Classic Horrors Club

When I watch a film from the Golden or Atomic Age of horror, I’m not bothered by the primitive special effects. I find them charming, and I’m often impressed by how much was accomplished with so little technology. Why then do I watch a movie from the Occult Age and judge it so harshly for the same flaws? I cringe and think they could have done so much better and it often ruins the experience for me.

While you ponder that question, I’ll tell you that I first saw At the Earth’s Core (1976) on its initial release at the Esquire Theater in Enid, Oklahoma. I remember distinctly that I didn’t like it. Then, it was mostly due to the entire experience rather than only its sub-par special effects. I was 13 years old and when I watch it now and reflect, I’ve decided I was too old to really enjoy it. Even three years earlier, I may have loved it.

You do the math, but when I watch it at my current age, I still don’t think it’s a great movie, but I did mostly enjoy revisiting it. Back to my original question, it’s the special effects that kill me. Sure, there have been worse, and the effects that bother me might not be the ones you think. I don’t mind goofy looking creatures; I mind the rear projection shots where the characters in the foreground are crystal clear but appear surrounded by an outline.

It reminds me of coloring books. When I was little, I had debates whether you just fill in the drawings with colors or if you first cover the black outline with a thick line of the colors. In At the Earth’s Core, they decided to add the second outline. (Not literally; that’s a metaphor.) Meanwhile, the action in the background is of a different quality entirely, often slightly out of focus. It’s just obvious the characters aren’t really there.

It’s a nitpicky thing to criticize, but when you’re watching a story that unfolds deep within the earth, it happens a lot and is hard to ignore. Conversely, there are some good effects in the movie. The “Iron Mole” is an interesting and detailed model that doesn’t look bad as its head spins, and it drills into the mountainside. Perhaps luckily, the actual journey through various substances is depicted only on a monitor screen inside.

Dr. Abner Perry (Peter Cushing) and David Innes (Doug McClure) pilot the craft through the earth as it goes deeper and overheats, then becomes cold. The changes in temperature effect them, from passing out to having ice crystals on their faces. When the craft sputters out entirely, they open the hatch to find a prehistoric world with a lot of ugly creatures and humanoids and… Dia (Caroline Munro.)

I like Munro’s performance in this. Her character does nothing special, but she’s sincere and smart, even though captured by the mind-controlling villains, the sort of ape-like Mahars. Innes immediately falls in love with her when they’re standing in line after he and Perry are captured. She’ll eventually have to be rescued, but she doesn’t fall head over heels for Innes and run off with him for a happily ever after ending.

Sad to say, and I’ll put it at the end in case anyone has stopped reading, I don’t like Cushing’s performance. Wait, I don’t think I can in my right mind say that, so I’ll change the comment to say I don’t like his character. He’s the unfunny comic relief, a doddering old man whose actions and reactions are over-the-top. My suggestion is, when he’s in the background doing his schtick, focus on what’s happening in the foreground.

At the Earth’s Core moves at a quicker pace than I remember; I didn’t squirm in my seat like I did 50 years ago. I’ll bump up my experience a bit because I watched it on Blu-ray and if there is ever a case for not needing to upgrade your DVD, this is it. I don’t know for sure, but I suspect a less sharp image might level the quality issues that bother me so much. There’s nothing to make me say, “You must watch this!” but I won’t say, “Don’t watch this.” 

---

You can also watch it on one of these streaming services:

---