At the Earth's Core (1976)

Too many fans seem to be blown away

Perfectly adorable

What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.

n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

At the Earth's core 1976 21.1.15Impressive opening titles lit by the flickering red light of furnaces speak of vast engineering enterprise, which of course such an incredible machine would have required. The very distinctive silhouette of the tall extremely thin figure of Peter Cushing in high collar and top hat very neatly identifies the period, his character and him as the quirky genius behind it all. So far, very good. The opening scenes are quite impressive showing the vast machine in the distance and in close-up parts of the massive support structure it required. Such a marvel was this fictional Victorian machine (130 years later still science-fiction) that it would have been world wide news. On its first trial - a short burrow into a Welsh hillside, it suddenly though takes an unexpected precipitous downwards dive. Unfortunately so too at this point, does the film. Peter Cushing throughout gives an excellent thoroughly animated consistent performance as the elderly and rather frail and fussy inventor. He acts throughout as if the journey, the film and the role - mattered. In contrast a cigar-chomping Doug McClure behaves like world-weary freighter co-pilot on just another routine flight in just another routine film.In sci-fi its is always a question as to how much science and plausible fact to include. In the masterpiece 2001, a very great deal - it gave weight and logic to the story. In this, its complete antithesis, very close to zero. In something like 3 minutes' screen time the giant machine has burrowed approximately 4000 miles downwards through the Earth's core. It gets a little hot then a little cold but otherwise causes little more fuss, fatigue or fear for the crew than an trans-Atlantic flight. They arrive after this incredible journey, open the hatch only to find themselves in what appears to be the middle the complete cast of aliens and set in an average Dr Who episode. What ensues are chases and fist fights, the things that have filled time in brainless films since the dawn of cinema. The giant burrowing machine does manage to recover from its catastrophic downwards dive. The film however never does. 7/10 for the titles 3/10 for the rest

Rugged David Innes (solid Doug McClure) and doddery Dr. Abner Perry (a delightfully dotty Peter Cushing) drill their way into the earth's core in their spiffy mole machine. The duo discover an ancient prehistoric world populated by dangerous gigantic beasts and human beings who are used as both food and slaves by evil telepathic pterodactyl men. Director Kevin Conner, working from a blithely silly script by Milton Subotsky, maintains a constant brisk pace throughout and treats the exceptionally foolish premise with astonishing seriousness, thereby giving this picture a certain clunkily earnest quality that's amusing and endearing in equal measure. The lovably hokey (not so) special effects are quite (unintentionally) funny. The cheesy array of cut-price creatures in particular are positively sidesplitting: cruddy guys-in-obvious-shoddy-rubber-suits pterodactyl men, equally rinky-dink savage ape-man brutes, and a hilariously ludicrous fire-belching frog thing who blows up real good. One gut-busting highlight occurs when McClure mixes it up with a fat and clumsy giant reptile. Another priceless scene depicts a dinosaur clutching a doll in its slavering jaws. Moreover, we also get some rousing rough'n'ready fisticuffs and an exciting climactic slave revolt. It's a total treat to see Cushing gleefully ham it up in a rare broad comedic part and become an unlikely, but enthusiastic arrow-slinging action hero in the last third of the flick. The ever-luscious Caroline Munro looks positively yummy as the fetching Princess Dia, plus there are nice supporting turns by Cy Grant as gallant warrior Ra and Sean Lynch as treacherous coward Hoojah. Mike Vickers' neatly varied score alternates between jaunty orchestral music and wonky droning synthesizer stuff. Alan Hume's crisp cinematography adds a glossy sheen to the infectiously inane proceedings. A complete campy riot.

I'm serious as well, I mean don't get me wrong, if you haven't got a bent for this type of Z grade, creaky creature feature (why would you be watching is my first thought?) then it's a rating of about 3 to 4 out of 10 tops, but to me it's a special kind of nonsense that takes me back to a nice time in my childhood. You know the kind, the memories that never leave you. Eagerly taking it all in with youthful wonderment as Doug McClure and Peter Cushing tunnel beneath the mantle to do battle with a host of creatures and sub-human species. And guys! Now we are all grown up we can admire most seriously at the wonder of Caroline Munro and her heaving cleavage. No wonder my older brother was keen to take me to the cinema to see this one! Yes the effects are bad, men in suits, strings pinging parrot monsters around and exploding rubber frog like thingies amuse us greatly. And yes, Cushing and a surprisingly pudgy McClure act as if they have truly been mesmerised by the evil Meyhas at the "core" of our film. But it matters not, zany and clunky and awash in glorious colour, At The Earth's Core is a throwback to a special pre-ILM time when kids like me queued around the block to see such joyous nonsense. 8/10

Due to the fact that in 1976 there were no CGI I felt that the movie was quite watchable. The studio productions were very good and very elaborate. The background effects were very believable and always appeared as if they were part of the whole set. The actors did OK considering the premise of the film being set in a type of Jules Vern atmosphere where imagination and possibilities of future exploration were at most improbabilities. Had I watched this film in 1976 I probably would have been in awe of the ability of man to build a machine that could travel to the earths core. I still wonder to this day why we are not all flying around in our cars but I digress. McClure and Cushing have their funny moments, mostly from their facial expressions toward each other which of course makes the film somewhat campy which I loved. The 'monsters' left something to be desired but the story had a good premise although I feel as though some other sort of 'thing' could have been more believable under those circumstances. All in all quite watchable for its time and fun now.