Showing posts with label doug mcclure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label doug mcclure. Show all posts

Sunday, September 24, 2023

Burroughs

 

 (imdb)

THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT-1974-A sailor finds a bottle with a message in it. Thus is related in 1916 a German U-boat torpedoes an English ship. 2 survivors Bowen Tyler (Doug McClure) and Lisa Clayton (Susan Penhaligon) are rescued by some of the crew who survived. The survivors take over the U-boat. Later the Germans retake the sub and going off course they wind up in the south pole, landing in the thought to be legend land of Capuria. They encounter a pterodactyl, sea monsters and a bunch of cavemen. Eventually the German crew revolt but are all killed when a volcano erupts. Only the two survive and Tyler writes his message in a bottle. 

This Amicus co-production was director Kevin Connor's second film and it's not bad with the exception of some cheap looking SFX. It's based on a novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs with the screenplay by fantasy artist James Cawthorn and fantasy writer Michael Moorcock. Connor made a sequel AT THE EARTH'S CORE two years later.

Thanks for reading!

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Undersea City

 

 (wikipedia)

WARLORDS OF ATLANTIS-1978-A British exploring vessel sponsored by an English prof. Aitkin (Donald Bisset) and his son Charles (Peter Gilmore) and commanded by Capt. Daniels (Shane Rimmer) get more than they bargain for when they go exploring in a special diving belt designed by American Greg Collins (Doug McClure). When a gold statue is found, the crew decides to mutiny and strand Charles and Greg underwater. But before that can happen the ship is attacked by a giant octopus. The duo, Daniels and a few others are "rescued" by Atmir (Michael Gothard) and his troops. They are taken to "the fourth city" where many English speaking people reside. No sooner do they get there when Greg starts a fight after meeting Delphine (Lea Brodie). Later, after they are put in prison, Charles is introduced to Atsil (Cyd Charrisse), who shows him the real hidden Atlantis because she admires his intellect. She explains how her race came from another planet (Mars). Delphine's father Briggs (Robert Brown) explains that he and everyone else are from other missing ships (his was the Mary Celeste) and they are controlled because of an operation performed on them. King Atraxon (Daniel Massey) says "the ruling class must always survive" while everyone else battles giant lizard-like creatures. He wants to create a utopia on Earth using science and force. 

Not the greatest sfx but overall, it's good. Director Kevin Connor was an old hand at this kind of production having already made THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT (1974), AT THE EARTH'S CORE (1976) and THE PEOPLE THAT TIME FORGOT (1977) (all three featuring McClure).

Thanks for reading!

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Because


BECAUSE THEY'RE YOUNG-1960-American Bandstand's Dick Clark (who died in April 2012 at 82)  is a new high school teacher. His students include a loving couple (Doug McClure & Roberta Shore; 5 years later they would both co-star on TV's THE VIRGINIAN) who want to get married, skinny Warren Beringer (who later became a pudgy TV character actor) who doesn't know his mom's a floozy, bad boy Riff Rimer (Michael Callan) and his ex-girl friend Anne (Tuesday Weld) who has a nagging mother. Chris Robinson (later the lead role in STANLEY) is a toughie who tries to cause trouble at a dance where James Darren and Duane Eddy (who also does the theme song) perform! 


Riff gets involved in a hold up staged by his butcher shop boss. Lying and misunderstandings (and a knife fight) follow but the man who made lip-synching fashionable on music shows straightens out everything in the end. 


Also with Victoria Shaw (who was Maria Van Braun in I AIM FOR THE STARS the same year) as Clark's love interest, Phillip Coolidge, Bess Flowers and John Zaremba. It's based on a novel called "Harrison High". 


The year before BTY director Paul Wendkos had directed the original GIDGET (and would also make its two sequels) but later devoted himself mostly to TV. 


Thanks for reading!