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Post by Shonokin on Jun 9, 2005 13:57:06 GMT -8
I happened to be doing a search on the 1951 serial Mysterious Island when I came across this listing for a silent version made in 1929 and happens to be coming on TMC at the end of this month. So here's a heads up for ya: TMC on Wednesday 06/29/2005 02:30 AM. They have it as "this month's feature" so why is it only on at 2:30 in the morning?  Anyway, it should be interesting to set your vcr or tivo for. |
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Jun 9, 2005 20:30:44 GMT -8
it's not quite silent, but it's definately worth a look. it's odd this hasn't been released on DVD yet. i taped it many years ago off TNT (when it was a cool channel) but haven't seen it in a long time.
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Post by amphiboid on Jun 9, 2005 22:07:57 GMT -8
I taped it off TNT also, I think around 1988 or 89...
This movie is great, with amazing special effects and a couple of scenes in sync sound. And Lionel Barrymore!
Certain scenes featuring underwater peril and hordes of attacking humanoid creatures totally remind me of "The Abyss" and "Aliens," and I would consider this a very groundbreaking film.
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Post by Shonokin on Jun 10, 2005 6:07:46 GMT -8
That's cool... I'm very interested in seeing it now. Seems like a lot of reviews I can dig up on the net are very luke-warm to cold about it. Is it that the reviewers really didn't like the movie or just basing their opinions on the fact that it was a flop when it came out?
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Jun 10, 2005 7:27:33 GMT -8
i have no idea. i bet Cory would have some stories to tell us, this would seem to be right up his alley.
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Cory
Ultran
Posts: 52
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Post by Cory on Jun 13, 2005 12:42:14 GMT -8
Oh, you know me so well!  The Mysterious Island is an alright movie, but in all honesty, it is a gimmick film. That is, it was produced to showcase this fantastic new technology called "sound" (further pushed by the radio in the movie being a wonder of technology itself). Without it, I don't think it would be all that memorable. In fact, it isn't all that memorable... It's never mentioned on the A-list of silent genre classics, and rarely in the B-list. Not to say that it isn't an alright movie with a decent enough theme and plot to it. If you get the chance, you should see it. It's just not particularly notable, above and beyond that snapshot of time when sound was new. I do have a Steampunk article on it and other Vernian silent films here |
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Post by amphiboid on Jun 19, 2005 19:19:32 GMT -8
Think of it this way: It's got TWO Nautilus-type submariines, one of them is stolen by the power-crazed bad guy (who has kidnapped the girl), the Nemo character gets in his submarine and chases after him, and the characters square off under the sea (dressed in nice-looking diving suits) while simultaneously being attacked by a race of pygmy fish men (and I am talking scores of them--the casting and costuming for these scenes alone was obviously monumental; the head masks even have illuminated eyes). They built some huge sets to depict the ocean floor, and miniatures abound. As in "The Abyss," water is frequently a deadly enemy as well. There's an ill-tempered dinosaurian creature played by a baby alligator wearing a cleverly sculpted appliance suit. And there's some fairly graphic violence.
Considering when it was made, this film was pretty crazy outta control, and I think of it as generally very underrated. It became obscure when compared to other (arguably better) special effects films like "The Lost World" and "King Kong," but now that so many decades have passed, it is ripe for rediscovery.
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Jun 19, 2005 20:28:07 GMT -8
and there's the whole original version to deal with- the little underwater spuds looked really different. i liked them more as the first ones.
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Post by Shonokin on Jun 25, 2005 12:07:57 GMT -8
amphiboid, from the description that's pretty much what I was thinking... that it must be quite something to see for a movie of that time period.
David, I first saw a pic of those weird spuds in a coffee table book simply called Horror Movies (from the early 70s) and I always wondered what movie they were from and what exactly they were. I always daydreamed that they must've been animation models, though now I know differently. So just for those guys I need to see this movie! haha
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Post by Shonokin on Jun 27, 2005 8:30:30 GMT -8
So the night of this showing, TCM is also showing starting at 5pm Pacific time; Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers, Harryhausen's Mother Goose Stories, Mighty Joe Young, Harryhausen's Mysterious Island, 1929 Mysterious Island, Ghost of Slumber Mountain and then The Manster.
Wow, quite a night of viewing!!
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Jun 27, 2005 9:22:40 GMT -8
well that is something- i didn't know Ghost was being shown! i'd like to see that for sure.
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Post by Shonokin on Jun 27, 2005 13:24:28 GMT -8
Yeah, I'd like to tape that as well and compare it to the version I have on a boot DVD. The quality on the boot is pretty bad.
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