The Lost Continent
Director: Michael Carreras
Year: 1968
Rating: 7.0
Hard to say whether
this came out of an opium dream or whether Hammer had three unfinished scripts
that they didn't know what to do with and so stitched them together into
this motley story. The first seems to be based on Wages of Fear, then the
next on Lifeboat and the third on the Japanese film Matango. And just for
the hell of it throw in the Spanish Inquisition and Conquistadors.
Because why not. They probably had a few costumes lying about. This is in
truth based on a Dennis Wheatley novel. They also based The Devil Rides Out
and To the Devil a Daughter on his writings. But I was certainly dubious
about how close this film comes to his novel till I read a summary. Ya, in
the general neighborhood except for the Conquistadors. In the book, they
are black savages. Good choice on director Michael Carreras's part. This
is a hoot. Clearly, not meant to be a Hammer A film with a cast of primarily
character actors at this point in their career. But a few familiar names
- Eric Porter, Hildegard Knef, Suzanna Leigh and Nigel Stock (Watson in the
1960s Sherlock Holmes TV series).
The opening shot establishes that this is
not your basic Hammer film. Set in what looks to be a ship graveyard with
a heavy mist, the camera pans the people onboard. As it goes along, your
reaction is what, did I see right. A few people in period dress, a few Conquistadors,
a monk in a habit, a few women in modern fashion (the film takes place in
contemporary times), a ship captain dressed in navy white and a dead boy
in burlap being tossed into the sea. The film then leaves that image in our
mind and jumps back in time to show us what the hell is going on. And what
a silly story it is but quite entertaining.
Captain Lansen (Porter) of a freighter on
its last legs is headed for Caracas with a crew and six passengers. The passengers
are all on the run in one way or another - Eva (Knef with the Picasso face)
has stolen money from her husband, one is a drunken piano player, another
a doctor (Stock) who performed an illegal surgery that went badly, his daughter
(Leigh) who he tells another passenger is lying down due to sea sickness.
Apparently, the cure is having a man on top of her. She is a nympho. Every
cruise needs one. There is also a man hired by the husband to bring back
the stolen money but he is willing to say he could not find her for special
favors. Oh, and not to forget a shipload of explosives that will blow up
if it gets wet. And a hurricane is coming.
They have to get on a lifeboat with a few
of them soon looking hungrily at the others and a shark just waiting for
someone to fall in. Then the Matango part begins as they end up somewhere
in the Sargasso Sea where they find their ship undamaged. And are surrounded
by seaweed that bites and strangles and won't allow the ship to move. But
wait. It gets weirder.
They spot a woman walking on pads with balloons
attached to her to stay afloat though in truth she really didn't need them
with her own very large balloon like chest. Then the Conquistadors come and
just for the hell of it, a giant something and a giant crab or lobster? They
throw all the leftovers into this film.
