|
|
Whistle Stopper - Atlantis, the Lost Continent
|
List Price: $19.98
Our Price: $99.95
Your Save: $ ( % )
Availability:
Manufacturer: MGM (Warner)
Starring: Sal Ponti, Joyce Taylor, John Dall, William Smith, Edward Platt
Directed By: George Pal
|
Average Customer Rating:   
|
|
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786302804751
Format: Color
ISBN: 6302804752
Label: MGM (Warner)
Manufacturer: MGM (Warner)
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: MGM (Warner)
Release Date: 1998-09-01
Running Time: 90
Studio: MGM (Warner)
Theatrical Release Date: 1961-05-03
|
|
|
|
|
|
Spotlight customer reviews:
|
Customer Rating:
Summary: I Want My Wide Screen
Comment: This is a wounderful movie and still holds up after all these years. Why one star? Well it isnt the movie, its fantastic!....Alot of people complain about the Special Effects. ....It dosent need any. The origional movie was filmed in "Super Panivision" 1:35:1 aspect ratio, and has been reduced to 1:33 VHS. watching this version, will at best give you a headace. Can you imagine driving thru the Red Woods wearing horse blinders, your view would be drastically altered. The special effects are the Splendor, Grandios, and giant set pieces. When I saw this on VHS I got dizzy from all the Pan and scan needed to reduce it to VHS size. Most of the best set pieces are seriouslly cropped, and the destruction seen, is reduced to a mild storm. You are only seeing about 1/4 of the action, and magnificent sets that cover the entire screen. 1 star for the VHS release, but 5 stars for the movie..... Let us pray to the DVD Gods to give this movie the release it so deservedlly needs!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Highly Entertaining Saturday Matinee Offering From Legendary Producer/Director, George Pal
Comment: I've long been fascinated by the story of Atlantis, the mythical kingdom that was far in advance of anything of its time and because of its wickness ended by sinking into the sea. It was a story guaranteed to thrill the heart of a young boy such as myself during my growing up years. Because of this fascination I've always wanted to see George Pal's 1961 version of this legendary story and thanks to a close friend I recently saw it for the first time and was very impressed. Of course when the name of Producer/Director George Pal comes to mind we automatically think of his stunning special effects achievements in classics such as the 1953 "War of the Worlds", and 1960's "The Time Machine". While this effort could never be put on the same level as those films it still has much to appreciate and really is the ideal Saturday afternoon viewing experience. The film has everything thrown in for great entertainment value from ancient greek-style cities, sophisticated submarines, death ray laser guns, right through to a fiery and very spectacular climax that sees the entire city of Atlantis destroyed and slowly sink beneath the sea. Despite the repeated use of stock footage and props from the earlier MGM epics "Quo Vadis?", and "The Prodigal", this climax makes it all worthwhile and reveals some of the excellent miniature special effects work that George Pal was justly acclaimed for. By no means his best work, "Atlantis, the Lost Continent", still makes great viewing from a much more innocent time in film making.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Pretty Good Science Fiction
Comment: The first and only time I saw this movie, I was but a child, and movies like this make one a child all over again. Hey, this is the stuff that dreams are made of. Boy saves damsel in distress, boy falls in love with damsel. Boy rescues damsel once again, and puts an end to the evil that seeks to take over the world.
Only thing is will this movie ever make it to DVD? As I remember the color was brillant, and the special effects were wonderful for the day.
If you are a Sci-fi buff, then here is a movie you will enjoy. Personally I am waiting for the DVD Widescreen edition.
Customer Rating:
Summary: 5 Stars for THIS??
Comment: OK, so it ISN'T "Citizen Kane"!
"Atlantis the Lost Continent" is STILL more fun than sleds FULL of rosebuds!!!!
Any movie with despotic/hammy actor leaders, people being turned into animals, crystal/laser death ray machines running amok,huge tidal waves, and portentous voice-overs is AOK with me, BIG TIME!!(did I say this isn't a documentary?)
I can't WAIT for this to show up on DVD!! MAJOR FUN!!
Customer Rating:
Summary: When is the widescreen DVD coming?
Comment: I would love to see this film either on widescreen DVD or at a revival house screening somewhere. Anybody who knows this movie is probably familiar with its production background: George Pal wanted to make a larger scale movie about Atlantis but MGM didn't give him the budget he needed; leftover footage from "Quo Vadis" was used in the final scenes when Atlantis is destroyed; Anthony Hall (actually singer Sal Ponti) and Joyce Taylor apparently weren't strong enough actors to avoid being somewhat upstaged by Edward Platt and John Dall, whose campy arrogance as the corrupt warlord is a pleasure to behold; and finally, scenes of flying soldiers were not included in the final film when they tested poorly in test screenings. Still, this film holds some real treasures: Paul Frees' somber narration before the titles, the powerful Atlantis theme by Russell Garcia, the amazing fish-shaped submarine, that fantastic crystal death-ray weapon, and most of all, the striking depiction of an ancient, technologically advanced but corrupt civilization that was destroyed by a volcano. Perhaps the fact that this is still the most well-known Atlantis movie is an indication of its strengths. One final note: the giant crystal death-ray device reappears as a prop in the Man from U.N.C.L.E. episode "The Concrete Overcoat Affair"!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
