The Age of Commercialism

good back-story, and good acting

Brilliant and touching

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

People go to the centre of the earth.Since my 1970s childhood, science fiction has always been one of my top interests and movies like this (and Irwin Allen TV) turned me into a sci-fi nut.JTHCOTE had a lot more characterization than some of the sci-fi films that came out of this period, which makes it a bit different. Not better but different.Some of the 20th Century Fox props got used in the un-aired Lost In Space pilot, "No Place To Hide"...I think it was just the giant mushrooms, which looked just fine in an alien world.Some of the JTHCOTE musical score was re-used in Irwin Allen TV.

This is a not-bad rendering of the Jules Verne classic.For those who have read the book, the first thing noticed is the excision of the extensive "up-to-date" science that Verne often built into his stories. There is a scientist and his student and they do use a few terms appropriately (there really is a very dense rock known as peridotite and a chemical reagent called aqua regia) but beyond that it's pretty weak.The expansion of romantic interests and inclusion of female protagonists were obviously necessary to make it a marketable film but it's a little bit distracting. Adding an evil character to complicate the journey would have irritated Verne, but it was useful in keeping the story interesting. On the other hand, the inter-species bromance between the guide and his duck was a little silly when the movie was made and a little creepy today. That they could have done without.The journey itself was highly entertaining. The sets were very good and the special effects, though terribly dated by today's standards, were compelling. PETA would not approve of the lizard exploitation but it was a cost-effective way to put some monsters on screen.It's a little incongruous to see the pious Pat Boone cast as beekcake. Stripping off his shirt and cutting off his pant legs to reveal a quite acceptable male body is something that Jerry Falwell would not have approved.Is it great cinema? No, but it's a decent way to spend a couple of free hours for someone who likes to delve into an older sci-fi genre. Worth a look.

Was much better when I saw it in 1959, when I was 10. I bought the VHS tape several years ago when my son was young believing he would enjoy it as much as I did when I was his age. He was bored to tears with it. The part that sticks in my mind was the part with the dinosaurs in it. They were obviously live lizards, impressive for the time, but I never understood what kind they were. It looked to me the one was actually stabbed with a spear. I figure it was illegal in 1959 to actually harm animals while filming a movie.It also looked to me that they were actually/really feeding off an other dead lizard, not trickery. Anybody have any ideas?

Great memories of watching this movie on what turned out to be the last night of my carefree youth..."Journey to the Center of the Earth" is a well-produced family-friendly film with a good cast and gorgeous cinematography. James Mason is perfect as is Arlene Dahl. Pat Boone even sings one of his ballads.The special effects are quite good and the whole thing is pleasant diversion that leaves you feeling good at the end.For me, the film has unforgettable meaning: I saw it at mom's house the night before my grandmother had a stroke, an event which triggered a series of strokes in my mother as well. I lost them both and the family never fully recovered. So whenever I see this film's title, it reminds me of that last, "perfect" day at my long-gone home.