The Black Hole

For other uses, see Black hole (disambiguation).

The Black Hole
Directed by	Gary Nelson
Produced by	Ron W. Miller
Screenplay by	Gerry Day Jeb Rosebrook
Story by	Jeb Rosebrook Bob Barbash Richard Landau
Starring	Maximilian Schell Anthony Perkins Robert Forster Joseph Bottoms Yvette Mimieux Ernest Borgnine Roddy McDowall Slim Pickens
Music by	John Barry
Cinematography	Frank Phillips
Editing by	Gregg McLaughlin
Studio	Walt Disney Productions
Distributed by	Buena Vista Distribution Company
Release date(s)	December 21, 1979 (1979-12-21)
Running time	98 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$20 million
Box office	$35,841,901

The Black Hole is a 1979 American science fiction film directed by Gary Nelson for Walt Disney Productions. The film stars Maximilian Schell, Robert Forster, Joseph Bottoms, Yvette Mimieux, Anthony Perkins, and Ernest Borgnine, while the voices of the main robot characters are provided by Roddy McDowall and Slim Pickens (both unbilled). The music for the movie was composed by John Barry.

Plot

In the year 2130, the USS spacecraft Palomino is returning to Earth following its deep space exploration. The crew consists of Captain Dan Holland, First Officer Lieutenant Charlie Pizer, journalist Harry Booth, ESP-sensitive scientist Dr. Kate McCrae, the expedition's civilian leader Dr. Alex Durant and the robot V.I.N.CENT ("Vital Information Necessary CENTralized").

During its journey, the Palomino's crew discovers a black hole with a nearby derelict ship somehow defying the hole's massive gravitational pull. The ship is identified as the long-lost USS Cygnus, a ship McCrae's father, Dr. Frank McCrae, served aboard when it went missing. Deciding to investigate, the Palomino encounters a mysterious null gravity field surrounding the Cygnus. The Palomino becomes damaged when it drifts away from the Cygnus and into the black hole's intense gravity field, but the ship manages to move back to the Cygnus and finds itself able to dock to what initially appears to be an abandoned vessel.

The Palomino crew warily boards the Cygnus and soon encounters a fully android crew and Dr. Hans Reinhardt, a prominent German scientist and the Cygnus's commander. They also meet Reinhardt's second-in-command, the hulking robot Maximilian. Reinhardt explains that after his ship encountered a meteor field and was disabled, he ordered the [human] crew to return to Earth, but Kate's father chose to remain aboard and has since died. To the incredulity of the Palomino's crew, Reinhardt reveals that he intends to fly the Cygnus through the black hole. Only Durant believes it physically possible and asks to accompany Reinhardt on the trip.

The rest of the Palomino crew grow suspicious of the faceless drones' human-like behaviour: Booth sees a robot limping and Holland witnesses a robot funeral and discovers the Cygnus crew's personal items in the ship's living quarters. Old B.O.B. (BiO-sanitation Battalion), a battered early model robot similar to V.I.N.CENT, explains that the faceless drones are in fact the crew, who mutinied when Reinhardt refused to return to Earth. They had been lobotomized and "reprogrammed" to serve him. McCrae's father had led the mutiny and was killed. Using telepathy, V.I.N.CENT tells Kate the truth about what happened. When Kate tells Durant, he removes the reflective faceplate from a "robot" to reveal the face of a crew member. Durant tries to flee the bridge with Kate, but Maximilian kills him (by drilling through his torso), contrary to Reinhardt's wishes. Reinhardt takes Kate prisoner, ordering her to be taken to the hospital to be lobotomised.

As the process begins, Holland rescues Kate, along with V.I.N.CENT and B.O.B. Meanwhile, fearing the situation is escalating dangerously, Booth attempts to escape alone in the Palomino. Reinhardt orders the craft shot down, but the weapons fire sends the ship crashing into the Cygnus, destroying its port-side anti-gravity forcefield generator. A meteor storm then destroys the starboard generator. Without its null-gravity bubble, the Cygnus starts to break apart under the black hole's huge gravitational forces.

Reinhardt and the Palomino survivors separately plan their escape aboard a probe used to study the black hole. Maximilian goes to prepare the probe shortly before Reinhardt is pinned by falling debris. His lobotomised crew stand motionless as he struggles. Maximilian confronts the others and fatally cripples Old B.O.B. moments before he is crippled by V.I.N.CENT and drifts out of the ship. Holland, Pizer, McCrae and V.I.N.CENT reach the probe, only to discover the controls locked onto a flightpath through the black hole. It then plunges across the hole's event horizon.

In a dialogue-free epilogue, the travelers exit the hole and, possibly viewed through Kate's ESP vision, enter Hell and then Heaven. In the following dream sequence, Reinhardt and Maximilian merge and stand on a high rock overlooking a burning, hellish landscape – possibly the remains of the Cygnus – populated by robed figures resembling the drones. Next, a floating, ethereal figure with flowing long hair passes through a cathedral-like crystal arched tunnel. The probe then emerges from a white hole into another universe and is seen near a star and planet. The last shot shows the probe flying toward the planet.

Cast

• Maximilian Schell as Dr. Hans Reinhardt
• Anthony Perkins as Dr. Alex Durant
• Robert Forster as Captain Dan Holland
• Joseph Bottoms as Lieutenant Charlie Pizer
• Yvette Mimieux as Dr. Kate McCrae
• Ernest Borgnine as Harry Booth
• Tom McLoughlin as Captain S.T.A.R. ("Special Troops/Arms Regiment").
• Roddy McDowall as Voice of V.I.N.CENT (uncredited)
• Slim Pickens as Voice of Old B.O.B. (uncredited)

Production

Although Star Wars had popularized the use of computerized motion control miniature effects, The Black Hole was shot using a blend of traditional camera techniques and newly developed computer-controlled camera technology. Disney had wanted to rent equipment from Industrial Light and Magic, but, when the price was too high and the timing of getting the equipment didn't match Disney's production schedule, they had their engineering department build their own equipment, resulting in the development of Disney's A.C.E.S. (Automated Camera Effects System), as well as the Mattescan system, which for the first time allowed the camera to move over a matte painting, and a computer-controlled modeling stand. At the time of its release, the movie's opening credits sequence featured the longest computer graphics shot that had ever appeared in a film. The moving holographic image of the black hole itself on the Palamino's bridge deck was considered state-of-the-art for special effects at the time.

The film was noted for being one of the first films other than Star Wars and Close Encounters to be completely dubbed in the release language of its original country^{[citation needed]}, whereas most other features of the period used the technique only for scenes which were either shot outdoors or in which the inherent on-stage noise from the live performance of special-effects precluded the use of production dialogue as recorded on-set.

In addition, the The Black Hole was also notable for being the first Disney film not to have an all-ages rating, due to mild language (being the first Disney film to include profanity of any type) and scenes of human death never seen in a Disney production before (e.g., a character is eviscerated, albeit bloodlessly). This was The Walt Disney Company's first PG-rated production, and its second overall release with that rating (the first was the sports drama Take Down, an outside production Disney distributed in early 1979). The version of the film televised on The Disney Channel has been edited for language, with all uses of the words "damn" and "hell" removed. Along with frequent subtexts, there were also metaphysical and religious themes expressed through the film. This film led the company towards experimenting with more adult-oriented and mainstream films, which would eventually lead to Disney's creation of its Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, and its later purchase of Miramax Films arms to handle films considered too mature in nature to carry the Walt Disney Pictures label.

Reception

At $20 million (plus another $6 million for the advertising budget), it was at the time the most expensive picture ever produced by the company. The movie earned nearly $36 million at the North American box office, making it the 21st highest grossing film of 1979. It received mixed reviews from critics, though The New York Times, Time Magazine and Variety all praised the film. The special effects were generally acclaimed by the press. The film received two Academy Award nominations: One for Best Visual Effects and one for Best Cinematography.

Adaptations and merchandising

In Alan Dean Foster's novelization of the film, as the probe ship crosses the event horizon, all matter ceases to exist. Kate's ESP links the minds of the Palomino's crew and allows them to survive (in a fashion) while the atoms of their bodies diffuse and are scattered throughout the Universe. (In one version of the book, the events depicted in the film start on Christmas Eve).

One comic book adaptation of the film (Whitman comics, published in 1980) bypasses the whole issue of what happens inside the black hole by having the crew enter the black hole on one page and emerge apparently unharmed on the next page into a parallel universe where they encounter alternate versions of Reinhardt, Old B.O.B., Maximilian and even Frank McCrae, Kate McCrae's father. Four issues were published. The first two issues adapted the film and the second two issues continued the story introducing a race of people called Virlights, whom they end up aiding against a rising tyrant. The rare fourth issue concludes with the promise of a fifth issue which was planned but never published. Other comic adaptations released in Europe have the crew emerging into another galaxy, thus confirming Reinhardt's theories. While wondering if they will ever return to Earth, they decide to explore this new universe.

In the official Disney Read-Along recording and illustrated story book, the crew in the probe ship emerge safely on the other side of the black hole, while the Cygnus is "crushed like an eggshell." The story ends with Captain Holland saying "We've been trained to find new worlds. Let's go find one for ourselves!"^{[citation needed]}

The children's book line, Little Golden Books, released a book entitled The Black Hole: A Spaceship Adventure for Robots. The story involves V.I.N.Cent and Old B.O.B. exploring the Cygnus, visiting its gardens, encountering the "humanoid robots", and escaping detection of Maximillian.

Mego Toys produced a line of 12" and 4" action figures from the movie, released in the fall of 1979.

Jack Kirby drew an adaptation of the film (scripted by Carl Fallberg) for the comic strip Walt Disney's Treasury of Classic Tales.

Eight-inch magnetic figures were made of V.I.N.Cent, S.T.A.R. and Maximillian; 12-inch figures were made of Holland, Durant, Reinhardt, Booth, McCrae and Pizer.

In 2005, Medicom released "Kubrick" figures of Maximillian, Vincent and Old Bob that are very close to 3 3/4-inch scale; they are also not in the stylized Lego-ish appearance of many Kubricks.

The Black Hole theatrical release history

US release dates

• December 21, 1979 (original release)
• March 6, 1982
• August 16, 1985
• December 25, 1990 (11th Anniversary edition re-release)

Video release history

• 1980 (VHS & laserdisc)
• May 10, 1981 (VHS (UK only))
• August 3, 1984 (VHS & laserdisc)
• April 20, 1985 (VHS & laserdisc)
• August 22, 1985 (laserdisc (Japanese version))
• 1986 (VHS and laserdisc)
• 1987 (videodisc (Chinese version))
• 1989 (VHS and laserdisc)
• 1990 (VHS and laserdisc (re-release))
• June 18, 1997 (laserdisc)
• May 27, 1999 (VHS & DVD)
• May 7, 2000 (DVD (Japanese version))
• May 17, 2000 (videodisc (Chinese/Japanese version))
• June 8, 2002 (DVD - Anchor Bay)
• August 3, 2004 (DVD - Disney)
• March 1, 2010 (DVD Special Edition (Italy))

Soundtrack

The soundtrack album was intended to be released on multi-colored vinyl, but problems with the process prevented it.^{[citation needed]}

Highlights of the score, as conducted and composed by John Barry, were released on an LP by Disneyland Records in 1979. It was the first-ever digitally recorded score for a film. Until August 2011, the soundtrack had never been released on CD, though a remastered edition of the LP version is available from iTunes.

Track Listing

• Side A:

1. "Overture" (2:27)
2. "Main Title" (1:46)
3. "The Door Opens" (3:38)
4. "Zero Gravity" (5:53)
5. "Six Robots" (1:59)

• Side B:

1. "Durant is Dead" (2:31)
2. "Start the Countdown" (3:51)
3. "Laser" (2:15)
4. "Into the Hole" (5:00)
5. "End Title" (2:34)

Silva Screen Records have released compilation albums remastering some of John Barry's works, which includes some of the music from The Black Hole. Only one track is available and it apparently is "The Overture".

Along with Star Trek: The Motion Picture, released the same month, this was one of the last few mainstream Hollywood productions to have an overture, although most broadcast-syndication prints of the film would later omit it. The overture is included during some broadcasts on Turner Classic Movies and was also included on the DVD release.

On August 23, 2011, Intrada Records (as part of its licensing agreement with Walt Disney Records) released the complete score, marking the first time the soundtrack has been issued on CD. Track listing:

1. Overture (2:28)
2. Main Title (1:49)
3. That’s It (1:43)*
4. Closer Look (2:02)**
5. Zero Gravity (5:48)
6. Cygnus Floating (2:06)*
7. The Door Opens (4:09)**
8. Pretty Busy (:48)*
9. Six Robots (1:57)
10. Can You Speak? (1:19)*
11. Poor Creatures (1:41)*
12. Ready to Embark (:44)*
13. Start the Countdown (3:47)
14. Durant Is Dead (2:31)
15. Laser (1:01)*
16. Kate’s O.K. (2:49)
17. Hot and Heavy (2:43)*
18. Meteorites (1:31)*
19. Raging Inferno (:54)*
20. Hotter and Heavier (1:59)*
21. Bob and V.I.N.C.E.N.T.[sic] (:54)*
22. Into the Hole (4:56)**
23. End Title (2:34)

Bonus track

24. In, Through... and Beyond! (2:46)

* Previously unreleased
** Includes additional material not used in the film

Remake

In November 2009, it was reported that Disney has plans to remake the movie. Director Joseph Kosinski and producer Sean Bailey are attached to the production, and Jon Spaihts, who wrote the original script for the Alien prequel Prometheus, was confirmed as writer for the project on April 5, 2013.

External links

• The Black Hole at the Internet Movie Database
• The Black Hole at the TCM Movie Database
• The Black Hole at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Black Hole at Box Office Mojo
• The Black Hole at AllRovi