The Land That Time Forgot

It may very well be that, like big band music and fedora hats, the appeal of films like The Land that Time Forgot has been relegated to a select clique of nostalgic monster movie supporters who lovingly display their collections…burdened with the knowledge that there are very few left with whom to share them. After all, the Allosaurus is obviously rubber, the Pterodactyl flies on strings and the cavemen are wearing more make-up than Lady Gaga.

That the film, one of several adaptations based on the on the work of Edgar Rice Burroughs, is nothing but a corny adventure for kids is a given. But within that framework, it works exceedingly well, beginning as a WW1-era submarine thriller that gives Das Boot and U-571 a run for their money!

One of the passengers aboard a freighter sunk by a German U-boat, Bowen Tyler (Doug McClure) survives to lead a hijacking of the enemy sub. Low on fuel and water, they land on the lost continent of Caprona which is full of extinct animals and primitive humans. Their escape depends on working together to refine the plentiful supply of crude oil, while managing to not be devoured by the natural wildlife.

Kids likely won’t appreciate the long wait to get to the rubber monsters, but anyone past puberty will be surprised at the effectiveness of the opening submarine scenes. Director Kevin Connor stages a convincing series of dangerous underwater encounters that hold-up quite well.

The same can’t be said for the effects used to create Caprona’s dinosaur menagerie. The puppets are never convincing, but their attacks are lively and frequent enough (particularly an unexpected Diplodicus assault on the deck of the sub) that the methods employed don’t really matter. And at times - usually when humans aren’t required in the shot - DP Alan Hume’s photography captures them in a most majestic light.

The Land That Time Forgot and its many spin-offs (The People That Time Forgot, At The Earth’s Core, Warlords of Atlantis) were essential Sunday afternoon viewing in the late ‘70s…and remain so today if you can put them in the proper perspective. Kino Lorbor has done a great job of rewarding fans’ patience by adding an audio commentary from director Kevin Connor and a short Making Of featurette to the hi-def feature, which looks great except in the scenes shot with rear projection.