![ALL SCI-FI Forum Index](templates/subSilver/images/logo_phpBB.gif) |
ALL SCI-FI The place to “find your people”.
|
View previous topic :: View next topic |
Author |
Message |
Bud Brewster Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)
![](images/avatars/3.jpg)
Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 17160 Location: North Carolina
|
Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2022 10:20 pm Post subject: |
|
|
__________________________________________________
This is an enjoyable video in which an actual palenontologiest examines the dinosaurs in many Hollywood productions.
I'm going to post this in other movies which feature dinosaurs.
___ Paleontologist Reviews Dinosaur Movie Scenes
___________![](https://i3.ytimg.com/vi/PJXrCtQAYDs/hqdefault.jpg) _________________ ____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958) |
|
Back to top |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
Pow Galactic Ambassador
![](images/avatars/39.png)
Joined: 27 Sep 2014 Posts: 3439 Location: New York
|
Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2022 10:09 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Keep Watching the Skies!
The Land Unknown is a humdrum adventure with dinosaurs. For an "action picture," The Land Unknown has remarkably little action.
The prehistoric sets are elaborate and impressive, and there are several good matte paintings. The dinosaurs are pathetic. Tyrannosaurus Rex is played by a man in a dinosaur suit. The Elasmosaur is a large, poorly sculpted model: it has a perpetual sneer. It is inexpressive, lifeless, and lethargic, completely unconvincing as a real animal. There is a long, savage battle between the photographically-enlarged lizards playing other prehistoric creatures. There is a long, savage battle between the two of them that is depressing and irritating, because it seems that the animals are really injuring each other.
For the most part, the optical effects are very good. The compositing of the miniature helicopter into the stock Antarctic footage is believable, and a few matte shots of people running from an impossibly-large Tyrannosaur are quite good. The matte paintings are convincing, and the set design is interesting.
Universal-International tried to insist that The Land Unknown was "science fact," not science fiction. This is a claim often heard when producers are afraid that if they call their film science fiction it will keep away certain members of the audience.
Virgil Vogel's limp, unexciting direction, the draggy, contrived script by Laszlo Gorog and Fred MacDowell's slow-paced editing would doom the film even if the storyline wasn't already so familiar. The Land Unknown is the movie conventional.
I'm giving author Bill Warren two thumbs on his review for this film. As he points out, the optical effects, matte paintings, and jungle sets are all handsomely done. I also thought the deadly plant was also a pretty nifty looking prop. The performances were all decent enough while the story was okay but hardly outstanding.
So that leaves us with the wretched looking dinosaurs that are laughable looking. That is what sinks this film, reducing it to a disappointing "B" feature film. Had the dinos all been done with the expertise and care of a Willis O'Brien or Ray Harryhausen, we could have had a marvelous movie that could proudly stand next to Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, or 20,000,000 Miles to Earth. Instead, we get an "almost was." |
|
Back to top |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
Bud Brewster Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)
![](images/avatars/3.jpg)
Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 17160 Location: North Carolina
|
Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2022 4:38 pm Post subject: |
|
|
__________________________________________________
Mike, you know I understand and respect the criticisms you've made concerning The Land Unknown, and I know you respect my fondness for the movie, which I love — lizards, warts, and all.
But I've disagreed strongly with some of the things Bill Warren has stated in his book. For example, here's one statement that's relevant to this discussion.
Pow wrote: | The late Bill Warren in his interesting book Keep Watching the Skies! found the design of The Beast from 20,000 Fathhoms to be "unimaginative and cumbersome."
"The overly-large scales, the clumsy feet and the rubbery legs make the rhedosaurus look all too much like a model . . . " |
To which you replied, "I've always enjoyed the creature's appearance."
As for Bill's statement, "For an action picture, The Land Unknown has remarkably little action," that's pure brontosaurus shit.
The exciting action scenes are well balanced with complex character interaction and unpredictable plot developments.
For example, the battle between the 'copter and the plesiosaur which ended with the monster getting a magnesium flare shot right into its mouth is a show stopper!
And the first time I saw this movie (which was in the earlier 1990s with a group of sci-fi lovin' friends) we were all amazed that neither the man who foolishly ran the copter's battery down nor the guy who kidnapped Shawn Smith became the "obligatory victims" who died in the end.
They ALL got all out safely — and in the nick of time, before the 'copter ran out of fuel and crashed right next to the ship!
I know I've said this before Mike. but if I'd seen this movie in 1957 at the tender age of nine, I'd have hated the lizards. And yet, at the ripe old age of fifty-something, I respected the filmmakers decision to make sacrifices because of the budget.
Apparently great minds like Bill's, yours, and mine don't always think alike. ![Very Happy](images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif) _________________ ____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
Last edited by Bud Brewster on Tue Jan 02, 2024 2:08 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|
Back to top |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
Bud Brewster Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)
![](images/avatars/3.jpg)
Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 17160 Location: North Carolina
|
Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2024 1:59 pm Post subject: |
|
|
______________________________________________
Gentlemen, I'm proud to announce that I found the Dell comic that was sold in 1957 to promote this movie! The entire comic is offered at a site called Hairy Green Eyeball 2, and the images are absolutely beautiful!
The artwork by famous artist Alex Toth is pretty good.
Mr. Harry Lee Green is the site's web host, and here's what he has to say about the comic.
______________________________________________
THE LAND UNKNOWN, a comic book adaptation of a science fiction lost world movie of the '50s, is another of my favorite silver age comic books. The movie may be "B", but the comic book is "A", based on artwork by Alex Toth.
Dell's Movie Comics were produced well ahead of a movie's release, so writers usually worked from an early version of the script. I don't remember the movie so I can't tell you any differences in the story. The most noticeable is that Toth didn't attempt to draw the actors' faces.
______________________________________________
Enjoy The Land Unknown!
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
![](https://i.imgur.com/LqV9sHv.jpg) _________________ ____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
Last edited by Bud Brewster on Wed Jan 03, 2024 1:18 pm; edited 2 times in total |
|
Back to top |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
Maurice Mission Specialist
![](images/avatars/10462730105ca2a190ed4b9.jpg)
Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 485 Location: 3rd Rock
|
Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2024 1:44 am Post subject: |
|
|
Neat! But the pages aren't in the correct order. _________________ * * *
"The absence of limitations is the enemy of art."
― Orson Welles |
|
Back to top |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
Bud Brewster Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)
![](images/avatars/3.jpg)
Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 17160 Location: North Carolina
|
Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2024 1:11 pm Post subject: |
|
|
______________________________________________
Maurize, thanks for the kind words!
Thanks even more for alerting me to the fact that I couldn't have gotten the order of the images more scrambled up if I'd tried!
I can't imagine how I managed to screw up so badly. It took me an hour to straighten out the mess. But if you discover any errors in the current order, please don't hesitate to tell me. _________________ ____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
Last edited by Bud Brewster on Thu Jan 04, 2024 9:31 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
Back to top |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
Pow Galactic Ambassador
![](images/avatars/39.png)
Joined: 27 Sep 2014 Posts: 3439 Location: New York
|
Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2024 9:14 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Thanks Bud, I really enjoyed seeing the Dell comic book of TLU. Alex Toth was highly regarded artist who worked for Dell, Gold Key, DC, and Marvel comics, as well as projects outside the industry. He was the Art Director for the Space Angel animated series. He created Space Ghost, The Herculoids, Birdman & the Galaxy Trio, and Dino Boy in the Lost Valley for Hanna-Barbera TV. He was a major talent and remains so to this very day. |
|
Back to top |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group
|