Starring
Wallace Beery, Bessie Love, Lewis Stone, Lloyd Hughes, Arthur Hoyt.
Directed by Harry O. Hoyt. (1925, 110 min).
Like
Citizen Kane, the cinematic influence and impact of The Lost World can't be understated. The
groundbreaking special effects work of Willis O'Brien paved the way
for future visual milestones like King Kong,
2001: A Space Odyssey
and, fittingly, Jurassic Park.
But unlike Citizen Kane,
much of The Lost World
was...well, lost. Significant amounts of footage had gone missing,
been damaged or succumbed to the ravages of time, and for decades,
the film was only available in murky, truncated versions...
...until
last year, when most of the long-lost footage was found in various
parts of the world and the film - nearly in its entirety - was
restored to its original 1925 glory (primarily the work of Lobster
Films). This Blu-Ray from Flicker Alley, boasting a
first-rate picture and audio track (with a terrific score by silent film
composer Robert Israel), is about as close as one can get
to experiencing The Lost World
as originally presented.
 |
| "Olly olly oxen free!" |
What was groundbreaking
92 years ago may look quaint today, but what a thrill it must have
been to see it in a theater back then! Remember when our jaws
collectively fell open when we watched that first brontosaurus lumber
across the screen in Jurassic Park? In 1925, seeing moving dinosaurs
on the big screen for the first time - ever -
must have been nothing short of mind blowing. But it wasn't just
O'Brien's animation that made the film special; he figured out how to make
the actors and creatures convincingly appear in the same shot.
 |
| "Shut up!" "No, you shut up!" |
Even though Willis and
his creations are the undisputed stars of the show, the story itself
- from Arthur Conan Doyle's novel - remains fairly engaging (and an
obvious inspiration for Michael Crichton's own novel of the same
name). The characters aren't particularly dynamic, but we like them
and the great Wallace Beery looks like he's having a great time as
the eccentric professor who first discovers these Jurassic giants
still running around in South America.
The Lost World
should be required viewing for anyone interested in film history,
especially since it could be considered the very first effects-driven
blockbuster. More than just a precursor to Willis O'Brien's legendary
special effects in King Kong, it also happens to be very
entertaining, particularly when viewed in the context of when it was
made. This is a great-looking transfer and a fun disc for movie fans.
EXTRA
KIBBLES
SHORT
FILMS - "R.F.D., 10,000 BC," "The Ghost of Slumber
Mountain" & "Creation" - All directed by FX legend
Willis O'Brien, the last of which was unfinished
AUDIO
COMMENTARY - By film historian Nicholas Ciccone
GALLERY
DELETED
SCENES
ESSAY
- "The Lost World: Secrets of the Restoration" (printed in
the booklet)
KITTY CONSENSUS
PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS
No comments:
Post a Comment