Lost Continent
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Movie Reviews of Lost Continent
Movie Review: A SURE RESULT OF THE GOLDEN AGE OF HOLLYWOOD
Summary: 5 Stars
I FELL FOR THIS MOVIE FROM THE DAY IT CAME OUT..JUST AN ALL AROUND GREAT FILM.Movie Review: Above-average Image DVD of crude, enjoyable dinosaur flick
Summary: 4 Stars
Not the greatest Sid Melton science fiction movie (that would be The Atomic Submarine), Lost Continent is still lots of cheesy fun, one of those "cross-genre" flicks that should appeal to pretty much any B-movie fan. You get SF, war movie, and jungle adventure cliches neatly combined with some of the most pitiful stop-motion dinosaurs ever. The quintessential B-cast includes Cesar Romero (TV's Joker, Week-end in Havana, Captain from Castile), John Hoyt (When Worlds Collide, Attack of the Puppet People), Whit Bissell (Teenage Werewolf & Frankenstein, Time Tunnel), Hugh Beaumont (Ward Cleaver, Michael Shayne), Chick Chandler (Music Man, Blondie), and Sid Melton (Make Room for Daddy, Green Acres), with Acquanetta (Captive Wild Woman, Tarzan & the Leopard Woman) and second-billed Hillary Brooke (Ministry of Fear, Invaders from Mars) in cameos. To the movie's credit, the plot moves at a brisk pace (except during the seemingly interminable 'climbing scenes'), Romero and Chandler execute some great flyboy banter, and the earthquake stock footage from One Million B.C. is actually pretty well integrated into the movie, particularly during the surprisingly exciting (if rather implausible) climax. The script by Richard Landau (Girl in Black Stockings, TV's Wild Wild West) and direction by veteran PRC schlockmeister Sam Newfield (Nabonga, White Pongo, Flying Serpent) are also slightly above-average for this type of thing. Unfortunately, when we eventually encounter the extremely lame stop-motion brontosaurus, pterodactyl, and triceratops (and one live lizard for laughs), any semblance of credibility generated up to that point is completely destroyed, leaving the movie dangling on the edge of "so-bad-it's-good" rather than "really-not-half-bad". Still a great Saturday-afternoon time-waster for the low-budget cinema set. Serious stop-motion fans beware.Image upgrades their typical DVD package a bit with this release (perhaps feeling the heat from Anchor Bay?). The disc comes in the superior 'keep case' box and the main menu is animated (not that I really care that much). Twelve chapter stops, five trailers in an Easter egg, and a very good-to-excellent if rather scratchy LC trailer are the usual extras, plus you get informative Tom Weaver liner notes, and an isolated music and effects track so you can listen to Paul Dunlap's rousing score minus the wisecracks. Source print quality is generally excellent with terrific grayscale, brightness, contrast, sharpness, and detail. There is some light speckling and blemishing (some sporadic horizontal 'banding' toward the beginning of the movie), but otherwise there is no major damage. The plateau scenes are tinted green as in the original release. While I commend Image for presenting the movie in its original format, these scenes are not as easy on the eyes as the crisp B&W of the rest of the movie. The only sour note in the whole shebang is the extremely hyperbolic commentary ("beautifully crafted," "excellent production values") by Wade Williams on the box. Pity the fool who purchases based on his glowing review. Overall a step up from Image's usual offerings and as close to a definitive release as this film is likely to see. Three stars for the movie, 4 or 5 for the DVD. Cheese-lovers, go for it.
Movie Review: The Lost Continent
Summary: 4 Stars
1951 had its share of great films-The Thing (From Another World), The Day the Earth Stood Still, The African Queen, An American in Paris, A Streetcar Named Desire, When Worlds Collide, etc. Lost Continent is a nice entry into the science fiction genre.
Hunting for a lost atomic rocket on a remote island are three scientists, two air force pilots and a sergeant whose plane crashes on the mysterious island with its plateau shrouded in clouds. Instruments failure was the cause of the crash.
They meet a youngster and a young woman- Acquanetta, an exotic beauty who appeared in a number of B movies. Nicknamed the Venezuelan Volcano by the studio who wanted to add a Latin favor, she was actually a Native American born in Wyoming. Unfortunately, for her fans her appearance was just a cameo. She directs them to the mountain of the gods and the great firebird that caused her people to abandon their island.
Now, the scientists and the sergeant are totally dressed for a climb up this island's Olympus, but the two pilots are dressed in their uniforms and dress shoes. Take it from someone who has climbed a lot of mountains and canyon walls, dress shoes don't cut it. You need a great pair of boots and the right gear.
It was nice to see Cesar Romero in his prime. His main love interest was the beautiful Hillary Brooke who was regulated to a mere cameo. He would gain international fame in the late 60's as the Joker on the Batman television series.
Whit Bissell as Stanley Briggs was the family man with two children. He had no business climbing a mountain. In the late 60's he would gain international recognition as the commanding general in the television series-The Time Tunnel.
John Hoyt is always a joy to watch in films. In fact, he was in three 1951 films-this one, When Worlds Collide, and Quebec. Playing an exile Russian scientist was a great part for this fine actor, especially when he revealed the reasons why he left the Soviet Union which is one of the touching moments in this film. In addition, he had the best line, "No country can survive when it loses the respect of its own people or the world".
Hugh Beaumont, one of the scientists, was one of the busiest actors of his day. However, it is his portrayal of Ward Cleaver of Leave It To Beaver fame that he is remembered fondly as a great dad and role model. He wrote and directed several episodes of the series, especially the finale.
One of the special effects was the green tint when the party reached the top of the plateau. It was explained why there was green tint.
One thing that amazed me was the endless supply of cigarettes. Based on all the smoking in this film, it is a miracle that the prehistoric creatures did not die just from second hand smoke.
Overall, this is a great film which has an excellent story, cast and descent special effects for 1951. Paul Dunlap wrote the music. His name is probably unfamiliar to most people, but his resume is outstanding if you want to look it up.
Movie Review: The Lost Continent - very good movie, fair special effects
Summary: 4 Stars
This movie has always been a special one for me. I thoroughly enjoy the thought that somewhere still in the pacific there maybe an island that harbors prehistoric life. This is why King Kong is one of my very favorites.
Yet to be realistic, satellites most likely have scanned every spot on the globe and it is likely that some cigar/candy wrapper litter-bug has visited each and every lonely spot.
The acting is quite good and the trek through the lost continent is superb as far as I am concerned. Never mind that the dinosaurs seems wooden and in fact there is one scene that the triceratops looks like some one has made a cardboard model and moved it through the scene. And why do these dinosaurs, Triceratops and Brontosaurus, both of which are primarily vegetarians in nature, attack people on sight? Yet who cares. The story is great, the location is super, and this is a movie well worth having on the self to see now and then.
I would have given this 5 stars if the dinosaurs were a little more true to form and, actually, they are not all that bad, to be honest.
Joe
Movie Review: Good Fun
Summary: 4 Stars
I have the video version of this film. The dialogue is suprisingly well written for a low budget movie, though attitudes toward women are old fashioned. Does anyone know if the scene with Sid Melton, after he is attacked by the triceratops, is in the DVD version? It was stupidly dropped from my video version which is in otherwise excellent shape. I don't want to purchase the DVD version if that scene is still missing.