Tarzan and the Lost City

Amazon.com

At least someone, somewhere, involved in this disposable Ape Man entry bothered to read the famous Edgar Rice Burroughs books on which the character is based. What was done with that information, unfortunately, amounts to nothing. Tarzan (vacantly handsome Casper Van Dien) and Jane (nondescript Jane March) head back to the jungle homeland and encounter pillaging baddies led by Steven Waddington (used better as a more complex nasty in The Last of the Mohicans). Director Carl Schenkel's film gives Tarzan back his long-absent status as an articulate gentleman, and it contains elements of Burroughs's feverish imagination, but it dully ticks off the "adventures" without any thrilling sense of fun. Schenkel is so inattentive to detail that he would have us believe no one raises an eyebrow at the sight of a man morphing into a humongous cobra (not that the Xena-level effects help). It's blandly amusing watching Van Dien plug away ineptly at both his heroics and English accent, though this is ultimately an empty diversion for completists only. --Steve Wiecking

Customer Reviews:

Good movie, Great actor.......2007-01-03

I will admit that I saw this movie because I wanted to see the marvelous Casper Van Dien in a film partially clothed. Part of the beautiful scenery was the african locations and the other part of the beautiful scenery was the partially clothed Casper Van Dien. He is a man that has a beautiful body and is a celebration of the male body. Yes, this movie for me was a guilty pleasure. The movie travels a little too fast and it doesn't expalin too much about what is going on. In my opinion, it could have lasted longer with a little bit more suspense built in to the movie, but it is still a good movie. I do recommend this movie to anyone that likes Tarzan movies and especially to anyone that really likes seeing Casper Van Dien on film.

Tarzan Worth Watching.......2006-11-04

I love Casper Van Dien, I liked him in the original Starship Troopers and if your interested in a Tarzan film that is entertaining and light, this is the film for you, your children will love it and Casper Van Dien is definetly easy on the eyes, I thoroughly enjoyed this film even though I am not a Tarzan fan.

Family Entertainment - Finally!.......2006-05-07

I went to see this film in the theater when it was released and I have to say, that despite my own personal penchant for wanting darker, more edgy themes, I was thrilled to see a good, old-fashioned, wholesome, straightforward adventure tale suitable for the whole family - just like I enjoyed when I was a kid. Think about it: when was the last time that a film like this was made? I can tell you. It was the 1970s. Nothing since then has been free from vulgarity, excessive violence, sexuality and "complexity" of character that taints the hero - in short, things that are not aimed at nor appropriate for children. The only films for children anymore are animated. The message is that adults don't have time for telling tales of adventure and fantasy to kids and I promise you that the message has been received loud and clear. This film is the one standout I can think of in the last 30-odd years against that trend and I applaud it. In that context it was uncommonly good and by any measure, particularly among fans of ERB, it was among the most faithful to the books of any Tarzan film.

Marginally Entertaining, But Nothing Special.......2006-04-04

So many Tarzan films have been released since the days of black-and-white serials in the 1930s, and we have seen an animation version (from Disney), re-told version (`Greystoke') starring Christopher Lambert and Andie McDowell with dunned voice, and just awful versions (`Tarzan the Ape Man' featuring Bo Derek). This Hollywood version with Casper Van Dien/Jane March is not so awful as is sometimes regarded, but still a below average.

There are a couple of bad things about `Tarzan and the Lost City': its scanty and poorly-directed actions and very dull characters. You can hear Tarzan's yelling and see vine-swinging, but as the action sequences (constructed in banal ways) are made with really choppy and hasty editing, there is nothing exciting about the end results which betray the lack of budget and zeal of the filmmakers. Though the film is distributed from Warner Brothers, and some scenes showing the nature of Africa are beautiful to see, the production designs and the props are at best those of the films made for TV. Cheesy effects at the climax scene only made me sad, and this was made only one year prior to the release of much more enjoyable `The Mummy.'

Speaking of which, `Tarzan and the Lost City's resembles at some points this blockbuster hit from Universal Pictures. Both are set in Africa, both about the hidden treasures, both striving to be an Indiana-Jones-like romp. The difference is Casper Van Dien is no Brendan Fraser. Casper Van Dien (and his muscles) is certainly convincing as Tarzan as long as he doesn't talk. It may be his strange British accent or bland acting (or careless direction) that disappoints us most, but whatever it is, this Tarzan could have been better with someone else as star or director. And his fiancé Jane by stilted Jane March doesn't help, nor the dancing chimp in white dress.

This film does one good thing at the beginning, and that is that it reminds us that actually Tarzan is not his real name. He is born John Clayton, now Lord Greystoke, so he has an aristocratic origin. But soon the film forgets that fact, and continues to show the uninspired and unexciting action scenes.

Perhaps Peter Jackson is the only candidate for the right director who can pull off the difficult job of making this legacy of Tarzan a truly thrilling and exciting film. He knows the right cast, the right use of CGI, and would undoubtedly spend enough time and money to realize the world of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Let's wait until then.

Tarzan for the Fun of It.......2005-11-26

Let me say first off that this is afterall fantasy and not reality.
If you want reality perhaps one of the many so called reality shows so popular today is your forte. Otherwise take this film as it was intended a family adventure fantasy, which it accomplishes quite sufficiently and deserves a good mark. If you watch some of the older films in this genre there is no comparison. I for one own it and enjoy it.

Average customer rating:

"The Lost City of the Jungle (1946) ... 13 Exciting Chapters Vintage Serial ... VCI Home Video"
"the King of Serials...VCI Entertainment ~ Lost City of the Jungle (1946)"
Prehistoric Indiana Jones
Typical 1944-46 Universal serial

Lost City of the Jungle
Starring: Russell Hayden , Jane Adams , Lionel Atwill , Keye Luke , and Helen Bennett
Director: Lewis D. Collins , and Ray Taylor
Manufacturer: Vci Video
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ASIN: B000LC4D50
Release Date: 2006-12-19

Description

Following the end of WWII, war-monger Sir Eric Hazarias (Lionel Atwill) sets the wheel in motion for WWIII. His search for Meteorium 245, the only practical defense against the atomic bomb, leads him to mythical Pendrang. Obstructing his sinister plan to rule the world are Rod Stanton (Russell Hayden), United Peace Foundation investigator, Tal Shan (Keye Luke), Pendrang native, and Marjorie Elmore (Jane Adams), daughter of scientist Dr. Elmore (John Eldredge), unwilling assistant to Sir Eric. Bonus Features: Scene Selections| Bios| Trailers. Specs: DVD9; Dolby Digital Mono; 247 minutes; B&W; 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio; MPAA - NR; Year - 1946; SRP - $19.99.

Customer Reviews:

"The Lost City of the Jungle (1946) ... 13 Exciting Chapters Vintage Serial ... VCI Home Video".......2006-12-22

VCI Entertainment and Universal Pictures present "Lost City of the Jungle" (1946), 13 Chapters of vintage serial episodes loaded with action packed sequences...story line involves Secret agents Russell Hayden and local guide Keye Luke wage a desperate battle in native infested Asian jungles for the secret to a rare element which can neutralize the atomic bomb...can Hayden (investigator for United Peace Foundation) stop the Lionel Atwill who is the power hungry Sir Eric Hazarias (aka London) from his scheme to rule the entire planet with a antidote known as Metorium 245 that lies in the mountains of Himalaya...who is the real power pulling the strings, is it Sir Eric or Malborn (John Mylong) who has been sitting back waiting for things to heat up...looks like Hayden and Luke have their work cut out for them right down to the final Chapter."Atomic Vengeance" ...double thrills, chills, mystery and suspense...don't miss a single spine-thrilling episode..return next week to this local theater for another episode of action and adventure that will keep you thrilled until the next chapter.

Under director's Lewis D. Collins and Ray Taylor, executive producer Morgan B. Cox, associate producer Joseph O'Donnell, original screenplay by Joseph F. Poland, Paul Huston and Tom Gibson, music score by Hans J. Salter, Frank Skinner, Paul Sawtell and Milton Rosen...the cast include Russell Hayden (Rod Stanton), Jane Adams (Marjorie Elmore), Lionel Atwill (Sir Eric Hazarias/London), Keye Luke (Tal Shan), Helen Bennett (Indra), John Miljan (Dr. Gaffron), John Eldredge (Dr. Elmore), John Gallaudet (Prof. Grebb), Ted Hecht (Doc Harris), John Mylong (Malborn), Dick Curtis (Johnson-henchman), Gene Roth (Police Capt. Hammond), Eddie Parker (Guard on Schooner), George Lynn (Marlow), Ralph Lewis (Kurtz).......special behind the scenes note the actor Russell Hayden best known as Hopalong Cassidy's sidekick Lucky Jenkins, during the long run of "Hopalong Cassidy Series" during 1937-1941(Birth Date:6/12/1912 Chico, CA - Died: 6/09/1981 Palm Springs, CA)...also Lionel Atwill well known for his role as Inspector Krogh in "Son of Frankenstein (1939), whose artificial arm is ripped out by an iritate Frankenstein Monster (Boris Karloff), Atwill died before completing his work on "Lost City of the Jungle" (1946), his remaining scenes were completed by using a double (Birth Date: 3/01/1885 Croydon London UK - Died: Pacific Palisades, CA).....meanwhile back to the feature as Universal Pictures is always good till the last drop and this serial is no exception...there is a great deal of entertainment here for the cliffhanger fans out there...all courtesy of VCI Entertainment, who in my humble opinion is the best there is in restoring early serials and features.

BIOS:
1. Russell Hayden (aka: Pate Lucid)
Date of birth: 12 June 1912 - Chico, California
Date of death: 9 June 1981 - Palm Springs, California
2. Keye Luke
Date of birth: 18 June 1904 - Guangzhou, China
Date of death: 12 January 1991 - Whittier, California
3. Lionel Atwill (aka: Lionel Alfred William Atwill)
Date of birth: 1 March 1885 - Croydon, London, England, UK
Date of death: 22 April 1946 - Pacific Palisades, California

CHAPTER TITLES:
1. Himalaya Horror
2. The Death Fllod
3. Wave Length for Doom
4. The Pit of Pendrang
5. Fiery Danger
6. Death's Shining Face
7. Speedboat Missing
8. Fire Jet Torture
9. Zalabar Death Watch
10.Booby Trap Rendezvous
11.Pendrange Guillotine
12.Jungle Smash-Up
13.Atomic Vengeance

If you're into vintage serials as I am, why not pick up a copy of the following titles from VCI Home Video:
VCI CLIFFHANGER TRAILERS:
1. Adventures of Red Ryder (Don "Red" Barry)
2. Adventures of the Flying Cadets (Bobby Jordan)
3. Buck Rogers (Buster Crabbe)
4. Captain Midnight (Dave O'Brien)
5. Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere (Judd Holdren & I. Stanford Jolley)
6. Dick Tracy's G-Men (Ralph Byrd)
7. Don Winslow of the Navy (Don Terry)
8. Don Winslow of the Coast Guard (Don Terry)
9. Drums of Fu Manchu (Henry Brandon)
10.Fighting Kit Carson (Johnny Mack Brown)
11.Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (Buster Crabbe)
12.The Green Archer (Victory Jory)
13.Jungle Girl (Frances Gifford)
14.Jungle Jim (Grant Withers & Raymond Hatton)
15.Lost City of the Jungle (Russell Hayden & Keye Luke)
16.Mandrake the Magician (Warren Hull & Dick Curtis)
17.Miracle Rider (Tom Mix & Tony Jr)
18.The Painted Stallion (Ray "Crash" Corrigan)
19.The Phantom (Tom Tyler)
20.The Return of Chandu (Bela Lugosi)
21.Riders of Death Valley (Dick Foran, Leo Carrillo & Buck Jones)
22.Secret Agent X-9 (1937) (Scott Kolk & Henry Brandon)
23.Secret Agent X-9 (1945) (Lloyd Bridges & Keye Luke)
24.Sky Raiders (Donald Woods & Billy Halop)
25.Undersea Kingdom (Ray "Crash" Corrigan)
26.Winners of the West (Dick Foran, Harry Woods, Roy Barcroft & Charles Stevens)
27.Zane Greys "King of the Royal Mounted" (Allan "Rocky" Lane)
28.Zorro's Cliffhanger Collection (Reed Hadley, John Carroll & Linda Stirling)

Hats off and thanks to Les Adams (collector/guideslines for character identification), Chuck Anderson (Webmaster: The Old Corral/B-Westerns.Com), Boyd Magers (Western Clippings), Bobby J. Copeland (author of "Trail Talk"), Rhonda Lemons (Empire Publishing Inc) and Bob Nareau (author of "The Real Bob Steele") as they have rekindled my interest once again for B-Westerns and Serials --- looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '20s, '30s & '40s and B-Westerns ... order your copy now from Amazon where there are plenty of copies available on VHS, stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with deadly adventure --- if you enjoyed this title, why not check out VCI Entertainment where they are experts in releasing B-Westerns and Serials --- all my heroes have been cowboys!

Total Time: 265 mins on DVD ~ VCI Home Video ~ (12/19/2006)

"the King of Serials...VCI Entertainment ~ Lost City of the Jungle (1946)".......2005-10-10

VCI Entertainment and Universal Pictures present "Lost City of the Jungle" (1946), 13 Chapters of vintage serial episodes loaded with action packed sequences...story line involves Secret agents Russell Hayden and local guide Keye Luke wage a desperate battle in native infested Asian jungles for the secret to a rare element which can neutralize the atomic bomb...can Hayden (investigator for United Peace Foundation) stop the Lionel Atwill who is the power hungry Sir Eric Hazarias (aka London) from his scheme to rule the entire planet with a antidote known as Metorium 245 that lies in the mountains of Himalaya...who is the real power pulling the strings, is it Sir Eric or Malborn (John Mylong) who has been sitting back waiting for things to heat up...looks like Hayden and Luke have their work cut out for them right down to the final Chapter."Atomic Vengeance" ...double thrills, chills, mystery and suspense...don't miss a single spine-thrilling episode..return next week to this local theater for another episode of action and adventure that will keep you thrilled until the next chapter.

Under director's Lewis D. Collins and Ray Taylor, executive producer Morgan B. Cox, associate producer Joseph O'Donnell, original screenplay by Joseph F. Poland, Paul Huston and Tom Gibson, music score by Hans J. Salter, Frank Skinner, Paul Sawtell and Milton Rosen...the cast include Russell Hayden (Rod Stanton), Jane Adams (Marjorie Elmore), Lionel Atwill (Sir Eric Hazarias/London), Keye Luke (Tal Shan), Helen Bennett (Indra), John Miljan (Dr. Gaffron), John Eldredge (Dr. Elmore), John Gallaudet (Prof. Grebb), Ted Hecht (Doc Harris), John Mylong (Malborn), Dick Curtis (Johnson-henchman), Gene Roth (Police Capt. Hammond), Eddie Parker (Guard on Schooner), George Lynn (Marlow), Ralph Lewis (Kurtz).......special behind the scenes note the actor Russell Hayden best known as Hopalong Cassidy's sidekick Lucky Jenkins, during the long run of "Hopalong Cassidy Series" during 1937-1941(Birth Date:6/12/1912 Chico, CA - Died: 6/09/1981 Palm Springs, CA)...also Lionel Atwill well known for his role as Inspector Krogh in "Son of Frankenstein (1939), whose artificial arm is ripped out by an iritate Frankenstein Monster (Boris Karloff), Atwill died before completing his work on "Lost City of the Jungle" (1946), his remaining scenes were completed by using a double (Birth Date: 3/01/1885 Croydon London UK - Died: Pacific Palisades, CA).....meanwhile back to the feature as Universal Pictures is always good till the last drop and this serial is no exception...there is a great deal of entertainment here for the cliffhanger fans out there...all courtesy of VCI Entertainment, who in my humble opinion is the best there is in restoring early serials and features.

CHAPTER TITLES:
1. Himalaya Horror
2. The Death Fllod
3. Wave Length for Doom
4. The Pit of Pendrang
5. Fiery Danger
6. Death's Shining Face
7. Speedboat Missing
8. Fire Jet Torture
9. Zalabar Death Watch
10.Booby Trap Rendezvous
11.Pendrange Guillotine
12.Jungle Smash-Up
13.Atomic Vengeance

If you crave action, drama and plenty of adventure then this is the place for all of the above...check out another release from VCI Entertainment and Columbia Pictures present "Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere" (1951) (digitally remastered), 15 Chapters.finally for the first time on video the really great Columbia Serial that broke the mold...we have everything a serial fan would want...the tinted sequences by Cinecolor and unique inventions that were unlike any other serial out there in the '50s...get out there as they're going fast, this is the one you've been waiting for.

Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing "Lost City of the Jungle" (1946), the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '30s, '40s & '50s...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment, stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with deadly adventure from the "King of Serials" VCI...just the way we like 'em!

Total Time: 265 mins on 2 VHS ~ VCI Entertainment 1708 ~ (7/15/1992)

Prehistoric Indiana Jones.......2001-09-27

I'm just quoting reviewers who see this serial as the precursor to Indiana Jones. Except for pleasant childhood memories of Flash Gordon, I'm usually bored with serials. The repetitive nature and exposition of serials is unintentionally funny though eventually a drag. Still, Lost City has some exciting, exotic locals and has that "Star Wars" credits and text that travels up the screen. And it stars Lionel Atwill, Key Luke, Jane Addams!Also it fully exemplifies what the TV show "Batman" was making fun of(and hence why Indiana Jones is ridiculous). I'm not a historian of serials, but if you want to watch or own only one, I recommend this one.

Typical 1944-46 Universal serial.......2001-09-18

Lost City was close to being Universal's last serial effort. It is not as dull as some of their other serial efforts but it is not very good either. Very noticeable is Universal's penchant for saving money by framing their serial plots around available stock shots. In Lost City the cliffhangers for chapters 2,3 and 4 were lifted from the 1943 Maria Montez-Jon Hall epic White Savage and many more "liftings" are prevelant in other chapters. If you want an exotic serial go with "Drums of Fu Manchu", one of Republic's finest.

Average customer rating:

SILLY, SWEET, ALMOST NAUGHTY FUN WITH TEASER JANE
A hidden Gem

Jane and the Lost City
Starring: Sam J. Jones , Maud Adams , Jasper Carrott , Kirsten Hughes , and Graham Stark
Director: Terry Marcel
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00004Y6C1
Release Date: 2001-03-12

Customer Reviews:

SILLY, SWEET, ALMOST NAUGHTY FUN WITH TEASER JANE.......2005-08-03

I was initially attracted by the old fashioned, pin-up style poster for JANE AND THE LOST CITY (Anchor Bay) and assumed the movie to be a grade Z exploitation. Instead, I was surprised to find a sweet and silly lightweight farce from 1987 based on the popular comic strip in London's Daily Mirror that began in the early 30s.

During World War II, Jane thrilled readers as she battled Nazis using her bravery, innocence and her silky, French underwear which was "accidentally" exposed on a regular basis.

In this adventure, condensed from comic strip elements, Jane and her cohorts the Colonel and Tombs are on the trail of a lost city hiding a huge diamond cache that could help win the WW II for the allies Can Jane prevail against the dreaded Leopard Queen? And will she be able to keep her clothes from being ripped off?

Rated: PG. Genre: Period Comedy. 92 Minutes. Starring: Kirsten Hughes, Sam Jones, Maud Adams, Jasper Carrot, Robin Bailey, Graham Stark. Director: Terry Marcel.

A hidden Gem.......2000-01-30

I recently found "Jane and the Lost City" by accident at my local video rental shop. I thought it looked junky and camp so I rented it. What I got instead was a super mellow rendition of the world war two daily mirror comic strip "Jane" which basically concerned the lead character Jane and her cohorts the Colonel and Tombs the butler "confounding the Nazi's at every turn" by pure dumb luck. During this process Jane keeps getting her clothes torn off (to lingerie level) by a variety of unlikely means. In other words, a very silly operation. The film is so mellow that if you need something to go to sleep in front of this will do nicely, allowing you to wake up occasionally and see more lingerie and hear more silly dialogue. I watched "Jane" twice in 24 hours and liked it very much. Very good trash indeed.

Average customer rating:

Tarzan and the Lost City [Region 2]
Starring: Casper Van Dien , Jane March , Steven Waddington , Winston Ntshona , and Rapulana Seiphemo
Director: Carl Schenkel
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00004VXSA

Average customer rating:

Good movie, Great actor
Tarzan Worth Watching
Family Entertainment - Finally!
Marginally Entertaining, But Nothing Special
Tarzan for the Fun of It

Family Films | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00005NUF1

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Good movie, Great actor.......2007-01-03

Tarzan Worth Watching.......2006-11-04

Family Entertainment - Finally!.......2006-05-07

Marginally Entertaining, But Nothing Special.......2006-04-04

Tarzan for the Fun of It.......2005-11-26

Average customer rating:

Good movie, Great actor
Tarzan Worth Watching
Family Entertainment - Finally!
Marginally Entertaining, But Nothing Special
Tarzan for the Fun of It

Family Films | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

( T ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00004RYOZ

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Good movie, Great actor.......2007-01-03

Tarzan Worth Watching.......2006-11-04

Family Entertainment - Finally!.......2006-05-07

Marginally Entertaining, But Nothing Special.......2006-04-04

Tarzan for the Fun of It.......2005-11-26

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