Customer Reviews

Land Unknown [VHS]

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Okay, I agree some of the monsters in this movie are rather weak, but all in all, because of the likable cast, this is a perfect Drive-in Black and White film. I am sure kids of today raised with all colour films and with the high quality computer generated effects, will sniff their noses at this film, but to the baby-boomers that loved Drive-In B movies, this is one of the better ones.

Jock Mahoney (TV's Yancy Derringer and later a Tarazon for movies) stars with the gorgeous William Reynolds (TV's FBI and also from The Thing that Would Not Die another perfect B movie) in this tale of a polar expedition that crashes over the South Pole due to crashing into a Pterodactyl. There is a hot pocket where all sorts of prehistoric (make it in this case prehysteric!!) monsters still exist. Three men and a woman crash and await rescue, but due to one of the running the battery down they cannot get word where they are hidden in the tropics jungle at the centre of the Pole. They discover there was another party, with one man still surviving, and since there is only one female, tempers flare up naturally.

I am a sucker for the old Black & White B horror, Sci-fi and mysteries. It's not the quality of the monsters...its the experience. So pop some popcorn, turn out the lights and enjoy a kinder gentler Jurassic Park....

Today's kids, raised on computer-generated graphics, will probably sneer at it, but by 1957 standards THE LAND UNKNOWN was pretty hard to beat. Drawing inspiration from 1920s silent classic THE LOST WORLD and using film shot by Byrd during his polar expedition, THE LAND UNKNOWN presents the story of a helicopter forced down at a warm-water oasis in Antartica--where the crew discovers a prehistoric world where everything seems determined to gobble them up.

The special effects are a mixed bag, ranging from live-action shots of lizards-in-combat to Godzilla-style rubber suits to full size mechanics. While I wouldn't describe it as greatly sophistocated or even consistently executed, it is all a tremendous amount of fun. The script is more intelligent than you might expect--and the story takes an unexpected turn that tempers the action-heavy plot with a certain depth. The cast is no-name, but every one plays expertly, and THE LAND UNKNOWN moves at a cracking pace. This will never compete with the likes of Harryhausen's stop-motion classics, nor will it go down in the history of film as an equal to the truly great science-fiction and fantasy films of its day. But THE LAND UNKNOWN is a fun flick, and I recommend it to fans of 1950s creature features.

This flick had well above average production values for the 1950's. The actual sets were spectacular(for this timeframe) and it had great use of stock footage. Sure, the dinosaurs were cheesy, but name one 50's monster that wasn't. I purchased this before seeing it and am glad to say that it will remain in my library. Most films I purchase before seeing end up on Ebay. Check it out!!

The monsters are clumsily done but the picture in general is well done and the scenes impresive for such an old picture.

the dinos were great in this movie I give it 2 thumbps up

The movie its self was good. Silly special effects though. Obviously based on Admiral Byrd's expedition to the South Pole

It's a good movie. They go to the south pole. But there is a
warm spot there due to hot springs or something. Anyway the
area is prehistoric with dinosaurs. There is also a man living
there who was left stranded there from an expedition years before.

Never mind that the dinosaurs look so fake. The seriousness of
the acting makes you hardly even notice. It's interesting, with
action and good dialog. It may be in black and white. But it's good.

This is one of those movies that appeals to old sci-fi B movie lovers. The effects are weak but, are very familiar of the time and genre. The dinosaurs effects run from OK to pretty silly, they use a variety of techniques from real lizards shot with miniatures, a man in a T-Rex suit and a sea serpent that looked like a puppet of some sort. The acting is typical also. If you are like me and can't resist these old B Sci-Fi flicks than you will be pleased to know this is available on Ultimate Sci-Fi classic collection volume 2. The DVD transfer is very good and there are a total of 5 films in the set.

The people are making their way to the recently repared copter, when Skakespere shows up, grabs the lady, beats her up, and feeds her to the carnivorous plant, followed by the caveman guy, and all the rest except the pilot, who escapes missing an arm.

What a stupid, stupid movie. STUPID. Other than The Star Wars Holiday Special and the American Fake Godzilla, This could go down as the worst movie of all time. That's right, THEE WORST MOVIE OF ALL TIME!!! However, people dislike this film for all the wrong reasons. No, it wasn't the cheesy special effects (Heck, that's what makes old monster movies so great in the first place!!!). No, what REALLY destroyed it was the ACTING. The guy who wasted the battery? Stupid. The cavemen guy? STUPID...and POINTLESS!!! But the lady...the LADY...

well, when you see her faint for the THIRD time in a row, you'll understand what BAD IS UNDERSTATING IT means. I mean, how many times can ya faint in one movie? She didn't even TRY to fight back!!! AND SHE LET SHAKESPERE DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SHE should have been eaten, NOT SHAKESPERE!!! Obviously the director thought introducing him and then just killing him off meant something, but IT DIDN'T. As a matter of fact, the only good characters were Shakespere and the dinosaurs! But the problems don't end there. The "Stegosauri (What the???)" are clearly Komodo Dragons. They didn't even try!!! And since WHEN was a Stegosaurus a carnivore??? I know that it's a herbivore, and I'm JUST A KID!!!

When I grow up, I'm making a movie called "The Land Unknown II: Shakespere's Revenge".