Customer Reviews
DoH! 
2008-02-24
I made a mistake.... bought this and then remembered that I already had a copy of this film - it was one of the movies in the "100 Movie Pack Sci-Fi Classics" mega pack. Anyway, this seems to be a slightly better copy of the film, plus the one 'extra" is a slideshow catalog of movie posters that Alpha Video offers which I found interesting.
As several of the other reviewers mentioned, this is a 1950's take on the 'Journey to the Center of the Earth" story. I like old b/w movies like this, which is why I'm giving it 4 stars.
Ride The Melodramatic Mechanical Burrowing Platypus! 
2006-05-12
"Unknown World" is a 1951 cheapie starring nobody. The subject matter is pretty common by science fiction standards and predates "At The Earth's Core" by about twenty years. Though it lacks the unintentional charm of the later film starring Doug McClure and Peter Cushing, it follows a near identical plot.
The film opens with a faux cold war newsreel about the perils of nuclear weapons. The plot hinges on some scientists who form "The Society to Save Civilization" and propose building a machine to burrow into the Earth (which they claim is not only hollow, but is cool and full of fresh air) using a giant mechanical platypus called the "cyclotram" which "is an amphibious conveyance based on the principles of an ovoidal atmosphere." I have no idea what that is even supposed to mean, as my dictionary defines "ovoidal" as "shaped like an egg," but I listened to this four times and I'm pretty sure that the secret is somewhere in the ovoidal atmosphere. Anyway...this expedition is the only hope for life on Earth as we know it. The logical proof of this statement is hard to follow, but just trust me: the cyclotram is our only hope.
I am sure this comes as a surprise to nobody, but they choose to begin their journey by burrowing into a volcano. (I'm not a vulcanologist, but this seems like predictably poor planning.) While they are driving the platypusmobile into the core of the Earth, they say things like "Brother, it's really black out there" and generally act like nits. It is a given that there is an onboard romance as well as boorish fistfights among the crew to establish who exactly is the Alpha-male. Did I mention that there is also a lengthy discourse on the formation of limestone? Yes, it's that exciting.
Eventually they overcome the travails of life at the cool, hollow Earth's core (which include sterile rabbits, water shortages, gas attacks, and the obligatory volcanic eruption) and, using their instrument made out of handwritten legend on graph paper, find themselves on the surface of the ocean near an island. That's where the film ends, which leads me to a question: what about the atom...am I crazy? Wasn't that the whole point of the movie?
This film is not only very dated and ponderous, but features characters that aren't very likeable. It also features one of the silliest means of conveyance ever filmed, and some extremely bad acting. Now for the good news: it was filmed in the Carlsbad Caverns National Park, so if you ever wanted to see the Carlsbad Caverns National Park, this is an excellent opportunity, though sadly the film is in black and white.
I feel like I am going to live forever 
2006-03-07
It is 1951 both of the great world wars are over however he knows it is just a short matter of time before someone will start another. Now with the proliferation of the "H" bomb which is a thousand times bigger than the "A" bomb, all of civilization and future civilizations will be destroyed.
However Dr. Jeremiah Morley (Victor Kilian) of the "Society to Save Civilization" has the answer. It is to burro down into the underground caverns of the world and live there. Wait, but who is going to pay for this? Yep along with the standard sci-fi set of doctors, scientists and demolitionists, it is the playboy (Bruce Kellogg) son of a newspaper owner. Of course one of the scientists has to be female (Marilyn Nash.)
Everything is going swimmingly well until two of the crew is gassed and the water supply is contaminated. What will they do now?
This film, original Screenplay by Millard Kaufman, has all the look and feel of the big bug sci-fi movies made in the fifties. There is the obligatory beginning geo-political speech with a definition of an "H" bomb. The device for digging is called the Cylotram; it looks like one of those buster Crab Martian vehicles and acts similar to the Atragon in the Japanese movie "Kaitei gunkan" If it had monsters and ducks it would be the precursor to James Mason in the movie "Journey to the Center of the Earth." Surprisingly many of the filming locations In "Unknown World" and Journey to the Center of the Earth" are both in Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Some scenes were on Pismo Beach the home of the famous Pismo Clam.
On key feature of the movie that one many joke about are all the platitudes and clichés.
"I was afraid to die."
"And I was afraid to live."
The Baby Bunnies Are Dead Because They Were Sterile! 2006-02-26
This movie is similar to the classic "Journey to the Center of the Earth" filmed in 1959, eight years after this film. However, while that movie is enjoyable because it combines the acceptable naivety of Jules Verne's era with straightforward story-telling, this movie ignores everything known in the 1950s about the interior of our planet. Furthermore, this movie completely ignores any serious preparation for exploring the depths. You can throw on top of this the absurdity of a machine with a drill diameter significantly less than the diameter of the vehicle that follows it.
Dr. Jeremiah Morley (Victor Kilian, a veteran of more than 100 movie and television appearances, including shows such as "All in the Family" and "The Brady Bunch)) has decided that nuclear war will eventually doom mankind. His solution is to find man a home inside the planet, safe from nuclear war. Dr. Morley begins his project hopefully, but eventually all support is pulled. Fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately), the millionaire son of a newspaperman decides to fund his expedition, with the only proviso that he be permitted to go along.
Dr. Morley build's his vehicle, looking much like a spaceship with tail fins (seriously, the vehicle had fins, much like some cars of the 1950s). The sad thing is that the vehicle's drill was only about half the diameter of the vehicle itself. Also, the vehicle had a window in front with no shielding. On the plus side, the vehicle did have a self-contained air supply, water and concentrated food. On the negative side, the vehicle appeared to have no accommodation for sleeping. Also, the vehicle seemed to run on an internal combustion engine, and though the explorers seemed to have anticipated toxic gases, the failed to anticipate a lack of oxygen or an explosive atmosphere.
The vehicle travels into the earth, which looks much like the side of a miniature hill much of the time, and a lot like Carlsbad Caverns the rest of the time. There may have been some studio work thrown in as well. There are several locations in Carlsbad Caverns that are used more than once, which I always find annoying in a movie.
Some of our explorers die as they encounter toxic gases and cut clotheslines (well, one of the climbing ropes looked a lot like clothesline to me). However, we kind of expect that sort of thing in an exciting adventure into the unknown. But using these deaths as inspiration, our explorers eventually find their way into a place where mankind can live.
Once in the underground utopia, our explorers anticipate the birth of baby bunnies because that will tell our explorers how suitable man would find this environment. Unfortunately, the baby bunnies are born dead because, here is a GREAT scientific conclusion, mammals are sterile under ground! Huh? I had to wonder what genius came up with sterility as being a cause of death.
Our explorers realize that living underground just is not going to work for mankind, so they decide it is time to leave. Coincidentally, intense volcanic activity begins the moment they decide to leave. I have noticed that coincidences seem to be common in movies of this type. The survivors of the expedition decide that it is time to make their way back to the surface in what is likely to be just as thrilling a trip as their descent was.
The principal problem with this movie is that it is just too superficial. Given the amount of thought that Dr. Morley has put into his underground exploration, I would have thought that the expedition would have been much better prepared. Compare the preparation of this expedition with the preparation of the expedition in the 1959 movie "Journey to the Center of the Earth."
The creatures in that latter movie were fantastic and would have been unbelievable in a supposedly science-based movie; they added a lot of interest and entertainment to that movie. I enjoyed the creatures since they were in the spirit of that era and that tale. Perhaps this movie should have had some creatures thrown in for interest, but that probably would have blown their budget.
This movie was okay for a one-time watch. I doubt I will spend the time to watch it again because I struggled to maintain my interest. There was some attempt to take a scientific approach, but ignoring what was known about the interior of the earth in the 1950s and blatant stupidities (the baby bunnies were born dead because creatures underground are sterile) just detracted from any enjoyment. If you have to watch every movie made about journeys deep into the earth, you have to get this one. If you want to get a movie that you have plenty of opportunity to pan, this one is good for that. If you are looking for a good fantasy about exploring the center of the earth (assuming no molten core), then get 1959's "Journey to the Center of the Earth."
Hitting Rock Bottom 
2006-01-29
UNKNOWN WORLD isn't so much a badly made film as it is a very boring one.
The story is essentially a riff on Jules Verne's JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH with a 1951 spin: a group of scientists become convinced that nuclear holocaust is inevitable and seek to locate a safe haven for mankind inside the earth itself. They develop a machine they call a "cyclotram," which might be described as a strangely art deco-styled drill bit with seating for six, descend into an extinct volcano, and work hard to put you to sleep within the first twenty minutes of the film.
Considering that you still have fifty-four minutes to go, it might be just as well if you did doze off at that point, for the film doesn't get any better. If you stay awake for the rest of it, you will find that they don't do much actual drilling; apparently the interior of the earth is riddled with dandly tubes ideal for cyclotram travel. Now and then they pause to argue needlessly, kill off a character or two, argue needlessly, look for water, and then argue needlessly some more. Eventually they do reach a space that might be used as a sanctuary from nuclear war; when they do, they all argue needlessly some more.
The cast is not actually bad enough to make fun of but neither are they actually adequate, so there's no joy to be had in either direction; the visual effects are much the same. The Millard Kaufman script is a clunker if ever there was one, but director Terry Morse--a Hollywood workhorse if ever there was one--manages to give the thing enough cohesion to keep it going, so once again it's not quite bad enough to laugh at nor is it entertaining on its own merits.
The absolute best that can be said for UNKNOWN WORLD is that it is tiresome, and indeed I had to play this DVD no less than four times before I could get through it without falling asleep. If that sounds like a joke, I assure you that it is not. The movie is so dull that you will feel you are settling to the bottom of a subterranian sea. Bon Voyage.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer
good movie bad dvd quality 2006-01-16
Living under the threat of an atomic holocaust, a group of scientists build the Cyclotram, a vehicle capable of drilling to the center of the earth. Dr. Jeremiah Morley and his team enter the earth through a volcano in search of an inhabitable new world 1,500 miles below the planet's surface. Their mission is threatened by disaster as their water supply is contaminated and two members of the team are killed by toxic gas. They find an underground cavern, which may be the new world they seek, but when they begin their testing, the scientists discover an unexpected surprise. New Mexico's Carlsbad Caverns provides the set for many of the inner-earth scenes and director Terry Morse (Godzilla, King of the Monsters) delivers otherworldly scenery and outstanding special effects. This sci-fi odyssey touches on the nuclear paranoia of the Cold War era with chilling effect. Starring : Bruce Kellogg Produced by : J.R. Rabin I. A. Block Music by : Ernest Gold Directed by : Terry O. Morse Screenplay by: Millard Kaufman DVD Details : Run Time: 64 minutes Number of Discs: 1 Originally Released in 1951 Black White No region encoding; For global distribution.
Don't Judge A Man By The Size Of His Drill... 2005-08-02
The world may be doomed, due to all those nasty atomic bombs. It's a good thing Dr. Morley has a plan! We'll send him and his team (in the cyclotram drilling machine) to the earth's core to find out if mankind can take refuge there after the impending nuclear holocaust. Well, the government laughs at Morley's idea and refuses to fund it. All seems lost until a young millionaire comes to the rescue. Soon, our heroic scientists and technicians are drilling through solid rock in their search for a subterranean paradise. It's a rough journey, as they encounter poison gas, cave-ins, floods, and many deaths along the way. UW isn't great, but it is good enough for any sci-fi collection. I enjoyed it, even though there were no monsters or prehistoric-type humanoids involved. There are some stretches of boredom, but at just over an hour in length, it still manages to move rather quickly. Watch it with VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA, FANTASTIC VOYAGE, JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH, and FIRST SPACESHIP ON VENUS for an adventure-filled mega-marathon...
Much more enjoyable than The Core... 2005-04-05
Sometimes the reviews I read here amaze me. I'm not sure how people rate movies but I rate them based on other movies in the same genre. That being said, Unknown World is definately a three star movie in the world of B grade 50's sci-fi.
These 'ambitious beyond their budget' filmakers chose to take a more serious route and the story is written displaying concern with the H Bomb and it's long term effects on civilization as we know it. It opens with a NewsReel style documentary on the project and makes good use of stock footage throughout. The casting, acting and script are average for 50's sci-fi. The drilling machine and scenes of the drilling to the center of the earth are very well done and the special effects are actually probably a bit above average for the time considering that all of the scenes outside the ship are actually filmed in Carlsbad Caverns as opposed to some cheap looking set. This really gave an authentic and open feel to the film which rarely seen with others films of the time dealing with the same subject matter. Other location filming also contributed to the larger than budget feel. No, they never meet inner earth mutants or telepathic dinosaurs or find a lost civilization of amazon women, but that is to the film's advantage. No camp here.
The print is actually probably the worst in the Alphas series that I have seen. There are several frames missing causing stilted dialouge and although there is severe film damage and discoloration periodically throughout, it is still very, very watchable and not of major concern.
Don't let other reviewers turn you off this one. If you are a fan of 50's sci fi, you will love it. Kudos to Alpha for bringing these forgotten classics to DVD at a very affordable price. I found a new copy at my local video store for only $4.99. You can hardly rent a movie for that price any more. I just wish Alpha used the original theatrical art for their covers...
A Happy Childhood Memory! 2005-04-02
This movie used to be a perennial on local television in L.A. in the early 1950s, and has always been a particular favorite of mine, then and NOW--REGARDLESS of the fact that it may not be one of the "greats" in the world of film. In fact, as a child, I was so enamored of the film's concept (digging your way into the center of the Earth), that I used to use my family's home laundry room as the "Cyclotram's" cockpit as I imaginarily tunneled my own way into the Earth! Reviewers who smugly dismiss this film as just a piece of junk should be themselves dismissed; ALL films are not "Citizen Kane", gang! INTERESTING FOOTNOTE: Victor Kilian, who plays the more-or-less leading character in the film (Dr. Jeremiah Morley) is NOWHERE listed in the cast credits, as he had been "blacklisted" as a suspected Communist in the infamous Hollywood witch hunts just prior to the film's release. In later years, he came back for a time as a regular on the "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" satirical television series.
Bad, Boring, and not even Camp 2004-04-12
This movie is boring--so boring that I kept checking the box to see how long it was--too long. The acting is amateurish, the script probably writeen in a few hours, and the special effects (what there is of them) really lame. Why the production company wasted filming this BOMB in Carlsbad Caverns is beyond comprehension. Some movies are so bad that they are camp and fun to watch--not this turkey. NOTHING really happens. The characters talk a lot ("do we go on or go back?")and they shift their position on this topic often--so I wonder if the actor's scripts got mixed up. Fortunately (a matter of opinion), this Alpha DVD is made from a watchable print, so it is not as grainy or as scratchy as others in their catalog. I watched this DVD once and gave it away to my daughter in college. Now I feel guilty because life is too short to watch stuff such as this. If you are very short of money and need a DVD to give someone as a cheap gift, pass by this DOG and select Alpha's B-Western DVD "The Whispering Skull" with Tex Ritter or one of the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes efforts.
