Prisoners of the Lost Universe

First, I can't imagine this can even be found anymore. I saw it one time, in the mid 80s when I was a kid, on T.V. I think it was orginally made for cable. Anyway, my expectations were zero, and instead I enjoyed a great "bad" movie, if you know what I mean. Fun way to spend an afternoon. Why do I even remember it? Because it is so obscure, it is one of those movies I use to test whether a film book (like Maltin) is really comprehensive. Glad to find it on imdb.com.

Prisoners of the Lost Universe: Science transports a mad scientist, a handyman, and a go get um TV reporter to "The Lost Universe" which turns out to be South African renaissance festival run by John Saxon.

On the plus side, this is no Frankenstein Island. There is some decent acting with actually appealing actors. Richard Hatch was always underutilized but certainly is appealing here. John Saxon is in full John Saxon mode and plays his evil character halfway between Donald Pleasance and Kurtwood Smith. As others certainly have pointed out the real find is Kay Lenz. Well find is a bit of a stretch. She played a hippy chick intertwined with William Holden in the Clint Eastwood lensed Breezy. Having recently watched that film for the first time it is well worth the look and she is fantastic in it. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance (Best New Actress nominee). Kay Lenz is fantastic in her role with great chemistry with Richard Hatch and a sense of spunky fun.

The movie also has some decent ideas wrapped up with some on the spot dialogue. So why am I watching this movie with a Rifftrax soundtrack and comparing it to Frankenstein Island? Well…. Did I mentioned it was filmed in South Africa… in the early Eighties… and they used their entire budget for top name stars like Richard Hatch? Yes, this one had potential but everything else is a pure train wreck. You can't make Lord of the Rings on a 100k budget. It is a combination of LARPers gone wrong and some of the worst, yet strangely creative costumes and makeup ever seen. You have giants, midgets, green people… and sets that would make 60's Star Trek blush.

It's all in good fun and the stars mentioned above make most of this more palatable than it should be. For those times even the charms of Richard Hatch or John Saxon cannot win one over I had the soothing jokes of Rifftrax to see me through. An okay time but don't be surprised if you are confused after fifteen minutes and asleep after forty-five.

The Plot.

Through a series of coincidences, Carrie, Dan and Dr. Hartmann all fall through a teleporter device Hartmann has invented.

Transported to a what appears to be a prehistoric world in a parallel universe and unable to find the Doctor, Dan and Carrie must figure out a way to get back home.

Before they can do that, however, they must deal with tribes of savage cavemen, as well as brutal warlord named Kleel who has taken a liking to Carrie and seems to be unusually well-supplied with Earth technology.

This is not a horrible movie.

The acting is good and the directing is suitable.

It's easy to watch and you can space out here and there without losing the plot.

It's set in LA but all the cars have their steering wheels on the right side because this was filmed in South Africa where tehy drive the English way.

The movie can't be taken too seriously and frankly I think it was made more as a comedy with sci fi elements rather than in the reverse.

The special effects are horrible. It has the look of Flesh Gordon. Too bad Kay Lenz didn't do some porn in her day.

I liked the movie. It was fun and different. Nothing to write home about but good for a lazy rainy day

This stereotypical, low-grade fantasy lacks both the budget and the directorial imagination to be really exciting. The only epic thing about it is the music score. The film is too cheesy for most adults, but it also has some unpleasant scenes that are unsuitable for kids - making you wonder what audience exactly they had in mind. What kept me watching it is Kay Lenz: she's both endearing and feisty, and she looks particularly sexy when she's angry. Her face has a great "bone structure" - she looks a bit like Kim Basinger (trivia note: they were born the same year, 1953), only more beautiful. And she can even keep a straight face through lines like "But....he's green!" (when the male lead suggests that they should follow a man). Take Lenz out of the movie and you don't have a movie - just a midget, a giant, an evil John Saxon, and other stereotypes. (*1/2)

The production team behind this sword and sorcery movie come with a fair amount of baggage . Director Terry Marcel and producer Harry Robertson had previously made HAWK THE SLAYER a film so bad that it almost attracted a cult following , almost . Certainly HAWK is a memorable film but not in any good way and Marcel and Robertson continue in the same vein here

PRISONERS OF THE LOST UNIVERSE is another sword and sorcery film where modern day protagonists from the 20th Century , a TV presenter called Carrie and a truck driver called Dan find themselves transported to an alternative universe that sees different medieval tribes warring against one another with the upper hand being held by a tyrant called Kleel

If the above makes you fear you're going to be watching a nonsensical movie then you'd be right . That said it's also a movie that doesn't take itself entirely serious . I was somewhat surprised as to how involving some of the film is and didn't find myself continually wishing for it to finish despite never once thinking it was ever in danger of being a good movie . In some ways it also reminded me of the TV show THE 10TH KINGDOM that might have very well be inspired by this camp movie