Gog

This review is for Gog (3-D) (Blu-Ray) released by Kino Lorber in 2016.'Gog" is the third and final movie by Director Ivan Tors, of his Office of Scientific Investigation (OSI) trilogy. The other two were 'Riders to the Stars' and 'The Magnetic Monster.' The movie stars Richard Egan (David Sheppard), Constance Dowling (Joanna Merritt) and Herbert Marshall (Dr. Van Ness).BLU-RAY DVD: The quality of this DVD is excellent. The picture is clean and crisp and even the stock video shots look good. The 3-D is superb and I thoroughly enjoyed watching 'Gog' in 3-D. The color is excellent also... at least to my untrained eye. I'm no expert in picture quality and it's terminology. Let's just say it's nice to have such a nice print in color since there were so few color movies made in those days.3-D: The 3-D is real nice and I have only one minor complaint. Whenever the direction calls for an object so be sent in the direction of the camera it gets real blurry. For example, when you see something that looks like it is exiting the television and coming into your room, the object loses it's clarity and becomes a blur. At least it does for me. I have no idea if different TV's and players handle this differently.We learn from the interviews in the extra's that Gog was not available in 3-D for almost 60 years. It was rarely shown in 3-D even when it was first released. The cost was high for 3-D in those days (perhaps it still is, I don't really know). The 3-D camera that was recently invented back in those days used two reels, one for each eye and the camera was very large and bulky. The overall cost for producing the prints and showing them was higher also. In addition to having to print two reels, the theatre owners had to use two camera's in order to show the movie. The color film stock also added quite a bit of expense. Soon after a successful opening in 3-D, it was decided to just show the movie in regular 2-D. Since you need two different reels in order to see 3-D, the result was that there were many more right reels made than left. Both the left and right have to be show frame for frame in perfect sequence. All of the left reels had disappeared into history until about 5 years ago when a left reel surfaced. Fortunately it was complete but some of the color was washed out. Once again, I'm no expert in film quality or restoration but according to the interviews they enhanced the color to bring it up to what we see today.EXTRA'S: There is an informative audio commentary by film historians Tom Weaver, Bob Furmanek and David Shecter. There is an interesting interview with the director, Herbert L. Strock and another interview with one of the developers of the 3-D camera. The interview on the development of the 3-D camera is somewhat technical and a bit hard to follow but it is very informative. There is also a restoration demo and trailer gallery.PLOT: David Sheppard, an agent for OSI (Office of Scientific Investigation) is sent to a secret base in the New Mexico Desert to investigate some unusual activity including deaths. There, he meets up with another agent, Joanna Merritt, with whom he has been having a relationship with. Though this doesn't really factor into the movie. The base is located underground and has 4 levels. They are secretly constructing a space station there. Most of the functions of the base are controlled by a computer called NOVAC. While the two agents are there more deaths occur but Doctor Van Ness insists on keeping everything quiet as the project must continue despite the danger. There are supposedly 150 or so scientists at the base but you don't see more than a few throughout the movie. For the most part it looks mostly deserted but...hey...they only had a $250,000 budget...so let's not quibble. During the investigation we learn of two robots called GOG and MAGOG which are under the care of Dr. Zeitman but can be controlled by NOVAC. Early on we learn that NOVAC was built by a European company and it is also discovered that there are mysterious radio transmitters that are being found throughout the base. We also learn from security that there is a mysterious high altitude plane that keeps showing up overhead but it is not seen on radar. From the the poster of 'GOG' and the cover to this DVD we know that at least one of the robots is responsible somehow for the death's but how and why is the question. It's left up to our two agents to figure out exactly what is going on.I thought this movie was very good and better than it's reputation. I like movies that are intelligently made and are not all about the action. Even though the science isn't necessarily accurate, it isn't bad, especially for the times. This is still 15 years before mankind lands on the moon. The robots are of particular interest because they are from a functional standpoint very well designed. They don't look anything like the more human looking robots that would come into vogue shortly thereafter. The pace is even as the two agents step by step uncover the truth as to what is going on. The acting is above average with maybe just one or two performances a bit 'over the top.'Ultimately, it is another cold war paranoia film but i don't think that's a bad thing. It was the times. I have one minor complaint with regards to the special effects. While most of the effects were very good, the air battle was very poorly executed, looked completely phony and looked out of place with the rest of the movie. The fiberglass plane in particular looked terrible. Everything else looked very good. Each room in the complex was designed well and some of what we see is not fake at all, such as the helicopter that brings Sheppard to the base and the room where they are testing the gravitational forces on the human body. That room is an actual testing center. I have read and heard of complaints that the robots don't look at all dangerous nor threatening. I have no complaints about this. As I stated above, I think the robots were intelligently designed and this isn't a horror movie. We don't need a scary monster. 'Gog' is more of science fiction, detective hybrid that for me, works well. While not necessarily a great plot, it is still good.I am giving the movie 5 stars. 4 stars for the movie...ok more like 3 1/2...but it gets a star for the blu-ray quality and and star for the 3-D. So that comes out to 5 1/2 to 6 stars!As usual...thanks to Kino Lorber for giving us this 50's sci-fi movie in beautiful blu-ray color (along with the 3-D).Not all of these movies recently released on blu-ray are necessarily good values but this one definitely is. It is worth the $18 that it initially was priced at.Highly Recommended for all 50's sci-fi fans who want high quality prints for their collection and also 3-D fans in general.

This is a review of the upcoming KINO Blu ray of GOG. Not the inferior MGM made on demand release also being discussed here. It's base on a actual viewing to the Blu ray and contains no speculation as to what might be on it.I was at a private screening of this new GOG 3D Blu ray release this past Wednesday (Jan 26, 2016) and I can report that it was an impressive presentation. Getting to see this in 3D was a dream come true for me since it was the first film I remember seeing in a theater. I guess the first time I saw a color film now that I think about it. Since the 3D version of the film was only shown in a handful of theaters in Southern California in '54, it felt almost like a world premiere. A really special night.The 3D works a bit differently than things like THE BUBBLE as there are not too many in-your-face moments until the end where the flame throwers and Gog and Magog's arms are coming out to get you. You will not be disappointed in this one, though as it's the depth of what your are seeing that works so well. When Michael Fox is getting frozen solid behind the frosting window in the beginning, I can see 4 or 5 layers looking in from the front of the window going back to the wall behind Fox. Some of the deep corridor shots make the underground facility look positively immense. I am convinced that seeing this film in 3D is the only way to truly experience the filmmakers intent and this has been wonderfully created here.Since I am going to write about this release elsewhere, I was allowed to bring home a pre-release copy of GOG and give it a thorough going over. I compared it to the full frame MGM MOD release that I had and ...well there is no comparison. Even as a 2D film the upgrade is astounding. The color is rich and perfect for the film. If only we could have the SCIENCE FICTION THEATER episodes look like this I would be ecstatic.The interviews with the director and cinematographer shot in the early '00s are engaging and though a bit technical at times, they quite enjoyable. Strock especially has an animated talk and seems truly proud of this film.There is also a short about the discovery and restoration of the previously lost left side print and it features superstar film magicians Bob Furmanek and Greg Kintz on screen discussing what a major undertaking it was to bring this film to us. Bob handles the job of talking head quite well I must say.Other than the 3D presentation of GOG however, my favorite feature on the Blu Ray is Tom's audio commentary with the help of Bob and David Scheter on air and a good bit Dr. Robert Kiss about the films release read by Tom. Everything I always wanted to know about The A Men (Atomic Men) and the OSI (Office of Scientific Investigation) and the trilogy of films comprising of THE MAGNETIC MONSTER, RIDERS TO THE STARS and GOG is brought out and lit up to perfection with the Weaver information spotlight.Tom's commentary is so informative and skillfully done that it ranks as one of his absolute best so far. He just seems to get better with each one. Bob Furmanek's section of the commentary is also delightful. That he and Greg were able to get the left side print to match the lush color of the right is, in a word, miraculous. This is state of the art restoration, folks!Explained on the commentary, the opening credits are and always were in 2D. One of those things that just delights me is that the credits contain a card not seen since the rare 3D showings of the film which gives the nod to the 3D artists who deserve ample kudos for the work put into this film.David Schecter's talk on the music of the film left me slightly less enthused as he seems to matter-of-factually belittle the picture here and there. He does know his stuff and I appreciated the info dug up on the composer and his work, but much of it was over my head. Music scholars, I am sure, will have a field day with it.There is so much information discussed here that the film runs out before Weaver had time to talk about and name the episodes of SCIENCE FICTION THEATER that had the OSI making appearances. I think they should have had the commentary go on for the left side print!Will 3D aficionados enjoy this Blu ray? Of course.However, fans of 50s sci fi with caveman styled 2D TVs will also be able to relish this release since it is so darn gorgeous.I want to thank Bob and all those at the 3D Archive for a great couple of days and for their untiring work to make this all come to pass for us. Now it's up to us to go out and support this. Even with this screener copy, I want to buy a real copy to get the packaging!