ALL SCI-FI Forum Index ALL SCI-FI
The place to “find your people”.
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

Planet of Dinosaurs (1978)
Goto page 1, 2  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    ALL SCI-FI Forum Index -> Sci-Fi Movies from 1970 to 2000
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17020
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Wed May 13, 2015 10:45 pm    Post subject: Planet of Dinosaurs (1978) Reply with quote





From Wikipedia
__________________________________

Planet of Dinosaurs (also known as Dinossauros: Planet of Dinosaurs) is a 1978 science fiction film.





Set in an unspecified future, the film follows the journey of Captain Lee and his crew after they crash land on a planet with similar life conditions as Earth, but millions of years behind in time.



Encountering a wide variety of dangerous dinosaurs, the crew decides that its best chance for survival lies on finding higher ground and setting up a defensive perimeter on a higher plateau for refuge to wait for when or if their rescuers arrive. They soon encounter a deadly Tyrannosaurus and must figure out a way to defeat the creature and survive on the planet.





The film was a low budget endeavor with no major stars; James Whitworth and Max Thayer have the most film experience amongst the actors.





Director James K. Shea instructed most of the budget to be spent on the special effects for the film, which included an array of award-winning stop motion dinosaurs, leaving little money for props or even to pay the main actors.





Modern reviews have generally been negative, although there is agreement that the stop motion dinosaurs were the most notable and enjoyable aspect of the film.





_________________
____________
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 Fri Nov 11, 2022 4:37 pm; edited 3 times in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17020
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Thu May 14, 2015 12:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I LOVE this poster, and I spent over an hour restoring it — removing white fold creases that marred the beauty of this work of art — so I couldn't bear to post a reduced version of it.

Enjoy this masterpiece by artist Ken Hoff. Click on it and go to Photobucket, then click on the magnifying glass icon to see a version twice as detailed as this. Very Happy



_________________
____________
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 Sat Mar 03, 2018 2:11 pm; edited 2 times in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
bulldogtrekker
Space Sector Admiral


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 1024
Location: Columbia,SC

PostPosted: Thu May 14, 2015 5:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You forgot to mention that we saw this movie together (in a snchro-chat) about six months ago and it was OK for an almost unknown movie. Most of the actions were totally logical and the stop-action was AOK.

Last edited by bulldogtrekker on Sat Mar 24, 2018 11:02 am; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17020
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Thu May 14, 2015 9:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yep, the download we watched (from Youtube or Stagevu, I forget which one) is the source of all those screen grabs in the first post. Very Happy

I noticed today that our newest member, CucamongaDan, posted an invitation to the members of CHFB back in February to watch this very movie together, using their own DVDs or dowloads while they discuss the movie on the CHFB's weekly Friday chat thread!

Here's the link to his invitation, partway down the page on the "Planet of Dinosaurs" thread.

http://monsterkidclassichorrorforum.yuku.com/topic/23505/Planet-of-Dinosaurs?page=23#.VVVbGZOrHms

In other words, a syncro-cinema just like we do!

_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17020
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Thu Oct 05, 2017 10:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Youtube has several very good versions of this remarkable movie, with excellent pictures. The stop motion is amazing, and the models are absolutely stunning! Very Happy
________________________________


_____________________ Planet of Dinosaurs


__________


IMDB has a very interesting trivia item.

On June 24, 2011, the Portland, Oregon composers and musicians collective Filmusik gave "Planet of Dinosaurs" its full treatment: screening the film at the Hollywood Theater in Portland with the sound shut off, while the local progressive jazz band Blue Cranes performed a new, original musical soundtrack live, and voice actors from Willamette Radio Workshop recreated the dialogue with live foley.

Jim Aupperle, co-writer, associate producer, and head of special visual effects for the original film, was on hand for the show and said later, "... I don't think I ever enjoyed our film as much as I did that evening." Filmusik will recreate the show in an outdoor show at Sewallcrest Park in Portland on Aug. 17, 2013.


Note from me: What a wild way this was to pay tribute to the movie, and what a remarkable experience this must have been for the audience!

_________________
____________
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 Nov 18, 2020 4:06 pm; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Maurice
Mission Specialist


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 462
Location: 3rd Rock

PostPosted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 4:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sooooo terrible because it's soooo boring. The script is a sketch, the acting is bad. Even the dinosaurs don't make up for it.
_________________
* * *
"The absence of limitations is the enemy of art."
― Orson Welles
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17020
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Fri Mar 23, 2018 6:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Thinking Outside the "Plot"!
________________________________

Yep, it's a damn shame those spectacular special effects aren't in a movie that was worthy of them. I have the highest admiration for Doug Beswick and his crew for doing such a stellar job on those animation scenes, despite the poor quality of the movie otherwise.

The conclusion of the movie was upbeat enough to suggest a terrific sequel. The shipwrecked astronauts would manage to send out a distress call with their ship's communications system before the power is completely depleted. But they have no idea if it will be received and succeed in summoning help.

The leader of the humans carries around the last working communicator, constantly hoping to hear a message from a rescue ship if it enters orbit around the planet. It serves as a symbol of hope for the humans, but as time goes by it seems less and less likely that rescue will ever come.

The interstellar settlers spend ten years developing a growing community with the help of (wait for it . . . wait for it) a friendly tribe of Neanderthal-like humanoids they have befriended, and together they've built effect defenses around their village to project them from the carnivorous dinosaurs.






The village would resemble the Native American cliff dwellings in Utah, providing protection for this multi-species tribe, allowing them to survive in the alien "prehistory" world.





The river that runs along the valley floor would provide ample water for the tribe —





— and even serve to water the herd of grazing dinosaurs they keep as food animal, similar to cattle. The triceratops-like beast become so well domesticated that the tribesmen fashion yokes and plows for the cultivation of the land, as well as saddles so they can ride the animals.

Come on, admit it: those two white horns on top of the crest would make perfect "handlebars". A rider could steer one of these boys around like a Harley! Cool






Large wooden barricades could be erected at two points along the valley floor to keep the herd penned inside and the carnivores outside.





The story for this sequel would involve the arrival of a large starship which lands on the plains a few miles from the valley settlement, and the shipwrecked astronauts discover that ruthless aliens are setting up a mining operation. The aliens have already carried out one mining operation several hundred miles away, and they've imprisoned an entire tribe of the primitive humanoids to use as slave labor in the mines!

The mixed tribe of humans and humanoid "cavemen" would remain undetected in the hidden valley while they plan a rescue mission to free the enslaved aborigines and destroy the alien mining ship, hoping to save their planet and their adopted "people".

The climax would involve an attacking force of triceratops-mounted warriors in a predawn raid on the aliens' ship, lead by the humans who are armed with the energy weapons we saw in the first film, while the humanoids are armed with bows and arrows, as well as long spears which are used like a knight's lance.

But as the sun rises above the horizon it appears that the attack will fail, and our heroes are on the verge of defeat! Shocked

Suddenly a huge starship from Earth appears in the sky, and the communication device the leader always carries with him crackles to life with a message from the approaching vessel!

The leader quickly tells the approaching ship that the alien vessel is hostile, and he warns them to be prepared for an attack. Seconds latter the alien ship opens fire on the Earth vessel, and the rescue ship fires back — destroying the alien spacecraft!

The Earth ship lands, and the shipwrecked humans greet their rescuers. They are told that this newly discovered, earth-like planet will be opened up for colonization in the near future. The shipwrecked humans decide to stay on the planet and help the aborigines adapt to their changing world when the colonist begin to arrive.

_________________
____________
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 Sat Mar 24, 2018 12:49 pm; edited 7 times in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Zackuth
Solar Explorer


Joined: 31 Jul 2015
Posts: 51
Location: Arkansas

PostPosted: Sat Mar 24, 2018 8:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I hadn't even heard of this movie until a couple of months ago when I watched this on Tubi or Roku (don't remember which one). It was decent. I agree, the cast was not A list talent (or B list, or C list), but the stop motion was great. I've watched it twice in the past few months.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Custer
Space Sector Commander


Joined: 22 Aug 2015
Posts: 932
Location: Earth

PostPosted: Sat Mar 24, 2018 9:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The dvd seems to have a novel selling angle:



The story synopsis at legendfilms.net, which would like to sell you it for $9.95 from Amazon, seems a trifle irreverent too:


Quote:
When a spaceship full of hairy people crashes on an unknown planet, it's not enough that the surviving members look a lot like the Starland Vocal Band (it is a help, of course, but not sufficient for their survival). They must forge off on a non-stop mission of wandering around doing nothing in particular, not saying anything particularly noteworthy, and not looking particularly attractive or interesting. However, they do provide a tasty and nutritious snack for some pretty sweet looking stop-motion dinosaurs! Their routine deaths become a challenge to their intrepid captain, who prefers to rule by whining, equivocation and frequent "rest periods." This leaves him vulnerable to a coup by the crew's most hirsute member, Jim, who presses the enormous advantage provided him by what looks like a beard made out of 2-dollar-a-yard fun fur. - Fortunately, the stars of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and RiffTrax.com, Kevin Murphy, Bill Corbett and Mike Nelson are here to sharpen some sticks, put on their least smelly animal furs and prepare to poke at the Planet of Dinosaurs.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17020
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Sat Mar 24, 2018 12:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

I freely admit that my proposed sequel is based on the movie's basic premise, not the disappointing way it was handled.

Rather than a movie that's supposed to be a sequel to the 1973 film, it would really be better to do a remake that starts with the crash landing and then tells the story I described.

The FX would be CGI, of course, but it would be fun to make them look like flawless stop motion, with the dinosaurs designed to look a bit more like the great models in the 1973 movie than the "realistic" versions in Jurassic Park.

_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Bogmeister
Galactic Fleet Vice Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 574

PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2019 2:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

____________


The title is accurate — this is indeed another planet of dinosaurs.

It takes place in a future when space travel is commonplace. A small spaceship of travelers gets marooned on the planet after the ship blows up. The area looks suspiciously like similar locales seen on Star Trek TOS (i.e. Vasquez Rocks) — perhaps it's the same sci-fi universe?

In any case, the stranded group, a combo of crew and passengers numbering 8 or 9 people, quickly become aware that dinosaurs are the dominant indigenous lifeform. As expected, the group's numbers dwindle one-by-one.

__________
_______________

This was a sincere attempt to present a Harryhausen-type sci-fi picture (or even an homage to Willis O'Brien & King Kong). The stop-motion animation is by Doug Beswick, Steve Czerkas and Jim Aupperte. Some of it looks a bit amateurish, but other key scenes with a T-Rex approaches Harryhausen-level artistry.

This is constrained by the low budget; the acting is very stiff or overdone, depending (the loud complainer of the group, a company V.P., is overdone while all the others are very wooden). The photography in some scenes looks unprofessional (almost home movie styled). The only known actor is Jim Whitworth, a tall, bearded actor who appeared in the original The Hills Have Eyes.

This does have an interesting ending.

BoG's Score: 5 out of 10


_________________



BoG
Galaxy Overlord Galactus


Last edited by Bogmeister on Sun May 19, 2019 12:41 pm; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17020
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2019 2:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

This 20-minute, fan-made review of the movie is not very well done, but here it is anyway. Frankly Brandon's attempts at humor suck, so that might spoil your enjoyment. Rolling Eyes
________________________________


_____ Brandon's Cult Movie Reviews: Planet Of Dinosaurs


__________

_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Pow
Galactic Ambassador


Joined: 27 Sep 2014
Posts: 3401
Location: New York

PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2019 4:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wonder if Vazquez Rocks & Bronson Canyon have ever both appeared in scenes in the same movie or TV show?

I know they are both heavily utilized for outdoor shooting locations, but I do not recall seeing both used at the same time in a movie or television show.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17020
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Wed Nov 18, 2020 5:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

IMDB has several interesting trivia items for this production. Very Happy
________________________________

~ One of the dinosaurs that Capt. Lee encounters near the end of the film when he is trying to get the T-Rex's attention is based on the Rhedosaurus, the fictional dinosaur from The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953). Ray Harryhausen visited the studio during production and gave his consent for the creature's cameo appearance.

Note from me: The tribute to Ray is admirable! Notice that the relative scale of the T-Rex and the Rhedosaurus is not correct — on purpose, of course. The Rhedosaurus in Beast from 20,000 Famous is far bigger and the T-Rex, so the producers of this movie chose to make is small enough to be a tasty meal for the Tyrannous. Very Happy

~ The first draft of the script was written in three days.

Note from me: Well now, it's kinda hard to fault a movie's script when it was done in three short days. Okay, so it isn't great . . . but that must have been three whirlwind days of creative effort! Very Happy

~ The script wasn't finished when this movie was cast, so the folks who auditioned for roles had to do monologues for the auditions.

Note from me: Wow! What dedication to their craft! What determination to succeed! Clearlly these young actors were immersed in their roles!

~ The spaceship interiors were the only scenes shot on a soundstage.

Note from me: The spaceship interiors were just dark rooms with a few simple control panels and monitors, with close-ups of the actors in the ship against black backgrounds. The word "soundstage" apparently has a very loose definition. Confused

~ The filmmakers initially wanted to do an attack scene with a Pterodactyl, but had to give up that idea because the budget would not allow for it.

Note from me: This is understandable. Stop motion models suspended on wires is very difficult and time consuming, and matting the flying dinosaurs into the live action has been known to drive good men to drink and bad man to acts of murder and mayhem! Shocked

~ While the film itself is considered something of a landmark in the science-fiction film genre for its outstanding stop-motion effects, one of the most notable aspects of the film is the character "Derna", played by Derna Wylde. Her sultry and sexy characterization earned her a cult following beyond the movie itself, and inspired Washington State University English Prof. Michael Delahoyde to write and present a humorous poem entitled "Ode to Derna" in celebration of the character at a screening of the film held at the 1998 Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association Conference in Utah.

Note from me: I hardly know what to say about this. Obviously I need to watch this movie again and pay close attention to "Derna". She seems to be a rare women indeed . . . Shocked

~ All the men in the cast have mustaches except Chuck Pennington.

Note from me: Apparently Chuck's agent advised him to shave off his mustache so he'd stand out from the other guys. The agent told him that producers would exclaim, "Get me the guy from Planet of Dinosaurs! The one WITHOUT the womb broom!" Cool

~ Due to the low budget, many of the crew fulfilled multiple production roles. Additionally, friends and family of the cast were also brought in to assist the crew with production. Notable among them is Dorinda Lawless, wife of actor/producer Louie Lawless (Capt. Lee Norsythe), who did the majority of make-up for the cast.

Note from me: Ya gotta love a production that unites several families and bonds them together in a creative effort!

~ The one-piece blue uniforms worn by two of the men are very impractical if they have to go to the bathroom. There are no visible zippers nor buttons.

Note from me: Well, that's one way to keep the actors on the set and to stay on schedule! Shocked

~ The film was first released on DVD in 2001 and again by Retromedia Entertainment on September 25, 2007 as a "30th Anniversary Edition" in widescreen format that was initially mislabeled as the "20th Anniversary Edition". The latter contains bonus features, while the former does not.

Note from me: I can't help but wonder if the "widescreen format" is really just a cropped 4:3 image which is made to look "wide" because the top and bottom portions are lopped off

For the record, I'm not one of those drooling idiots who thinks my widescreen TV is showing me MORE by zooming in on a 4:3 image to fill the sides and eliminate the left-and-right black bars . Rolling Eyes

Frankly, the gene pool would be better off without such mental midgets. Rolling Eyes

_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Pow
Galactic Ambassador


Joined: 27 Sep 2014
Posts: 3401
Location: New York

PostPosted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 9:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just watched this movie on good ole' Youtube and must say that I was impressed with it.

True, its budget was a modest one. True, the acting and scripting were underwhelming. However, it appeared that everyone was giving it their best efforts in spite of the film's limitations.

The stop~motion was very well executed; the dino designs were quite good.

The producers wisely shot the bulk of the film at the famous and oft-used movie and television outdoor location of Vasquez Rocks.

Perhaps the cost of renting a sound stage forced them to film in the great outdoors, I don't know.

But the movie greatly benefits from using Vasquez Rocks.

It has always been my contention that any movie or TV series that is able to afford to shoot scenes outdoors always wins.

Even if they film at greatly used sites that the audience is all too familiar with, it beats an artificial set on an enclosed sound stage that comes off as very phony.

For me, poor sets that are supposed to represent the outdoors of an alien planet can be a distracting factor.

In POD we see our intrepid survivors walking and climbing and camping on real locations.

This adds a more realistic atmosphere to such a movie. It gives a modestly budgeted film a grander and larger overall feel just like a multi-million production does.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    ALL SCI-FI Forum Index -> Sci-Fi Movies from 1970 to 2000 All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page 1, 2  Next
Page 1 of 2

 
Jump to:  
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