The Lost Continent/The Reptile 2-Pack (DVD, 2003, Two Pack)

"The Lost Continent" is one of Hammer's best non-horror movies (they made many). It is derived from a non-horror book written by Dennis ("The Devil Rides Out") Wheatley called "Uncharted Seas" (a copy of which can be clearly seen, being read by Nigel Stock in an early scene in the movie!)

This book was written in the Thirties, but the film version is timeless.

A bunch of top British actors (with a European and an American thrown in for good measure) - including a couple of heavyweights (Eric Porter, Hildegard Knef) the reliable, above-mentioned Mr Stock, Victor Maddern, Suzanna Leigh and Tony Beckley ("Camp" Freddie, in "The Italian Job") Jimmy Hanley in his last outing, top British stuntmen Alf Joint (various Bonds) and Eddie Powell (son of Nosher) the bodacious Dana Gillespie, the super-cool but unlikely-named Ben(ito) Carruthers (a musician-actor who was associated with Bob Dylan) and of course, Hammer's pop-eyed lucky charm, Michael Ripper - play the whole unlikely yarn totally straight.

The essential story concerns the captain of a tramp steamer making his last trip with a dodgy - and highly explosive - cargo and ditto passengers. They set out from Caracas, Venezuala - headed for Freetown, Sierra Leone - but a storm sweeps them into the Sargasso Sea (a real place) where they encounter... but that would be spoiling things.

The film is something of a mood piece, aided by excellent songs and music from Sixties British "Cool Group", The Peddlers (the original score was scrapped).

But there are TWO VERSIONS of this classic. The U.S. version ran 89 minutes, lacking around 8 minutes the British version had. The reason given for the cuts is that the U.S. wanted to squeeze the film in through a "PG" certificate, whereas in Britain, Hammer films were EXPECTED to have an "X" certificate. However, the U.S. version has an extended scene the British version never had. This author suspects the REAL reason for the two versions was LENGTH. Most Hammer films played as double-bills in the U.S., but "The Lost Continent" was seen as an "A" movie in Britain.

Whichever, the version on this DVD is the U.S. version (the Americans LOOKED AFTER their print) with the missing bits stitched in, thus making a COMPLETE print. The missing bits (culled from the British Hammer print) are of SLIGHTLY inferior quality, but good enough.

As a bonus, the menu includes the (complete) record of the title song, by The Peddlers.

And as if all THAT'S not enough, the pack also includes a SECOND, contemporaneous, Hammer film - "The Reptile", featuring the delectable Jacqueline Pearce and the afore-mentioned Michael Ripper in the BIGGEST role he ever had at Hammer.

All told, this pack represents an EVENING'S SUPERIOR entertainment.