Indicator, out now

A welcome boxset of three of the Dynamation master’s early works – It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955), 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957) and The 3 Worlds of Gulliver (1960).

Even the most complimentary of Ray Harryhausen’s fans wouldn’t suggest that these features are his strongest work, and in many respects the most interesting aspects are the seeds of the greatness to come. 20 Million Miles and It Came are unashamed B-movie creature features, filmed in black and white (the budget wouldn’t stretch to colour) with simple plots that exist to serve the monster mayhem.

20 Million Miles features the Venusian reptile Ymir (a proto-Kraken) while It Came has a six-tentacled (hey, money was tight!) octopus threatening San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. Both movies are new 2k transfers and can be watched in black and white or in colourised versions. I’m not a fan of colourisation but Ray himself gives these new versions his seal of approval, so what do I know?

The third movie is The 3 Worlds of Gulliver, which is a very different proposition, immediately apparent from its colourful print (a crisp 4K transfer) and A-list score by Bernard Herrmann. Based on Jonathan Swift’s classic satire, the focus is not on creatures but some impressive miniaturisation and growth effects through the pioneering use of travelling mattes.

The 80-page booklet that accompanies the set is crammed with essays by Kim Newman, Dan Whitehead and Charlie Brigden and the bounty of extras includes new interviews with director Joe Dante and special effects supremo Dennis Muren, as well as archive material from previous releases.

Herrmann’s isolated score for 3 Worlds of Gulliver is a treat – one of his finest, and what fun the subtitled, silent Super 8 version of 20 Million Miles is, brutally edited down to eight minutes!

Verdict: Indicator continues to be the home of Ray Harryhausen Blu-rays, each appearing on this format for the first time in the UK, and with  a well-considered selection of extras. 9/10

Nick Joy