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| packmule | Oct 24 2009, 11:26 AM |
Site founder - Your best nightmare
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They Might Be Giants - The Lost World(1960) - Revisited I started this topic thread because I wanted to promote sci-fi and/or horror films that are universally slammed or otherwise deemed mediocre but that I find fun to watch and a fairly entertaining escape from reality. Few movies do that for me better than The Lost World, which originally opened in theaters back in 1960, written and directed by Irwin Allen. Irwin Allen was, for lack of better words, "the man" when it came to sci-fi adventure on TV in the 1960's, producing the ABC TV 60's TV series Voyage To The Bottom of The Sea, Lost In Space, The Time Tunnel and Land Of The Giants. Allen would also direct the sci fi film Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea(1961) and later produce/co-direct the spectacular disaster films The Towering Inferno(1974) and The Poseidon Adventure(1972), both films featuring impressive special effects and star studded casts of "name" actors. The first of Irwin Allen's directorial efforts is The Lost World, a movie based on the book of the same name written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Doyle's book first came to cinema in 1925 with the silent film The Lost World, which featured then state of the art special effects used to render the movements of the dinosaurs. Thirty five years later Doyle's book would come to life on the big screen again. The film's story:: professor George Challenger returns to England from an expedition to South America with big news: he's seen dinosaurs roaming on and around a towering plateau in a remote area of the Amazon river. Challenger's colleagues, and the media, are understandably skeptical of the fiery, bearded professor's claims. In reply to his skeptics Challenger proposes that another expedition be assembled for the purpose of studying the area. With the financing of the expedition secured, Challenger and a group that includes his academic rival, an adventurer, a reporter and the daughter of the media mogul who financed the expedition, embark to South America. Arriving in the humid, tropical Amazon basin it isn't long before Challenger and the group encounter the local animal population which includes, you guessed it, large and hungry dinosaurs. The remainder of the film chronicles the groups' struggle as they try to deal with the dinos and a group of hostile cannibals all while trying to find a way out of the remote and dangerous region. (no other spoilers) Observations, both positive and negative - Thumbs up: 1. the cast, all of who play off each other quite well. The differing personalities and pet peeves of the cast often provide for some humorous moments, including: -Professor Challenger(Claude Rains) clobbering reporter Ed Malone(David Hedison) upside the head with his umbrella as the professor tried to make his way from the airplane to the airport terminal -  -the fight between the adventurer Lord John Roxton(Michael Rennie) and reporter Ed Malone(David Hedison) 2. the sense of spectacle in the movie 3. the audio of the dinos is solid and the huge creatures roar often and with great effect 4. Jill St John, who looked gorgeous in this film as "Jennifer Holmes" and came off as a diva, albeit a likable diva -  Thumbs down: 1. the special effects used to render the two primary reptilian dinos. It's fairly obvious that two large lizards were fitted with props(resembling back dorsals) and it looked absurd. 2. the effects used to render the giant spider. It appeared to be matte shots and not very good ones. The film used to make the rounds on AMC(American Movie Classics). It was released to quality Region 1 DVD not too long ago, presented in its 2:35.1 widescreen aspect ratio, the DVD also including some extras and the 1925 film as an added bonus. No one will ever mistake The Lost World(1960) for being an Oscar worthy science fiction film but if you're looking for a way to be entertained for ninety minutes, about once a year, then I would recommend that sci-fi film fans buy the DVD of this movie. The film's trailer: To see The Lost World(1960) special edition DVD for sale at Amazon click the link: http://www.amazon.com/Lost-World-Special-1960-versions/dp/B000SAGGL4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1256395276&sr=1-1 Bonus -click the link to watch a streaming video, at Google, of The Lost World(1925): http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-919112558735308840&ei=ThHjSrK6J5LiqgKOxfUd&q=The+Lost+World%281925%29&hl=en&client=firefox-a# One of Packmule's favorite hotties from the 60's(and 70's), and a star of The Lost World(1960), Jill St. John:  |
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11:01 AM Nov 26
