Okay, I've scrolled thru here several times, trying to see if I have overlooked such a thread, but I didn't see it.

Surely such a topic would be under action movies.

No idea what has intrigued me lately about this subject, but with recent events in Brazil with the tribe waving bows and arrows at the airplane overhead, it seems like an excellent time to delve into those lost civilizations in movies of old.

I've tried setting up a poll; utterly failed at that. Don't know if I was doing it wrong (possibly) or if only a moderator or somebody can do it, but nevermind.

All those movies based on the books of Verne, Wells, Burroughs, some of them by Irwin Allen. Some had charming casts which helped, some had unknowns which also helped.

Grade B or Grade Z, they all essentially offer up the same thing. Escapism to the unknown.

Again, no idea why this idea is fascinating me so lately, but I've been looking into several old time travel shows (not movies, shows) and so sci fi is heavy on my mind at the moment.

I've excluded some obvious ones, Tarzan, Atlantis, etc.

Atlantis movies (what few there are) never intrigued me anyway. Either the inhabitants are unfriendly fish people, or there is no hint of them living underwater.

Tarzan versions are a thread unto themselves.

So here are the ones I've accumulated:

Unknown Island (1948) :mellow:

Lost Continent (1951) :unsure:

20000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) :)

Around the World In 80 Days (1956) :lol:

The Land Unknown (1957) :rolleyes:

From the Earth to the Moon (1958) :huh:

Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959) :point:

Mysterious Island (1961) ^_^

Five Weeks In A Balloon (1962) :wacko:

In Search of the Castaways (1962) -_-

Island At The Top of The World (1974) ;)

Land That Time Forgot (1975) B)

At The Earth's Core (1976) :wacko:

People That Time Forgot (1977) :lol:

I'm sure anyone weighing in on favorites will go 20,000 Leagues and 80 Days.

The worst is my alltime guilty pleasure, At the Earth's Core.

You have left out the two best of all time.

The first was a silent film called "the Lost World." It established the basis for all dinosaur Island movies yet to come.

The BEST of all time was the original KING KONG which basically plagerized the Lost World, and added a beauty and the beast subplot to it; hence the giant ape was added to the island of dinosaurs, and the ape falls in love with Fay Wray! Still the best of all time.

Of course the little known sequel to King Kong, Son of Kong, would alo count as a dinosaur island movie as well.

Dr. David

Oh, I loved this genre! Campy films, terrible dinosaurs, et al. One I've always liked, but darn if I can remember the title, had Jock Mahoney in the lead. Their helicopter is hit by a pteradactyl and they crash in the land below where this awful looking T-Rex attacks them. I heard that Hallmark was remaking the Burroughs classic, The Land That Time Forgot. But I haven't seen any more on this. Dang, there should be one of those CD sets with fifty of these great old dinosaur movies for fans like me!

Tom,

I believe the movie you remember is called The Land Unknown. They crash land in the Antarctic and find place where dinosaurs exist? It's on that Sci-Fi Classics Ultimate Collection that was released last year.

Kevin

Thanks, Kevin,
That's the one! I'm terrible with titles and names of actors (lol). But I could watch those old B movies forever! Those things may have been filmed with low budgets and poor special effects, but dang they were fun!

BTW, a shameless plug. My latest sci-fi novel, "Pangaea: Eden's Planet" is now available. Check the details on my website: http://www15.brinkster.com/jur1/index.html There's details in the Novel Link.

Just revisited some of the movies mentioned here, but of all the classics I think that KING KONG ranks right up there with the best of them. I just revisited JURASSIC PARK the other day, and while watching it, I found that it is truly an entertaining movie in its own right. Those dinosaurs look real!!! But I know that there have been other movies in the past that have indulged or over-indulged themselves with dinosaurs my favorite schlocky one is VALLEY OF THE GWANGI. Special effects were terrible, acting was even worse, but worth a bucket of popcorn to watch.

:tip:

Another dinosaur epic I believe would fit the list would be KING DINOSAUR (1955). A spaceship lands on a distant planet, and dinosaurs run rampant across the landscape.
There was THE JUNGLE with Rod Cameron and Marie Windsor. No dinosaurs per se', but a herd of Wooley Mamoths terrorize a hidden valley in India.