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I had a fascination with prehistoric animals, sharks, and cryptids while growing up. To feed my love for the subject, I read tons of books, built model toys, and I even owned a VHS collection that was mostly dinosaur-themed. One of my all time favorites is still THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT.
Every now and then I remember my old VHS tapes of this film. The front of the sleeve incorporated the variation of Tom Chantrell’s classic poster art, but I found myself questioning some additions like the giant octopus, a bath-o-sphere/mini-sub hybrid, and the giant manta ray from Hell with an “attack snorkel” sticking from its forehead!
The back of the sleeve was accompanied by a caption by Video Treasures where they used a still from the sequel of the film “THE PEOPLE THAT TIME FORGOT,” starring a bearded Doug McClure and a scantily clad Dana Gillespie. So, a combination of dinosaurs and cavewoman cleavage definitely made this a must-have for me. Notable for overloading my preadolescent mind with the prospect of Brontosaurs and boobs! (Of course Brontosaurs and the prospect of cavewoman “troglodyte tatas” did a number on my mind as their presence in the movie was greeted with disappointment, but there was never any crediting this Amicus production!)
I was content watching it until I tossed out my old VHS tape for an MGM DVD double feature. I knew I had my fix. That was until I received the envelope containing the Blu Ray polished by Umbrella Entertainment on my doorstep. Once again I regrettably had to say goodbye to an old friend.
Having found a new location for my treasured DVD collection which has currently been taken by a juvenile dinosaur lover I settled down to indulge in one of my favorite childhood films in high-def.
The film begins with someone tossing a canister over a ledge and into the ocean. That canister is eventually found on the coast of England, where it is discovered by an American seaman aboard a lost British merchant ship. Upon being unearthed, it was found to contain a manuscript written by Bowen Tyler, which brings us back to the present. Tyler was later discovered to be The Lost Sub-Continent of Caprona’s last stranded survivor. The film then proceeds to this flashback sequence.
It is 1918 and the First World War is in full swing. Captain Von Schoenvorts operates the German U-Boat, alongside John McEnery. Together, they take over a merchant ship they presume carries munitions to England. Soon after, the submarine submerges itself under a block of fog. This ensures the crew of the ship won’t head above water, hence keeping the crew refreshed. After slicing through the fog, the submarine reappears above water to charge its battery.
Completely unaware of the German’s plans, Bowen Tyler, a bold biologist along with Lisa Clayton (Susan Penhaligon) and a handful of British sailors captained by Bradley (Keith Barron) have evaded the attack. Soaking in the British’s confusion, Tyler alongside his British friends overpower the German soldiers on board, capturing the submarine. But neither side is willing to concede and the conflict makes a return as both parties try to outsmart each other again and again.
They come to a decision to proceed toward a neutral port, but their navigation system gets sabotaged. They end up further South Atlantic with no clear supplies and food becoming a huge concern. That’s when they discover it A massive unidentified island. Von Schoenvorts theorizes the island is Caprona (also known as Caspak). With no area to anchor, the commanders had access to an underwater route that entered deeper into Caprona’s core and decided to take it.
Thanks to sub-expert Bowen Tyler, the U-boat is able to navigate through the slender underwater opening and comes out into a tropical world which is filled with living organisms from the prehistorical era! The land, river, and sky are swarming with different kinds of dinosaurs, the majority of which regard the newcomers as their next meal. Hence, for their own self-preservation, the British and Germans agree to a ceasefire and cooperate. Together with a friendly Neanderthal named Ahm (Bobby Parr), they find an unrefined oil rock which they start to refine immediately.
Getting out of Caprona is going to be quite a challenge. The people seem to be losing hope as they strain against heavy attacks from packs of evolved cavemen and never-ending dinosaurs, even with modern technology, they lose their numbers. To make things worse, a volcano erupts further triggering the final mutiny, forcing the world’s last resort dash for fuel capture. Those that survive, remain forever trapped in THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT. Quite a handful will die in the process, but their chances of survival are claustrophobically grim.
Watching this film again, I was reminded of my childhood days, When I spent my free time at the neighbouring library and the video store. Books engaged my logical mindset and the movies made me believe that there is a place where dinosaurs still exist. Taking all that into account, it shouldn’t be a shock that THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT was my favorite movie, and even after all those years have passed, I still really love this adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ mysterious tale.
While I used to enjoy fast forwarding to “the good part”, the parts where the German and British sailors dynamically fought over one another, during my recent watch, the first act completely enthralled me.
After the shocking British raid, Von Schoenvorts’ men swiftly regain control of their vessel. However, Bowen and his men deliver a bit of ironic justice as they quietly retake the sub and destroy a German supply ship. The efforts of both sides in trying to outdo each other makes it quite interesting for us until we reach the Caprona.
The moment we reach the lost world, the film just gets better, the two opposing factions join hands to deal with the unwelcoming environment. As a movie it spares no time in introducing dinosaurs, a famished Mosasaurus snatches a sailor from the deck and a Plesiosaur tries to grab Bowen Tyler for supper. Hypothetically it’s the aquatic reptile who has the last laugh and gets devoured but still. But these aquatic creatures are just the beginning of what our half stranded heroes have to face.
Dinosaurs were puppetted by Roger Dicken, a special effects expert from the UK who later worked on Warlords of the Deep, ALIEN, WHITEDOG, and THE HUNGER. The dinosaurs were brought to life through puppets instead of stop motion as it was Dicken’s favored choice, and was less tedious and expensive. Plus, the dinosaurs looked much more fluid.
Although the dino puppets are far from realistic, they are effective enough part of the film. Everything considered, it is clear that a lot of thought went into how to make it seem as lifelike as possible. In one scene, two famished Allosaurs salivate and run through a jungle in pursuit of some unfortunate humans. Meanwhile, a Ceratosaurus lets out a primal roar after being fatally impaled by a protective Triceratops that attempts to guard its nest. Then there is the brief glimpse of a defeated Styracosaurus shedding a single tear, which is one of the most poignant moments in the movie. All of these shining details, however, make the dinosaurs seem like they have a hint of life, which makes it easier for the audience to forget that they are indeed watching a movie.
As much as puppetry served as the main technique of creating effects in THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT, there were also several large rubber mock-ups crafted to add more detail to the film. These static mock-ups were only used for a few scenes that required close interaction between man and thunder lizard, like getting eaten by a dinosaur, while most of the other human and dinosaur interactions were achieved by front projection. (A technique, which, to his credit, Connor employed very well in AT THE EARTH’S CORE.)
The dinosaur on the right made a pun just before they were shot, saying that it would sleep when it’s dead and then laughed.
McClure had a change of heart when he learned Arkoff was co-producing the film, despite originally refusing the role. The veteran actor is an important piece in THE LAND BEFORE TIME as the character “Bowen Tyler,” as Doug McClure and the rest of the cast and crew made gripping, intelligent filmmakers who were fun and amazing to work with. His proven worth did not stop with simply his personality; as best known for his work on action films and television, McClure’s major asset to the film was in LAND’s more intricate fight scenes.
Equally noteworthy is John McEnery as Captain Von Schoenvorts. He gave a remarkable performance as the composed German U-boat commander and was a British actor being overdubbed, which utterly shocked me. And speaking overheard, Anton Diffring (of AMICUS PRODUCTIONS’ THE BEAST MUST DIE fame) must be commended for providing the character’s German lines so brilliantly. (Seriously, this dub job is so good you would literally have no idea anything was amiss had I not told you!)
Lisa Clayton is portrayed by Susan Penhaligon, who happens to be the only woman in the cast. Instead of being the stereotypical “damsel in distress,” she surprisingly displays her male-dominated characteristics and turns out to be a strong woman. Lisa, being a biologist, is more thrilled than frightened by the idea of being trapped inside Caprona. She demonstrates multiple times that she is not as helpless as she appears. In the first act of the film, she shoots a man to rescue Bowen Tyler and later helps him and the others out of their quarters so they can retake the U-boat.
Completing the main cast are Anthony Ainley, Keith Barron, and Bobby Parr. Ainley plays Dietz, Von Schoenvorts’ second in command, and he’s rather cold-hearted and doesn’t work well with others. The Dietz character essentially leads to a disastrous decision to mutiny during the film’s climax because, for him, the war isn’t over. Barron stars as Bradley, the loyal and trustworthy British leader of the Caprona survivors. Sadly, he receives a bullet in the gut for his heroic refusal to abandon Bowen and Lisa. And finally, Bobby Parr takes on the role of the adorable Ahm.
Ahm is the only amicable native they come across, and he turns out to be a great help. He does not only guide them to an oil field which can be refined to service their submarine, but also gives some insight into some of the other creatures inhabiting the island like the Bo-Lu, Sto-Lu, and Galu, as well as the peculiar evolutionary processes that have taken place on Caprona. Sadly, Pterodactyls are much too hungry and he is carried off in the jaws of one, never realizing his dream of evolving into a “Galu.”
As with many of his works, this film’s story is based on a novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, and it is correct to say that THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT makes a decent adaptation. Although some of the effects are dated, many still look quite good for a film of this age, particularly the miniatures. (The U-boat in particular looks quite realistic in many shots!) Given the flimsy plot, mediocre pacing, a plethora of dinosaurs, and the annoyingly ‘artistic’ but ultimately forgettable soundtrack, THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT has truly earned its status.
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