"Seventh Voyage of Sinbad"

My favorite sci-fi movie is, of course, "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad." Not Star Wars; Invasion of the Body Snatchers;" The Carrot, er, Thing from Outer Space. Etc.

My Aunt Mad used to round me up, and we would head to the Twin Starlight on Moreland Ave, a drive-in, of course.

There's something enchanting, magical, and mystical about the movie. High adventures on the seven seas. With the obligatory bad guy, in this case an evil magician. And a beautiful damsel in distress. And a boy genie, who could be beckoned by rubbing the magic lamp and uttering:

From the land beyond beyond.
From the land past hope and fear.
I bid you genie now appear.

There's also the fire breathing dragon; a mutinous crew; a two headed giant eagle; and a sword fight to the death between Sinbad and a skeleton; and the two one-eyed cyclops.

What intrigue! What fun! What excitement for a little boy-me-who first saw the flick at sa tender age of 7 or 8.

Thanks to Ray Harryhausen who created the special effects; to Bernard Herrman with the musical score; and to Aunt Mad who would take me to the Starlight. I must have seen it 4 or 5 times.