Unknown World

This is not as bad a picture as some of the other reviews suggest.

I'm not saying it's a great movie, but it IS surprisingly well done for being made with no money.

It's an odd movie in that it's not really the kind of sci fi you'd expect. There are no monsters or other creatures.

It a straightforward story about finding a alternative place to live in case of nuclear war.

It does drag a bit, but it's worth a watch.

The plot.

Dr. Jerimiah Morley becomes convinced that the world is headed to an inevitable worldwide nuclear war.

He organizes an expedition made up of a team of expert scientists and an atomic-powered rock-boring vehicle called a "cyclotram" to find a subterranean environment where holocaust survivors could live indefinitely.

When funding falls through, independently rich adventurer Wright Thompson underwrites the project under the condition that he be allowed to go.

As the group goes deeper beneath the Earth's crust, personalities clash, tempers flare, and the dangerous journey claims the lives of several expedition members.

When they come upon an enormous underground expanse with its own ocean and phosphorescent light, it appears that their goal has been achieved.

Let's face it, if you're bothering to read reviews of this film, you are probably going to see it out of a sense of obligation if nothing else. So, it really doesn't matter what I say, now does it?

This is a fairly typical early 1950s not-very-scientific attempt to use the genre as a means for moralizing. The morality of this film is certainly worth listening to for its anti-war, anti-pollution, etc, messages, but the film lacks depth, science of any kind, and, basically, a compelling plot.

Being a fan of 50s sci if, I thought this film started off pretty well. Although there is no obvious crisis looming on the horizon, a scientist and a group of anti-nuke colleagues obtain grant money to explore deep within the earth for the possibility of habitable subterranean environments. Since the film was made in 1950-51, the level of concern regarding nuclear warheads is certainly understandable (too bad some have forgotten about this, eh?).

Much is made about the vehicle which they will use for this journey. The vehicle looks like a suped-up bullet nose Studebaker with a large drill bit attached to it. This vehicle is apparently capable of drilling through several hundred miles of solid rock, without any visible cooling system. As the scientists explore deeper and deeper into the earth, they are not surprised (though I was) to find that most of the crust and upper mantle (my terms, not theirs) are in fact hollow, and have not only gorgeous stalagmites and stalactites, but flat floors graded properly for people to take walks on. Harassed by noxious gasses, magma and pretty poor acting, the cast dwindles as the story devolves into a simple adventure tale.

The acting is generally uneven, and is hampered by the occasionally absurd script. I really don't want to single anybody out, but Marilyn Nash and Bruce Kellogg are particularly off-pace in this one.

The director, Terry Morse, went on to make a few good films (such as the List of Adrian Messenger), and also a lot of other films (the American version of Godzilla, and the timeless classic - not - Love Slaves of the Amazon). And this is sort of below-standard fare in the context of his filmography.

Well, OK then, go see it... You know you want to, and I am not going to stop you... But don't say you didn't have fair warning.

I thought that this would be a typical "lost world" type movie. A bunch of people set out on an adventure to find a hide away from the threat of nuclear war by drilling deep into the earth...sounds similar to a lot of other story lines. Problem is that with effects of this style (not too bad for the time), and acting this bad, I thought at least we would get a cave man or a cheap dinosaur. No, they just keep going deeper and deeper, losing members of the team as they go. It also ends so abruptly that you think the writer just gave up.

As with ROCKETSHIP XM, Irving Block, Jack Rabin and the Lippert Company were trying to make a serious science fiction film with something to say. To the films credit, UNKNOWN WORLD is not exploitive or stupid as Rabins and Blocks next film ,CAT WOMEN OF THE MOON was. Years before I first saw this film, I owned a still of the drilling machine that takes the cast to center of the Earth and found it rather interesting looking. Its not bad looking in the film, and the scenes of it drilling into the Earth are of some visual interest. However, the film is just to lethargic and indifferently acted too be of interest to anyone other 1950's science fiction buffs. The trip to the center of the Earth is just to slow going.

First off, this story is loaded with scientific inaccuracies, the acting is somewhat inconsistent and the premise itself is rather preposterous. However, I found this film addictive and have watched it on a reasonably regular basis. You have a group of people, who decide that the threat of human annihilation is SO likely, it's worth the expense and risk to seek refuge deep in the bowels of the earth. This is all explained in detail in a rather convincing faux newsreel that immediately follows the opening credits. Soon, our less than harmonious crew of seven is locked together in the confines of a tunneling vehicle (called a Cyclotram) headed deep into the earth's interior completely cut off from civilization. There was animosity among some members to begin with, and now stuck together in the not–so-roomy vehicle, patience is predictably thin. Although, the science is off, the crew encounters adversities that are more realistic then most movies of this type. Such things as water shortages, UN-breathable pockets of gas, falling, boiling hot steam and indeed separation from humanity are the enemies they face. This isn't "action adventure" type science fiction, it's more drama based. Don't look for giant lizards or monsters. What makes this movie work for me is its overall dark mood. The dim photography, the music, the character's overall moods and the almost complete lack of any indigenous animal life creates a very melancholy atmosphere. I think the film does an excellent job of conveying the crew's loneliness and uncertainty. It's low budget only intensifies the somber feel. The crew even has a conversation about how their moods are changing (apparently from isolation). Because of all this, when they do discover something that seems to bring a little hope, you almost share their sense of invigoration. I wish this film would get a remastering and a decent release. Ironically the VHS version is far superior to the present DVD. For instance, the DVD is missing the first 12 seconds of the opening credits, including the entire "Lippert Pictures, Inc. Presents" and a bit of the title shot. Also the film is so poorly cropped that Marilyn Nash's name lies almost out of sight hidden the the bottom of the frame. Letters are also cropped off at the right. The newsreel has so many breaks that quite a few of the announcer's words are cut out. If you still own a VCR, it's actually worth picking up a VHS copy. You'd notice that on VHS the credits and newsreel are very much intact and the whole movie is a much better viewing experience.