The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad (4½ Stars)

This is the first film in Ray Harryhausen's Sinbad trilogy, made way back in 1958. There are very few films that I watch that are so old. Most of the films I watch were made in 1990 or later. But this is a classic, a true masterpiece. It tells a tale of a lost age when Islam was characterised by glamorous adventurers and exotic dancing girls. What happened? How did Islam turn into the religion of hate that we know nowadays? It might not be the only reason, but one factor was the way Moslems used to party. They used to drink wine and enjoy themselves. That would be a solution today. Instead of running round the streets killing off-duty soldiers Moslems should go to the pub and drink a few pints of beer with their friends. They might even make new friends. This would further peace and understanding.

The film has nothing to do with any of the mythical seven voyages of Sinbad. It would be better to call it the eighth voyage to denote a new start. Sinbad's ship is driven by a storm onto the island Colossa. His men are attacked by a Cyclops, but a magician called Sokurah who lives on the island saves them. Sokurah leaves the island with Sinbad, but in the process he loses his magic lamp. He tricks Sinbad into returning to the island to retrieve his lamp, and fearful adventures ensue.