Here’s another Edgar
Rice Burroughs adaptation from Amicus starring Doug McClure. It proved to be the final production for the
company. They sure picked a goofy flick
to go out on.
Scientist Peter
Cushing invents a giant manned drill and asks McClure to accompany him on an
expedition under the Earth’s crust. The
machine naturally goes out of control and hurls them off course. They eventually find themselves in a strange
land run by piggish humanoids that immediately put them into slavery. It’s then up to McClure to escape and lead a
slave uprising, all the while avoiding a litany of rubbery monsters.
The scenes with the
monsters are pretty good too, even if the costumes are crappy. They look like giant parrots, rhinos, and
dinosaurs. There’s also a killer plant
attack and a scene where McClure has to fight a gladiator duel with something
that looks like a mutant hippo. The
shots of the pterodactyls flying around are shoddy looking too. At least it’s slightly more fun that The Land
That Time Forgot.
Cushing minces around
for most of his screen time, bumbling about and muttering to himself. He’s pretty much wasted, but McClure makes
for an OK, if square hero. The cast
member who fares best is Caroline Munro, who plays the sexy slave girl love
interest. She isn’t given a whole lot to
do, except for stand around, and brother, when she stands around; she’s
certainly easy on the eyes.
