One Million Years BC

One Million Years B.C. (1966) is one of the few movies where Ray Harryhausen's prehistoric creations actually have to compete for your attention. Raquel Welch and her fur bikini, immortalized by pop culture posters, is every bit as eye-popping in the role of Loana, a fair-haired cavegirl who teaches the finer points of life to Tumak (John Richardson) a rough-and-rowdy exile from a neighboring tribe. As the pair dodges dinosaurs, natural disasters and cannibalistic missing links, the film gets by without a single word of English dialogue, delivering one of the most memorable stop-motion spectaculars of the era.

The biggest success in Hammer Films' history (a company known far better for its gothic horror output) actually began as a remake of Hal Roach's 1940 version, which starred Victor Mature and Carol Landis running away from photographically enlarged lizards and snakes. Producer Michael Carreras (who also wrote the script) upped the ante by bringing in Harryhausen to duplicate his more convincing effects work on pictures like Jason and the Argonauts. Director Don Chaffey was also retained to deal with the location choreography on what was easily the studio's most ambitious project - and biggest gamble - ever.

Shot in the beautifully brutal landscape of the Canary Island, One Million Years B.C. opens with a bit of self-important narration to set the scene (again, the only English spoken in the film), then proceeds to tell the story of Tumak, part of a tribe of prehistoric trailer trash with no culture, no class and no mercy. Kicked out after a family squabble, Tumak heads for greener pastures...and finds one at the edge of the ocean where he collapses into the arms of Loana.

Part of the peaceful Shell Tribe, Loana is instantly smitten with her wandering bad boy, even though he's a poor fit with the rest of the group. As successful fisherman, gardeners, and artisans, the tribe has no use for the clueless Tumak...that is, until he proves his bravery when ambushed by a hungry Allosaurus! But Tumak's fame is short-lived and soon he's back on the road, this time with Loana in tow, to return to his original stomping ground and wrest control back from his surly paternal relatives.

A prehistoric road movie of sorts, the script sends Tumak on a Fury Road-style journey there and back again, forcing him to face the same threats but with new-found knowledge, skills and compassion. For those who grew up watching the film on endless Sunday afternoon repeats, One Million Years B.C. needs no defending. Harryhausen's work, despite a brief optically enlarged iguana that stands out like a sore thumb, is some of the most impressive in his long career. But the best compliment one can pay to Chaffey's film is that it's never boring. Even the scenes that don't involve some sort of flying, jumping or slithering monstrosity have a scope and scale that keep the viewer engaged. And that fur bikini is like the cherry on top of an already irresistible fantasy treat.

Kino Lorber's 4K restoration of both the U.S. and international version (which runs 10 minutes longer) is one of those holy grails for Harryhausen collectors. And it doesn't disappoint, starting with an incredible transfer that pops right from the opening credits. Yes, the matte lines and color shifts are a bit more visible, but you'll be surprised at exactly how good the effects hold up even in hi-def. Extras include trailers, posters and stills, an invaluable Tim Lucas audio commentary and 15 minute sit-down interviews with Harryhausen, co-star Martine Beswick and Raquel Welch herself...who's just a dismissive of the experience as you might expect. Overall, this is an essential piece of any legit Blu-ray collection.