All Rise...

Nobody remembers Judge Patrick Naugle either.

The Charge

The 7th continent, a lost world shut off by a wall of ice, roamed by beasts unknown to science, ruled by men lost to history, doomed ot vanish in a chaos of leaping flames!

The Case

The People That Time Forgot is the sequel to the 1974 film The Land That Time Forgot, which I reviewed almost a year ago and remember very little of. All I can recall is cheap looking effects and a lot of ridiculousness. Both films are based on stories by author Edgar Rice Burroughs and, if the original left almost no impression on me, the sequel is in big trouble.

The People That Time Forgot picks up where The Land That Time Forgot ends, as Major Ben McBride (Patrick Wayne, The Green Berets) assembles a mission to the Antarctic to search for his buddy Bowen Tyler (Doug McClure, Humanoids from the Deep), who visited the land in the previous film. McBride's team consists of a paleontologist (Thorley Walters, Two-Way Stretch), a mechanic (Shane Rimmer, You Only Live Twice), and a photographer (Sarah Douglas, Superman II). McBride's team finds themselves thrust into a world of prehistoric warriors and monsters, all of which seem to want maim, kill, or eat the group. As the group delves deeper and deeper into this forgotten hell, they find there may be no escape from it.

The People That Time Forgot looks like it was made with a fistful of twenty dollar bills and a pocketful of quarters. As a piece of science fiction cheese, it's like a fine Gouda. As a solid cinematic experience, it's the equivalent of a McDonald's hamburger that's been sitting out in the sun for five days. The special effects are as chintzy as they are moronic. This is the kind of movie that features a Tor Johnson look-alike (Milton Reid, Dr. Phibes Rises Again) in green greasepaint surrounded by Samurais who workshop a volcano God while rubber dinosaurs fly and stomp around them. The People That Time Forgot seems to fill every sequence with hammy acting or truly paltry looking sets/fight choreography/costumes. Whichever of the film's production designers raided the local high school theater department's backstage contents needs to return them ASAP.

Director Kevin Conner keeps the movie's tone light, but that's only because it's near-impossible to keep a straight face during most of the sequences. In one instance, our heroes walk down a rock hallway where giant serpents with glowing green eyes leap out at them. The puppets bend and fold in a way that makes them look like plastic stretched over a steel frame. I have a six month year old child and even he could crawl through this scene without shedding a single terrified tear. This scene encompasses everything that's wrong with The People That Time Forgot. Even when it's trying, the limited budget undercuts any dramatic tension it tries to drum up. Other creatures—from flying Pterodactyls to Tyrannosaurus Rex-like behemoths—all look like Ray Harryhausen rejects.

I've talked very little about the acting, because it's almost beside the point. Most of the performances are limited to running, screaming, fighting, or dying. Almost everyone in the film is forgettable save for the late Doug McClure as previous film holder over Tyler, who now sports a giant Moses beard and dies in such a hammy way that you'd think he was auditioning for Easter dinner. The most amusing performance is from singer Dana Gillespie's breasts as a Raquel Welch-like cavewoman Ajor, who hasn't grasped the concept of fire but has mastered how to shape the perfect amount of cleavage. Let this be a lesson to aspiring filmmakers everywhere: when a set of breasts upstages your special effects, you may want to rethink your game plan or, at the very least, talk to your producers about a bigger budget.

Kino Lorber's The People That Time Forgot (Blu-ray) is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen in 1080p high definition. This MGM title, licensed to Kino Lorber, comes with a very attractive transfer for its age and budget. Colors are sharp and bright with dark black levels. The image is generally clear of any major defects (though some dirty and derbies shows up from time to time) and will certainly thrill fans of this series. The soundtrack is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo in English. There isn't a lot to report about this mix—it's a generally front heavy track with little in the way of dynamic range or surround sounds. Dialogue, music, and effects are all clearly recorded and heard. No alternate subtitles or audio mixes are included on this disc.

Bonus features include a commentary from director Kevin Connor (moderated by Leprechaun 4: In Space director Brian Trenchard-Smith), newly recorded interviews with actress Sarah Douglas and Dana Gillespie, and a theatrical trailer.

On one hand The People That Time Forgot is a rather weak movie with bland performances and dirt cheap special effects. I suppose this release can attract B-movie lovers, because the movie is so silly and bad. While I'm usually on board with that logic, I didn't find it terrible enough to recommend.

The Verdict

Rather forgettable in its own right.

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