Rating: 
Summary: What the heck happened here???
Review: After watching this, I'm not really sure just what I experienced, but I do know that The Lost Continent is clearly one of the worst if not THE worst Hammer movies I've seen.First off, there was no Continent in the movie, just a bunch of ships stuck in the middle of a misty weed covered swamp.
The first 45 minutes sets up the checkered pasts of the passengers but its all meaningless set up as nothing occurs in the remainder of the movie to justify the character development.
The movie just sinks down to Davy Jones' locker after that....
- Somebody explain to me how you go back onto a ship that you had abandoned (because of a hole in the ship predictably in the hold where some unknown dangerous "will explode if in contact with water" cargo was stored), I assume somebody who remained on the boat repaired the hole in the hull?? I'm confused. Unfortunately, there is basically no plot except trying to figure out who's going to survive - I did like the balloon devices that enabled the crew to walk over the weed infested sea - that had to have taken a lot of thought.
The "creature" effects were laughable and embarrassingly bad.
The attempt to create a creepy Spanish Inquisistion type cult out in the middle of the ocean just plain failed - as did the entire movie. I bought this as a 2 DVD package with "The Reptile" which is a much more honest Hammer offering, so its not a total loss.
Avoid this disaster.
Rating: 
Summary: In the Sargasso Sea no one expects the Spanish Inquisition
Review: Ah, I remember seeing "The Lost Continent" in the theater as a youth. There is one of those films where the sum is greater than the parts, especially since if you look at those parts it is all just too weird. A cargo ship flees port ahead of the harbor patrol, carrying a cargo of stuff that explodes when it makes contact with water, which makes the storm the ship heads into a bad thing. Abandoning ship, the motley crew and odd ball passengers encounter killer seaweed and end up finding their ship again in the Sargasso sea where they encounter monsters, a buxom wench and a trapped Spanish galleon carrying on the Spanish Inquisition. What gets us through this film is the remarkably solid cast, as good as you will ever see in a Hammer film: Eric Porter as the brooding Captain Lansen, Hildegard Knef as Eva Peters the former mistress of a brutal dictator, Tony Beckley as the lush Harry Tyler, Suzanna Leigh as the spoiled blonde brat Unity Webster, Nigel Stock as her unscrupulous father Dr. Webster, and good old Jimmy Hanley as Patrick the bartender. The opening "love them" might make you want to turn this one off and certainly you do not want to think about the story too seriously, but the acting and atmosphere carry this one off. I have a soft spot in my heart for this film, and probably in my brain as well.
Rating:
Summary: In the Sargasso Sea no one expects the Spanish Inquisition
Review: Ah, I remember seeing "The Lost Continent" in the theater as a youth. There is one of those films where the sum is greater than the parts, especially since if you look at those parts it is all just too weird. A cargo ship flees port ahead of the harbor patrol, carrying a cargo of stuff that explodes when it makes contact with water, which makes the storm the ship heads into a bad thing. Abandoning ship, the motley crew and odd ball passengers encounter killer seaweed and end up finding their ship again in the Sargasso sea where they encounter monsters, a buxom wench and a trapped Spanish galleon carrying on the Spanish Inquisition. What gets us through this film is the remarkably solid cast, as good as you will ever see in a Hammer film: Eric Porter as the brooding Captain Lansen, Hildegard Knef as Eva Peters the former mistress of a brutal dictator, Tony Beckley as the lush Harry Tyler, Suzanna Leigh as the spoiled blonde brat Unity Webster, Nigel Stock as her unscrupulous father Dr. Webster, and good old Jimmy Hanley as Patrick the bartender. The opening "love them" might make you want to turn this one off and certainly you do not want to think about the story too seriously, but the acting and atmosphere carry this one off. I have a soft spot in my heart for this film, and probably in my brain as well.
Rating: 
Summary: Weird Gem
Review: Buy this video. Don't watch it at first, stay up for five days straight first then, at about 3 or 4 am, when everyone else is asleep, drink about a gallon of sugar water and spin around in a chair for ten minutes, then pop it in. Pretend you're 8 years old again and you've stayed up all night just to watch it. By the time you get to the part where the conquistadors with the balloon shoes walk across the ocean you should be just about ready to lose your mind. What the hell is this thing! Who made it and why? These and other questions will go unanswered. This is one weird movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Unusual Hammer Horror Effort Enlived By Great Atmosphere
Review: Coming out in 1968 around the time many of the famous disappearances were taking place over the Bermuda Triangle Hammer Studios latched onto a similiar type of theme when they adapted the novel by Dennis Wheatley called "Unchartered Seas", into one of their more unusual productions. Not boasting the usual array of Hammer talent with the exception of veteran character actor Michael Ripper, the studio in fact created in my belief a most unique story and setting for their latest effort that is rich in atmosphere and mystery. "The Lost Continent", certainly can't compare with some of Hammer's classic efforts like "Horror of Dracula", or "The Curse of Frankenstein", as far as quality or acting expertise are concerned, but it is another of those efforts that needs to be viewed on its own merits. Weird it might be considered by some but it manages to build up quite a level of suspense in its first hour where it is largely an adventure at sea and then rather dramatically when it turns into a science fiction saga complete with man eating sea weed, clawed monsters, eerie ship graveyards, and a strange lost civilisation that is a relic of the time of the Spanish Inquisition.
The action of "The Lost Continent", begins with a rusty, decrepit old steamer evading a coast guard customs vessel as it steams out to sea commanded by Capt. Lansen. The captain has his own special reasons for not wanting the coast guard to inspect his cargo. He is carrying a special shipment of illegal highly explosive material in drums that will detinate if they come into contact with water. Aboard the steamer is also a motley group of individuals who are all attempting to get away from something on the mainland and can't risk booking passage on an ordinary passenger vessel. Their reasons for travelling on this vessel are many and varied and range from escaping ruthless lovers, to fleeing blame for botched operations. Despite hurricane warnings Cpt. Lansen refuses to turn back and very soon the vessel is damaged in the storm and develops a leak which threatens to blow up the whole vessel as the water rises in the ships hull dangerously close to the explosive cargo. After the crew mutiny and take off in one of the lifeboats the captain decides to abandon ship and the tattered group have to survive a storm at sea, marauding sharks, and thirst under the blazing sun before they find their own ship again after a few days. After reboarding the vessel however a strange carnivourous seaweed envelopes the ship. deadly by nature it feeds on any unfortunate humans it comes into contain with and begins dragging the vessel away in the opposite direction. The group eventually find themselves in uncharted waters where the vessel is lodged in a strange ships graveyard. However this strange place also harbours not only man eating sea weed and terrifying crab monsters, but also other survivors some of which are the descendants of the original occupants of the galleon's stuck in the sea weed . One group are the decendants of Spanish Conquistadores who are ruled by a young boy titled "El Supremo", and who stage bloody reprisals against anyone invading their world. Members of the party are captured by the Spanish and before being sacrificed to El Supremo the men stage a breakout that sees the main gathering place of the Spanish "Court" go up in flames with El Supremo killed by one of his group who was actually directing things in this world. The survivors of both groups make it back to the vessel where a funeral is held for El Supremo just as the killer sea weed releases the vessel which then resumes its journey to safety.
Certainly one of Hammer's more unusual efforts from their golden period of the 1960's, "The Lost Continent", has I feel much of interest to offer the viewer. Looking critically at the special effects employed in the film certainly some of the giant crab monsters and in particular the octopus that the group encounter once they reach the outskirts of the lost continent are highly amateurish and not up to Hammer's usual standards. However monsters were never that studios speciality having of course built their fine horror reputation on characters like Dracula, Frankenstein and The Mummy. What is the standout here however is the aggressive man eating sea weed that is responsible for trapping the ship in the first place. All aggressive tentacles, and slippery multi coloured growth that billows out smoke, it is highly intriguing and really creates an impressive horror look and feel to the second half of the story. "The Lost Continent", boasts a fine international cast that do well with what are basically fairly unlikeable characters. Eric Porter does a sterling job as the shady Capt. Lansen who is responsible for the debacle because of his greed in wanting just one last big paycheck before he retires regardless of the danger. German actress Hildegard Knef also does well with the slim material available to her in the role of runaway Eva Peters who is being pursued by an agent of her former South American dictator lover. The supporting characters are just as colourful with the standouts being Nigel Stock as the morally corrupt Dr. Webster who meets a grizzly end courtesy of a shark, Suzanna Leigh as his wayward mantrap daughter Unity and Jimmy Hanley as the jolly "seen it all before", bartender Patrick. Hammer Veteran Michael Ripper complete with brutal facial scar also makes his mark in a small but pivotal supporting role as a member of the crew who decide to mutiny rather than risk their lives transporting Capt. Lansen's explosive cargo. The switch from adventure yarn to outright science fiction is well handled and the two sections of the film have very different looks to them which are illustrated in the vivid colour usage in both parts of the story. The first half has the natural hues of an adventure at sea while the last half, taking place in the never never land of the Sargasso sea has a spectacular red, gold and orange look to compliment all the surreal things that take place there. The look of this second half of "The Lost Continent", is what stays in the mind with the ship graveyard with the wrecks of centuries old galleons and the killer sea weed being its strong points. The excellent recreation of the bizarre society that lives there which is straight out of the era of the Spanish conquistadors also deserves special merit in its costumes and brutal rituals.
Certainly "The Lost Continent", would not be on everyone's list of top ten horror efforts but that is not to say it's not a movie that is enjoyable or in any way memorable. The performances alone lift this effort above your usual Saturday afternon fare and certainly the killer sea weed is a most unusual element to see in a Hammer film. No Peter Cushing or Christopher Lee in sight here in the cast as one almost comes to expect with a Hammer Production but as long as you put your mind in neutral and sit back for some incredible goings on in the Sargasso sea involving all kinds of bizzare creatures and happenings then you are sure to have a fairly interesting viewing experience. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Strays too far from the novel
Review: Having read the novel "Uncharted Seas" by Dennis Wheatley i popped the DVD into the player and for the first time saw Hammers take of the novel, titled "The Lost Continent". After reading some quite negative reviews for this film my hopes were not very high. Fortunately i was pleasantly surprised as the film was not a total loss. However there were too many changes from the novel. Firstly the heroic characters in the novel (particularly the captain, the drunk Englishman and the French officer) were totally missing in the film version. The whole explosives sub plot never occurred and was just a conveniant way of finishing the film. I did appreciate the seeweed (although not carnivorous in the novel), the squid creature and the giant crab on the island (minus the scorpion) were taken from the novel pretty much as is. Also great was the shipwreck graveyard and the eerie orange sky. And yes the natural gas filled balloons do make sense if you have read the novel. The ending was a bit disappointing and seemed almost rushed. This is where the film really strayed. Many people would find the novel offensive because of its portrayal of coloured people. For this reason i fully understand and support the changes made, but even so the ending was nowhere near as exciting as it could have been. Overall a decent effort by Hammer but not as good as the other Wheatley adaptation "The Devil Rides Out". Its a shame "The Haunting of Toby Jugg" was planned but never made by Hammer, it has great potential. Well maybe one day someone will make it.
Rating: 
Summary: Cheese on the high seas
Review: Holy smokes! I can't listen to that theme song anymore! The first time it was funny, now it's just annoying.
Okay, now that that is out of my system. The film starts out on
an interesting tale of a sea captain (Eric Porter) with surly
attitude and a secret. (And this yahoo is supposed to be the star) The boat is on it's last sea leg, (sorry) and the crew is
looking for a reason to rebel.....the plot was reason enough for me. Anyhoo, Then we have the passengers, the Love Boat this aint. These people are all running away from personal and criminal problems. They all board this rusty ship, with a crooked captain,
and his lovely crew. The captain's secret is he is carrying an
explosive material,....that detonates when it's wet. The ship is heading out to sea when they find out they're heading into a Hurricane. The crew, headed by Michael Ripper, discovers the illegal cargo when the ship developes a leak...in the hull....
where the explosives are. The passengers and the crew move the
explosives and then abandon ship. Way too many people are floating about on this raft, when they just happen to come across the ship they had abandoned earlier. Now, here's where it gets rediculous.. murderous seaweed, rubber monsters, a chick with impossibly large breasts, spanish sadists, balloon harnesses (don't ask), and a big stupid messy ending.
The Anchor Bay version has extra footage that was cut because it was too adult, there's no nudity, but believe me if any film ever needed it, it's this one!
The reproduction is murky and dark which made it almost impossible to see this horrible train wreck of a picture. You might be wondering why I gave it 2 stars.....Let's put it this way, one of the stars is for the widescreen presentation and the other star is for having the, um...male fortitude to actually make the film.
Rating:
Summary: A psychedelic blast from the past
Review: I first stayed up to watch the Lost Continent when I was a kid. Always a fan of Hammer films, The Lost Continent is probably my favourite of all. Repeated viewings since have done nothing to diminish the film, if anything they have enhanced it. It is difficult to put this film into any single genre, it probably falls under a combination of action/fantasy/horror/sci fi.
It is based on the Dennis Wheatley novel Uncharted Seas, although there are substantial and necessary plot revisions in the film.
The story is set on a rust bucket tramp steamer - the SS Corita, carrying an illegal cargo of high explosive, a dubious collection of passengers, and helmed by a moody, sarcastic captain - a typically strong performance from Eric Porter. Supported by a solid cast, this really makes the film tick.
Among the passengers, Hildegard Knef is convincing as the wife of an exiled dictator, whom she is fleeing from. Tony Beckley plays the drunken playboy Basil. Nigel Stock plays a doctor fleeing from his dubious past, with his daughter in tow. Benito Carruthers plays a thug, sent after Knef's character. Among the crew is Neil McCallum as the pious Chief Engineer, Reg Lye as the helmsman, and Hammer regular Michael Ripper as the crew's barrackroom lawyer. The first half of the film sees the interaction of passengers and crew, the ship get damaged during a hurricane, a mutiny, and the abandoning of the ship. Later some of the crew and passengers return to the ship and this sees the second half of the film where they encounter man eating seaweed, a graveyard of ships, gigantic crustaceans and celapods, and the survivors of the previous shipwrecks, ruled over by the Spanish Inquisition.
The dvd release has 8 mins of unrealeased footage which enhances and fleshes out the film nicely, making it a more complete viewing experience.
Despite its age, the film creates a truly original and imaginative fantasy setting, with its yellow skies, swirling mists, and oceans of voracious seaweed. Hammer imported the top SFX guys from Disney for this, one of their most expensive films, to give it its unique and original look. Enhancing this is the superb psychedelic musical score of Gerard Schurmann, coupled with the great title track, performed by The Peddlers.
For sheer movie originality and escapism, this one hits the spot. Sit back and let it take you away to a vivid and frightening world of imagination, with one of the most original movie scores ever, to accompany you on the way. Simply superb.
Rating:
Summary: Hammer Studios Meets Dennis Wheatley
Review: I just had the chance to view an old classic from Hammer Films. I refer to The Lost Continent which was based on the book UNCHARTED SEAS by Dennis Wheatley. A tramp steamer sets out from Africa under the control of a strange captain. Aboard the steamer is a fortune in illegal explosives and some very desperate passengers. So desperate are the passengers that when notified of an oncoming hurricane they decide to press onward and not turn back. But before the hurricane hits and accident with the anchor ruptures the ships hull. Water is pouring into the hold where the illegal phosphor is stored. Some of the crew abandons ship in a failed mutiny. The rest, as well as the passengers, move the deadly cargo to drier parts. As the hurricane begins to hit the captain decides that they must all abandon ship. Once in the life boat things get worse and stranger. With tensions high and tempers short fights break out. But before they can escalate to high the small craft finds itself amongst some strange seaweed. Once the weed proves deadly the survivors become indrawn until they bump into a ship stuck in the weed. The ship turns out to be their own and they reboard. They drift with the weed to a graveyard of ships located amongst some uncharted islands. Here the survivors find that others have survived as well. Descendants of many ships manage to survive including some Spanish Conquistadores and some very hungry monsters. A battle ensues and the ships survivors defeat the Spanish leaders and vow to keep trying to escape. The Lost Continent was originally released in the late sixties and because of that suffers from a slow pace. But the pace is the only fault I find with this film. As one of Hammer's most elaborate and expensive films it stands as a classic. To insure the films quality, Hammer Films imported Bob Mattey, the special effects master from Disney, to handle the effects. From the film's beginning we are plunged into eeriness. Slowly the strangeness builds and we become convinced of the captain's madness. One of the passengers is even seen reading the Dennis Wheatley book. The film manages to convince the viewer of how desperate the characters are; a rare accomplishment. This one is really worth watching.
Rating:
Summary: Hammer Studios Meets Dennis Wheatley
Review: I just had the chance to view an old classic from Hammer Films. I refer to The Lost Continent which was based on the book UNCHARTED SEAS by Dennis Wheatley. A tramp steamer sets out from Africa under the control of a strange captain. Aboard the steamer is a fortune in illegal explosives and some very desperate passengers. So desperate are the passengers that when notified of an oncoming hurricane they decide to press onward and not turn back. But before the hurricane hits and accident with the anchor ruptures the ships hull. Water is pouring into the hold where the illegal phosphor is stored. Some of the crew abandons ship in a failed mutiny. The rest, as well as the passengers, move the deadly cargo to drier parts. As the hurricane begins to hit the captain decides that they must all abandon ship. Once in the life boat things get worse and stranger. With tensions high and tempers short fights break out. But before they can escalate to high the small craft finds itself amongst some strange seaweed. Once the weed proves deadly the survivors become indrawn until they bump into a ship stuck in the weed. The ship turns out to be their own and they reboard. They drift with the weed to a graveyard of ships located amongst some uncharted islands. Here the survivors find that others have survived as well. Descendants of many ships manage to survive including some Spanish Conquistadores and some very hungry monsters. A battle ensues and the ships survivors defeat the Spanish leaders and vow to keep trying to escape. The Lost Continent was originally released in the late sixties and because of that suffers from a slow pace. But the pace is the only fault I find with this film. As one of Hammer's most elaborate and expensive films it stands as a classic. To insure the films quality, Hammer Films imported Bob Mattey, the special effects master from Disney, to handle the effects. From the film's beginning we are plunged into eeriness. Slowly the strangeness builds and we become convinced of the captain's madness. One of the passengers is even seen reading the Dennis Wheatley book. The film manages to convince the viewer of how desperate the characters are; a rare accomplishment. This one is really worth watching.
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