Line #33 Film/LostContinent


1	[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lost_continent_poster_sm_5919.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:330:"Lost Continent? [[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 I lost my keys once, but this is ridiculous!]]"]]
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4	''(The) Lost Continent'' is a 1951 BMovie produced by Robert Lippert, starring Creator/CesarRomero and Hugh Beaumont. Starting out as a fairly straight-forward, Cold War era military film, it quickly switches into a "lost in the jungle" romp, then segues into an interminable "rock climbing" sequence before ultimately transmogrifying into a dinosaur film.
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6	Scientists and military men are testing the guidance systems of an experimental atomic rocket; said guidance systems fail and the rocket vanishes somewhere in the South Pacific. An expedition, led by one Major Joe Nolan and including the project's three key scientists, is dispatched to retrieve it before the [[DirtyCommunists Russians]] can get their hands on it.
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8	Whilst scouting for an island or such that the rocket could have crashed on, their plane's engines abruptly fail, dumping them onto a [[Film/JungleGoddess familiar-looking]] tropical island. The island natives speak of "[[HulkSpeak smoke and flame, burning from sky]]", clearly referring to the rocket which crashed on the top of the island's plateau, causing no small amount of geological turmoil (hold that thought). The expedition slowly -- and we mean '''[[{{Padding}} slowly]]''' -- makes its way to the top of the mountain, and drags the hapless audience along for the ride.
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10	Once at the top, they find... an exact duplicate of the jungle set at the mountain base. Except, as one scientist points out, this jungle is flowered by long-extinct plant life. And not just plants; we soon encounter a lot of prehistoric animal life as well. The cast [[strike:wastes]] spends much time running from dinosaurs and wandering through the foliage before finally stumbling upon the missing rocket. Examining its guidance computer will help the scientists correct the problem, and so exit stage down. (That's right: that means ''more'' rock climbing!)
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12	Um, better get a move on, quick: the entire island is [[CataclysmClimax beginning to break up]]! And so the survivors pile into a tiny rowboat and watch from the ocean as the island explodes like an atom bomb. ''Fin''.
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14	Robert Lippert was also an uncredited producer for the classic ''Film/TheFly1958''.
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16	For the ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' version, please go to the [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S02E08LostContinent episode recap page]].
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18	----
19	!!''Lost Continent'' contains examples of:
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21	* AlwaysABiggerFish: The group are trapped by a triceratops and doomed... until a second triceratops comes along and picks a fight.
22	* ArtisticLicensePaleontology: Yet another example of flesh-eating brontosaurs.
23	* AvengersAssemble: After the rocket test introduces the scientists, the film shows scenes of Major Joe, Lieutenant Wilson, and "Monkey Boy" Tatlow being summoned by Military Police for the recovery mission.
24	* TheCasanova: Major Joe is introduced during what should have been the (ahem) final stages of a successful date.
25	* CataclysmClimax: Of the "practically out of the blue" variety.
26	* CoversAlwaysLie:
27	** The poster shows a ''Tyrannosaurus rex''. No such dinosaur ever appears.
28	** Acquanetta's character doesn't even go on the adventure with the main characters; she simply points them in the right direction and then exit, stage left.
29	* DirtyCommunists: Subverted. Because Rostov is [[strike:German]] Russian, Major Joe is suspicious of him from the start. [[MisunderstoodLonerWithAHeartOfGold His suspicions turn out to be in error]].
30	* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything? Monkey Boy's sensual, erotic dreams... [[invoked]][[CargoShip about an airplane]]. "I feel so ''dirty'' after watching that!"
31	* FunnyBackgroundEvent: During one of the many rock climbing sequences, Robert is cracking up in the background. As the ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' Amazing Colossal Episode Guide explains:
32	--> '''Mike Nelson''': There is a wonderful moment in ''The Lost Continent'' that we failed to point out in our treatment of it. During the rock climbing sequence, where they are hauling Sid Melton up onto a plateau by the butt, Hugh Beaumont is in the background completely losing it [because Melton's [[WardrobeMalfunction pants get pulled down by accident]], exposing his assets directly to the camera]. He's barely trying to cover the fact that he's laughing. Luckily for us, Sam Newfield never did a second take. Look for it, you'll not be disappointed.
33	* IdiotBall: One guy, to escape the (sigh) flesh-eating bronto, climbs up a tall tree.
34	* LampshadedDoubleEntendre: Major Joe's [[GirlOfTheWeek Girl Of The Movie]]: "Hurry back, Joe; I'd like to continue our... ''discussion'' about 'simulated landings'."
35	* LeftHanging: [[spoiler: They escape the exploding island in a small boat. The End. So it's the middle of the ocean, who cares?]]
36	* LegCling: Acquanetta, in the poster (see above).
37	* LostWorld: Why, it's right there in the title, even.
38	* MusicalSpoiler: An ominous, minor-[[{{Tonality}} key]] theme plays whenever Briggs is climbing. Sure enough, it climaxes just as he takes the quick way down the mountain.
39	* PluckyComicRelief: Sgt. Willie Tatlow, aka Monkey Boy. Like most of his ilk, there's very little about him that's either comical or relieving. Except maybe [[spoiler: his death]].
40	* {{Retirony}} / FatalFamilyPhoto: Briggs, who shows pictures of his kids to the others.
41	-->'''Major Joe:''' You'll have quite a story to tell them when we get back.\
42	'''Briggs:''' Yes... [[TemptingFate I hope I will]].
43	* {{Slurpasaur}}: Yeah...
44	-->'''Crow''': You mean by that gargantuan lizard?
45	* StockFootage: Special effects footage recycled from/for ''Film/KingDinosaur'', ''Film/RocketshipXM'' and ''Film/FireMaidensOfOuterSpace''.
46	* TitleDrop: When they get to the top of the plateau and find all the prehistoric flora and fauna, they call the place a "lost continent".
47	* WardrobeMalfunction: One part of the "rock climbing" sequence has Sid Melton's pants fall down while Cesar Romero hauls him over a cliffside. You can see the other actors [[invoked]][[{{Corpsing}} cracking up]] in the background during the scene.
48	* YouNoTakeCandle: Acquanetta as an [[Music/EltonJohn island girl]]. (In fact, the actress was American-born and raised [though details are sketchy], but was often cast in roles like this due to her "exotic" appearance.)

Context Film / LostContinent