would love to have the collectible toys. lol The Black Hole should have been more like what it was originally envisioned as; a darker outerspace version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Still, I love the film, and it SHOULD be considered a Sci-Fi Classic. -Gerry

[@donwalheim3050]

I was born in January of 1974...the first few minutes of this is the funniest, most DEAD ON things you've ever posted. "If you didn't catch it in the theater...it was just kinda...gone." So, so, so freakin true!

[@TheWWFMankind]

I was around 10 years old when this came out. And it's embarrassing how many times I've seen this movie...

[@thepunchableface1506]

A great movie for its time with awesome designs, special effects and production values.

[@greenmachine949]

I remember seeing this in the theater as a kid. It was awesome! I was horrified when Maximilian popped out his arm blade and gutted that one guy after tearing through the book he was holding. I never expected that from a Disney movie. All their movies I watched before this one were like Herbie The Love Bug, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, The Strongest Man in the World, The Shaggy DA, and The Cat From Outer Space. When Black Hole came out I was stoked because it was about outer space but the violence shocked me.

[@nexusvideo]

I just looked up the details for this film. It went up against 3 of the biggest releases of the decade in 1979. Kramer vs Kramer, Star Trek, and Steve Martin's The Jerk. All of these films came out in December with The Black Hole releasing on Dec 21. Throw in bad marketing that pushed the film as a children's movie. It was a miracle this film even recouped its costs.

[@SamGuthrie1977]

Yes! I had the record/storybook for this too! I was looking at those things before I could even read. When I heard the chime, I knew to turn the page. Zack, remember the day before even VCRs? When you were super little? Dude, back then all I did was play outside, play with toys or draw. You had to *wait* for your favorite TV shows to come on. Younglings know nothing about this.

[@kb9oak749]

I saw it in the theater. The ending was creepy. I think it is a classic though. Real 20,000 leagues under the sea vibe going on. Captain Nemo indeed.

[@chongsfury4358]

I was lucky enough to have HBO back in the mid 80's so I got to see all the good stuff.

[@thepayne7862]

Ice Pirates with Robert Ulrich, Ron Perlman and Angelica Huston pretty good cast.

[@johnmilam507]

Before the Mouse acquired Star Wars, there was talk of Joseph Kosinski (Tron Legacy & Oblivion) of doing a retelling/remake of The Black Hole.

[@antoyal]

5:34 Totally agree. I'm down with the Cygnus.

[@chetopuffs]

*ICE PIRATES!!!* One of the greatest films of all time. In the 90’s I made my college mates watch it. They said it was stupid but they laughed.

[@maskrado]

Didn’t that movie have a Space herpe? We had the suburban equivalent of a grindhouse cineplex near us; saw so many Roger Corman/exploitation flicks there... Saw Ice Pirates a bunch of times in the theater, but maybe only once on VHS. Loved it!

[@nexusvideo]

The ending I saw had the Palomino fly into the singularity and it basically ends there. you dont see them arrive anywhere.

[@NeuronalAxon]

That's a bit anticlimactic... o_0

[@the_weed_in_your_garden9319]

I didn't get it. I was a kid and I was still like "WTF?"

[@NeuronalAxon]

I remember them going through and it being weird and trippy - it was great. I had the novelisation as a kid, as well.

[@zebulonpike3147]

Crab fest is back at Red Lobster....

[@timd3469]

I can't believe I have gone all 32 years of my life without ever hearing about this. I've even seen The 5,000 Fingers of Dr Terwilliger (sp?)!

[@dickJohnsonpeter]

I didn't learn about this movie either until 2011 or so when the Misfits album with the song about it on there came out. Probably was about 30 then.

[@morgezorge6387]

I love this movie, it displays the emptiness and dread of space like almost no other, Alien does a similar good job in that area. This movie is almost lovecraftian in it's horror, it's scary because the places your mind goes, which is all the dark corners of the universe. Watch Saturn 3 with Kirk Douglas, Harvey Keitel and Farrah Fawcett, if you liked this one :)

[@tomredac]

Loved this movie then and now! I thought this level of dark intellectualism was a brilliant achievement for Pre-SJW Disney. Thank God, they haven't crapped on it with a REMAKE.

[@likonatera7452]

BTW....if y'all ever watch EVENT HORIZON you will notice a few of similarities with this one. I like to think Event Horizon is an unofficial sequel of this movie.

[@hectormorales9042]

I’ve always thought of The Black Hole as a Sci-fi classic. I could be in the minority but I really liked it. It was ambitious in what it wanted to show and say. It showed Disney was more than just an animation studio. I also remember another movie that had leprechaun’s in it that kinda gave me goosebumps but I can’t remember the title.

[@smartrn1]

Dude! Conan and now the black hole! I loved those movies!!! Just blow my mind and do Excalibur next. But. You must do a big build up. As Excalibur is a tremendous movie worthy of a grand treatment on the Splatto channel.

[@sandmanscomicsandnostalgia2930]

I had that record. I watched it so much that i can remember the voices clearly to this day.

[@demosthenes6891]

Ya boi!

[@theViewer221]

Did the theater also cost $.10? Lol

[@atomicdancer]

No, sonny, it cost five cents, that's why they called it a nickelodeon! Five cents would get you a whole afternoon's entertainment at the local nickelodeon. You'd get a scenic, an actuality, a vaudeville slapstick, a five minute romance, a morality melodrama, and what we used call a 'problem play,' such as 'The Black Hole' and the like. It was just like this 'KZbin' doohickey that you young whippersnappers like so much... but for 1910 times!

[@coyotewayfarer4380]

The theatrical version also had an overture, one of the last major films to have an overture for many years. Tarantino put an overture in the Hateful 8 because he loves to pay homage and recreate the feel of classic movies. I think many home versions of The Black Hole had the overture cut out. I'm curious, Zach, did the version you watch have the overture?

[@maskrado]

I think The Black Hole was meant to be a sci fi 20.000 Leagues Under the Sea (another Disney movie); Maximilian Schell’s character was definitely Space Captain Nemo. I remember hating it as a kid, because it wasn’t Star Wars...but then again, I loved Battle Beyond the Stars (government name: Space Seven Samurai/Magnificent Seven) and Flash Gordon (government name: The Greatest Movie Ever Made).

[@Aetrion]

I think The Black Hole is a scifi story about what it's like to be in a cult. It has a charismatic leader who believes in some great journey to enlightenment that he is willing to sacrifice everything for. He's brilliant and people follow him and throw great money behind his cause, but he winds up brainwashing them, taking their free will away, and in the movie literally their brains when they start to hesitate. The last scene of the movie also seems to have distinctly religious implications. They go into the black hole and basically wind up in hell, Reinhardt finally sees the horrors he has wrought and decides to let the crew of the Palomino go, transforming into a path out of black hole, and seemingly being redeemed.

[@Jim-Tuner]

It almost sounds like Star Trek V.

[@skullboy379]

I had a Black Hole sleeping bag

[@elliotvernon7971]

I've only seen it once as a 7 year old in 1979. I remember liking it, but the ending just went way over my head then, so I might watch this again. The other big Disney sci-fi of the time was 1982's Tron, which I thought at the time was flawed.

[@NeuronalAxon]

The ending really got me as a kid.

[@smartrn1]

Dragonslayer or Krull reviews coming?

[@CatAtomic99]

I had one of those record + story books for Spider-Man. Invasion of the Dragon Men. "When Draco next speaks, you shall die RAuuuUUGHHAAHH''.......... **ding**"

[@warzardtheboredtimelord2865]

Was it me or was Hans Reinhardt and Norman Bates a little too "into" each other? The Cygnus was a dope ship though, but maybe making it out of 90% glass was a mistake.

[@fcold9402]

I always forget about this movie but could name Maximilliun the second I saw him on screen. He was just the coolest to my kid mind.

[@dannish8119]

You don't think a Space Monster Truck is cool?

[@vonVile]

After Ice Pirates, review Dragonslayer.

[@Jim-Tuner]

Another film from the same era (1980) that disappeared without a trace was "Saturn 3". It also features robots and a crisis in space along with Farrah Fawcett, Kirk Douglas, Harvey Keitel and music by Elmer Bernstein. It was supposed to be "alien with a killer robot and a hot(ter) chick" but the director convinced himself he was doing a work of art. His biggest problem is that old Kirk Douglas spent most of his time on set swaggering around trying to prove that he was a still a stud.

[@pathatfield2543]

Jim Tuner I heard that the man who was originally supposed to direct the movie got taken off it because Kirk Douglas didn't like him,and then Kirk Douglas had him replaced with the one who ended up making it,who was known for making musicals like "Singin' in the Rain".

[@Lillith333]

You should check out the British TV show Red Dwarf, comedy space drama. A bit campy and low low budget but was funny as hell. It's a classic. It's wacky enough I think you might enjoy it. Also, Lexx was a great Sci-Fi show along with Farscape (great worldbuilding on that one). I also liked movies like Tank Girl and Neon City both interesting movies.

[@vinceross7795]

You’re forgetting to promote G0D King!!! Mention the bizarre spelling you chose.

[@likonatera7452]

I saw this movie in the theatre in the early 80s but I knew it first from the Sunday comic strips in the newspaper with art by none other than Jack Kirby. Now, can we all agree that Maximilian's real name should be "Satantron 2000"?

[@solomonkane1712]

Damn it, if you keep this up I'm going to have to decrease my pull list to make up for all the movies from the childhood that I want to watch. I do find it funny that I used to be able to watch The Black Hole for "free" in the 80s because they played it all the time but now in 2019 I have to pay $4 to rent it from Amazon. I'd also like to add how dark this was for it's time. Though there was no gore it was implied Anthony Perkins got shredded by Maximilian. Not to mention the cyborg zombie like creatures. This could be remade but I have no faith current Disney would do a good job.

[@HerrSchock]

Ahh I finally get to cash in on my Black hole Nerd-dom. First of all the ending. SPOILERS Rheinhard gets to suffer the same ordeal as his crew. Being trapped in a shell for eternity. He finally becomes immortal as he so craved, only its being immortal in hell. Its all a very catholic too me. I would argue that the shot with Maximillian on the rocky spire is one the most haunting things ever. Regarding the gravity field generator, its purpose was to repel the gravitational forces which would crush the ship, like a bubble of sort. I was obsessed with the read-along record. The music and the soundfx of doors opening and instruments humming were great. The german version i used too listen to, has one the best narrator performances ever, he really gets into it. We also got a metaphysical ending, but its different frome the movie and the american read-along. Maybe i post it later. Its pretty heavy stuff for a kids record, like talking about "proof of Gods existence" for example. Its true that this movie was hurt by Disneys decisons to cash in on the Star Wars craze. V.i.n.c.e.n.t and B.o.b look a bit too cute but talk like war veterans in places. The tone is a bit unfocused. By the way Roddy Mcdowall is fantastic as Vincent and gets the best lines. The shootout in the corridor is overly triumphant (though i would like that John Barry March as my own national anthem please) and at odds with the gloomy atmosphere of the movie. Biggest problem nowadays are the visible wires in a ton of scenes. Wish they would edit those out for a blu-ray release but it will never happen. Fanedits to the rescue i guess. Final trivia bits of the day. Maximiliian Schell talked about the movie in an interview. He said Disney Boss Ron Miller asked him if he liked american football (miller was an ex-player i belief) and Schell said he preferred soccer. Miller was pissed and they never spoke a word again. Then later Schell had an idea for Dr.Rheinhardts death scene. Before getting sucked out into the void, he would defiantly shout astrophysical formulas as if fighting fate with science. A couple of weeks were needed to memorize all of the formulas and equations. But the scene was cut. On Millers behalf.

[@RhinoRobM]

just on the youtubes machine listening to Old Man Zack talking about moving picture shows and record players...I was about to wonder when Granpappy Zack was gonna reminince about the soda jerk making him and egg cream for a nickel lol

[@Hound831]

Movie ending creeped me out as a kid. Still holds up though.

[@7superdaimajin]

Try watching The Black Hole on a double bill with Event Horizon. Mind blown!

[@NojSolrac]

They mention that at the other end of the Black Hole there might be a guy in red tights with a pitchfork. Then when the guy merges with Maximilian He looks like the devil. Maximilian even holds up his claws to represent a pitchfork.

[@sunshinestateofmarv7967]

I always took it as The bad guy went to Hell, and the good guys went to Heaven. Great movie, but weird ending.

[@thomasdevries8558]

I keep thinking of dressing up as old bob for Halloween... the only problem is how to drink with the costume on

[@chetopuffs]

I love _The Black Hole_ I still remember playing pretend on the play ground acting out robot fighting scenes as a child. I was always under the impression that he went to “hell” at the end. Doomed to live his life as a robot. A just dessert for his crimes.

[@wk3820]

It was a good movie. It was a lot of fun and raised some interesting questions that made it just a tiny bit deeper than it appears on the surface. Without the two cutsey robots to pull the viewer out of the storyline repeatedly, it would be a Nemo-esque character study. I'd love to see a fan edit of this one making it have a consistently serious tone.

[@christianjadot4459]

I have not seen this movie in years ... since at least Jr. High. I always thought the end was interpreted as they all died. The good guys went to heaven and the villian went to hell. But again, it has been years ... so my memories may have betrayed me.

[@chart6454]

Jesus I had that book/record combo...totally forgot about it.

[@ToneSherpa]

Be the densest version of yourself Zack.

[@johnnydollar666]

My mom took my friend and me to see this in the theater, and then I had the sticker book for this movie.

[@darksydeiscomics1891]

Man! I love Maximilian. He was so menacing looking

[@P.T.S.E.]

As far as I know, black holes won't crush you, but spaghettify you. The gravitational difference between your closest and furthermore part from it will stretch you into a molecule thin line before you reach the event horizon. So instead of a meat grinder or a monster truck, image the gravitational well as a toothpaste tube with a really small hole for an outlet. So it's good that they had the magical gravity protection thingy.

[@ravissary79]

I think it spaghettifies first, then crushes, then totally tears everything down to pure energy.

[@solo9378]

Was signed up the same at Prime

[@VespoLiveGaming]

Loving prime video... finally getting To go back and watch "The Expanse" (great show so far!)... I've had prime for over a year and never realized what I was missing!

[@Peepholecircus]

I still got some figures from when I was a kid.

[@ComicKelsey]

I had Star Wars story record. I guess that would be the first time I "saw" A New Hope until home video many years later. Empire was my first real Star Wars. Man, I wish I still had that record!

[@aliensoup2420]

The script was too Disneyfied for children. Good production values, but just too silly to watch.

[@bombarde1701a]

In the comics they went through the Black Hole, emerging on the other side in another universe and they encounter Mirror Universe versions of the Cygnus crew before they escaped THAT Cygnus and went to this other planet before getting stranded there. The last issue ends on a cliffhanger and the following issue was never made.

[@joabthejavelin5119]

I need to see "The Black Hole." It looks awesome. My family had some Disney cartoons on vynal. "Lady and the Tramp," "Fox and the Hound," and "Peter Pan." That really brings back memories of playing with my GI Joe's.

[@GK-lf2mn]

Oh man, I had that book/record, but I couldn't afford the record player... Do you think Disney buying Star Wars was revenge for the Black Holes lackluster performance?

[@Phatty057]

Walt Disney THE BLACK HOLE 33 1/3 rpm Record & Read-Along Book - I bought one off eBay for nothing a while ago. :)

[@iamok7085]

Maximilian scared the living shit outta me when I was a kid. I had all the figures, Loved them. Also, if you were from the 1910s, they'd be 78s not 33s.

[@SamDunham]

I don't think I've seen this since my friend and I rented it from Blockbuster back in high school (80s). We laughed at it incessantly while watching it, especially Earnest Borgnine ("I thin I'll tag along!") and randomly quoted parts of it for the rest of our high school career. Cheesy b-movie with some amazing design.

[@deaddropholiday]

I'm not sure about the title. I love The Black Hole. But it's definitely a flawed movie. It's rating is roughly were it should be. Appreciated for its virtues. Criticized for its weaknesses.

[@maxmercer1931]

#cough!#

[@RabidTicat]

The movie theatre was two blocks away from me. Before VCRs I saw ALL of these movies you're reviewing at a Saturday matinee. Those and a few Bruce Lee, a bunch of Ray Harryhausen, Krull, all of the Planet of the Apes, The Quest for Fire (don't take your kids to see THAT one).

[@livensflame]

Disney, 1979: "Come see our new movie, it's fun for all the family! It's about a mad scientist who holds his ship's crew hostage and turns them into faceless cyborg slaves! And if you don't want to be a faceless cyborg slave? He's got a menacing robot henchman who will eviscerate you with built-in spinning blades! ...Why are those children crying and looking distressed?"

[@vincentleeadams]

Walt Disney and Paramount released a movie called "Dragonslayer" in 1981, and Disney took a lot of flack for it. But Disney kept pushing forward with different types of releases. Obviously that has paid off.