Planet of Dinosaurs
Encyclopedia
Planet of Dinosaurs is a 1978 science fiction
film. Set in an unspecified future, the film follows the journey of Captain Lee and his crew after they crash land on a planet with similar life conditions as Earth, but millions of years behind in time. Encountering a wide variety of dangerous dinosaurs, the crew decides that its best chance for survival lies on finding higher ground and setting up a defensive perimeter on a higher plateau for refuge to wait for when or if their rescuers arrive. They soon encounter a deadly Tyrannosaurus and must figure out a way to defeat the creature and survive on the planet.
The film was a low budget endeavor with no major stars; James Whitworth and Max Thayer
have the most film experience amongst the actors. Director James K. Shea instructed most of the budget to be spent on the special effects for the film, which included an array of award-winning stop motion dinosaurs, leaving little money for props or even to pay the main actors. Modern reviews have generally been negative, although there is agreement that the stop motion dinosaurs were the most notable and enjoyable aspect of the film.
) is forced to crash land on a planet with atmosphere and conditions much like that of Earth
, although it is many light-year
s away. As the ship sinks into the lake that it landed in, communications officer Cindy (Mary Appleseth) realizes that she forgot the radio in the ship and attempts to retrieve it, with the assistance of fellow crew-member Chuck (Chuck Pennington). En route, Cindy is attacked and killed by an unidentified aquatic creature, prompting Chuck to return to shore without the radio.
Realizing that they are stranded, the remaining eight people aboard the ship decide that survival is their primary goal and begin to explore the planet that they have landed on. Derna Lee (Derna Wylde) quickly loses one of the laser
guns that Mike (Max Thayer
) had given her, leaving the stranded individuals with one less weapon. They eventually come across a Brontosaurus
, which leads them to deduce that the planet is following a similar evolution
ary track as Earth, but is millions of years younger. Later, Charlotte (Charlotte Spear) determines that the plant life, especially the berries, is poisonous. After another dinosaur encounter, Lee decides that the best option is to climb the mountains and reach a higher plateau
, where he believes the large creatures will be unable to reach them
During the ascent, Nyla (Pamela Bottaro) slips and loses the entire supply of food rations, which Lee refuses to retrieve. In a cave higher up the mountain, Vice-President of Spaceways Incorporated Harvey Baylor (Harvey Shain) discovers a nest full of eggs. After stealing an egg, Harvey is attacked and killed by a Centrosaurus
. Soon after, much to ship engineer Jim's (James Whitworth
) dismay, Lee decides to halt the expedition and settle at what he considers to be a defensible area. Lee expects to hold out until they are rescued, but Jim believes them to be trapped forever on the planet, and advises that they begin a new civilization
. Lee triumphs and the remaining crew begin to build a defensive stockade
around a cave. After a few more encounters, including a giant spider
and an Allosaurus
, a large Tyrannosaurus
arrives and kills Derna, demolishing the stockade in the process.
The crew finally agrees with Jim that the best way to survive is to kill the predator. Their first plan, devised by Lee, is to attempt to poison the dinosaur by smearing berries on a dead Polacanthus
and leave it outside of the Tyrannosaurus lair. The plan backfires when the beast attacks from behind, killing Mike. Jim's plan is to set up large, wooden stakes and coat them in the poison, then lure the predator into them. After some initial troubles, including a fight between the T.rex and Rhedosaurus, the plan works, killing the Tyrannosaurus, which nearly takes Jim with it.
Years pass and the survivors have set up an agricultural
settlement. Chuck and Charlotte now have a son. Charlotte wonders if they will ever be rescued, to which Nyla comments that it does not seem important anymore.
dinosaurs, which would later win it a Saturn Award in 1980. Including among the dinosaurs was a model that paid homage to Ray Harryhausen
's Rhedosaurus from The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms
. Since most of the budget had been spent creating the stop motion effects, all of the actors had to sign partial deferments for their contracts and at least one actress (Derna Wylde) claims that she never received the balance of what was owed to her. In addition, the low budget was reflected in many of the props. The "fermented berry juice" used in the film was grape
Kool-Aid
, but the shoddy props made it taste "like liquid cardboard." Filming took place in the Vasquez Rocks
area of California
's desert
, in an area previously used to film several episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series
.
The film garnered more attention upon its first DVD
release in 2001, all of it praising the stop motion animation as the most significant and memorable aspect of the movie. The film, released with no additional extra features, was given a grade of "C+" by DVD-rating site Digital Monster Island, while Digital Retribution gave it 2 stars out of 5. Allmovie gave it 2 stars out of 5 as well, and the film maintains a rating of 4.3 out of 10 on the Internet Movie Database
. It was released on DVD by Retromedia Entertainment on September 25, 2007 as a "30th Anniversary Edition" in widescreen format and was initially mislabeled as the "20th Anniversary Edition." It contains bonus features unlike the first DVD release.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
film. Set in an unspecified future, the film follows the journey of Captain Lee and his crew after they crash land on a planet with similar life conditions as Earth, but millions of years behind in time. Encountering a wide variety of dangerous dinosaurs, the crew decides that its best chance for survival lies on finding higher ground and setting up a defensive perimeter on a higher plateau for refuge to wait for when or if their rescuers arrive. They soon encounter a deadly Tyrannosaurus and must figure out a way to defeat the creature and survive on the planet.
The film was a low budget endeavor with no major stars; James Whitworth and Max Thayer
Max Thayer
-Filmography:*Ilsa, Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks , the sequel of the infamous Ilsa: She-Wolf of the SS.*Planet of Dinosaurs*Hot Ice - this was the last movie where Ed Wood appeared, directed by Steven Apostolof.*The Retrievers...
have the most film experience amongst the actors. Director James K. Shea instructed most of the budget to be spent on the special effects for the film, which included an array of award-winning stop motion dinosaurs, leaving little money for props or even to pay the main actors. Modern reviews have generally been negative, although there is agreement that the stop motion dinosaurs were the most notable and enjoyable aspect of the film.
Plot
After a mechanical failure aboard the spaceship Odyssey, Captain Lee Norsythe (Louie LawlessLouie Lawless
Louie Lawless is a Canadian film actor, documentary director, and Academy Award-nominated producer. Born in British Columbia, he traveled to California at the age of 18 and soon found work as an actor in Hollywood. He soon began to become involved in the production of films and worked for over two...
) is forced to crash land on a planet with atmosphere and conditions much like that of Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, although it is many light-year
Light-year
A light-year, also light year or lightyear is a unit of length, equal to just under 10 trillion kilometres...
s away. As the ship sinks into the lake that it landed in, communications officer Cindy (Mary Appleseth) realizes that she forgot the radio in the ship and attempts to retrieve it, with the assistance of fellow crew-member Chuck (Chuck Pennington). En route, Cindy is attacked and killed by an unidentified aquatic creature, prompting Chuck to return to shore without the radio.
Realizing that they are stranded, the remaining eight people aboard the ship decide that survival is their primary goal and begin to explore the planet that they have landed on. Derna Lee (Derna Wylde) quickly loses one of the laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
guns that Mike (Max Thayer
Max Thayer
-Filmography:*Ilsa, Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks , the sequel of the infamous Ilsa: She-Wolf of the SS.*Planet of Dinosaurs*Hot Ice - this was the last movie where Ed Wood appeared, directed by Steven Apostolof.*The Retrievers...
) had given her, leaving the stranded individuals with one less weapon. They eventually come across a Brontosaurus
Apatosaurus
Apatosaurus , also known by the popular but scientifically deprecated synonym Brontosaurus, is a genus of sauropod dinosaur that lived from about 154 to 150 million years ago, during the Jurassic Period . It was one of the largest land animals that ever existed, with an average length of and a...
, which leads them to deduce that the planet is following a similar evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
ary track as Earth, but is millions of years younger. Later, Charlotte (Charlotte Spear) determines that the plant life, especially the berries, is poisonous. After another dinosaur encounter, Lee decides that the best option is to climb the mountains and reach a higher plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
, where he believes the large creatures will be unable to reach them
During the ascent, Nyla (Pamela Bottaro) slips and loses the entire supply of food rations, which Lee refuses to retrieve. In a cave higher up the mountain, Vice-President of Spaceways Incorporated Harvey Baylor (Harvey Shain) discovers a nest full of eggs. After stealing an egg, Harvey is attacked and killed by a Centrosaurus
Centrosaurus
Centrosaurus is a genus of herbivorous ceratopsian dinosaurs from the late Cretaceous of Canada. Their remains have been found in the Dinosaur Park Formation and uppermost Oldman Formation, dating from 76.5 to 75.5 million years ago....
. Soon after, much to ship engineer Jim's (James Whitworth
James Whitworth
James Whitworth is a cartoonist and journalist.Born in Sheffield, United Kingdom in 1970, Whitworth was educated at Tapton School and Sheffield Hallam University, where he graduated with a degree in English language and literature...
) dismay, Lee decides to halt the expedition and settle at what he considers to be a defensible area. Lee expects to hold out until they are rescued, but Jim believes them to be trapped forever on the planet, and advises that they begin a new civilization
Civilization
Civilization is a sometimes controversial term that has been used in several related ways. Primarily, the term has been used to refer to the material and instrumental side of human cultures that are complex in terms of technology, science, and division of labor. Such civilizations are generally...
. Lee triumphs and the remaining crew begin to build a defensive stockade
Stockade
A stockade is an enclosure of palisades and tall walls made of logs placed side by side vertically with the tops sharpened to provide security.-Stockade as a security fence:...
around a cave. After a few more encounters, including a giant spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
and an Allosaurus
Allosaurus
Allosaurus is a genus of large theropod dinosaur that lived 155 to 150 million years ago during the late Jurassic period . The name Allosaurus means "different lizard". It is derived from the Greek /allos and /sauros...
, a large Tyrannosaurus
Tyrannosaurus
Tyrannosaurus meaning "tyrant," and sauros meaning "lizard") is a genus of coelurosaurian theropod dinosaur. The species Tyrannosaurus rex , commonly abbreviated to T. rex, is a fixture in popular culture. It lived throughout what is now western North America, with a much wider range than other...
arrives and kills Derna, demolishing the stockade in the process.
The crew finally agrees with Jim that the best way to survive is to kill the predator. Their first plan, devised by Lee, is to attempt to poison the dinosaur by smearing berries on a dead Polacanthus
Polacanthus
Polacanthus, deriving its name from the Ancient Greek poly-/πολυ- "many" and acantha/ακανθα "thorn" or "prickle", was an early armored, spiked, plant-eating ankylosaur from the early Cretaceous period. Early depictions often gave it a very vague head as it was only known from the rear half of the...
and leave it outside of the Tyrannosaurus lair. The plan backfires when the beast attacks from behind, killing Mike. Jim's plan is to set up large, wooden stakes and coat them in the poison, then lure the predator into them. After some initial troubles, including a fight between the T.rex and Rhedosaurus, the plan works, killing the Tyrannosaurus, which nearly takes Jim with it.
Years pass and the survivors have set up an agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
settlement. Chuck and Charlotte now have a son. Charlotte wonders if they will ever be rescued, to which Nyla comments that it does not seem important anymore.
Cast
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| James Whitworth | Jim |
| Pamela Bottaro | Nyla |
| Louie Lawless Louie Lawless Louie Lawless is a Canadian film actor, documentary director, and Academy Award-nominated producer. Born in British Columbia, he traveled to California at the age of 18 and soon found work as an actor in Hollywood. He soon began to become involved in the production of films and worked for over two... |
Captain Lee Norsythe |
| Harvey Shain | Harvey Baylor |
| Charlotte Speer | Charlotte |
| Chuck Pennington | Chuck |
| Derna Wylde | Derna Lee |
| Max Thayer Max Thayer -Filmography:*Ilsa, Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks , the sequel of the infamous Ilsa: She-Wolf of the SS.*Planet of Dinosaurs*Hot Ice - this was the last movie where Ed Wood appeared, directed by Steven Apostolof.*The Retrievers... |
Mike |
| Mary Appleseth | Cindy |
Production
Planet of Dinosaurs was filmed on a significantly limited budget. Most of the budget went towards the special effects, particularly the significant amount of stop motionStop motion
Stop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence...
dinosaurs, which would later win it a Saturn Award in 1980. Including among the dinosaurs was a model that paid homage to Ray Harryhausen
Ray Harryhausen
Ray Harryhausen is an American film producer and special effects creator...
's Rhedosaurus from The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms is a 1953 science fiction film directed by Eugène Lourié and stars Paul Christian, Paula Raymond and Cecil Kellaway with visual effects by Ray Harryhausen. The film is about an atomic bomb test in the Arctic Circle that unfreezes a hibernating fictional dinosaur, a...
. Since most of the budget had been spent creating the stop motion effects, all of the actors had to sign partial deferments for their contracts and at least one actress (Derna Wylde) claims that she never received the balance of what was owed to her. In addition, the low budget was reflected in many of the props. The "fermented berry juice" used in the film was grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
Kool-Aid
Kool-Aid
Kool-Aid is a brand of flavored drink mix owned by the Kraft Foods Company.-History:Kool-Aid was invented by Edwin Perkins in Hastings, Nebraska, United States. All of his experiments took place in his mother's kitchen. Its predecessor was a liquid concentrate called Fruit Smack...
, but the shoddy props made it taste "like liquid cardboard." Filming took place in the Vasquez Rocks
Vasquez Rocks
Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park is a 905-acre northern Los Angeles County, California, USA park acquired by the Los Angeles County government in the 1970s...
area of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
's desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
, in an area previously used to film several episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
.
Reception
The film won the 1980 Saturn Award, presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, in the "Best Film Produced for Under $1,000,000" category, taking specific note of its stop motion effects. Given the nature of the film and the era in which it was released, there were no contemporary reviews of the film. The Bad Movie Report published a review in 2000, calling the film a "sad little wanna-be", citing the dinosaurs and stop motion animation as the best aspects of the film and giving it 1.5 "stars" out of 5.The film garnered more attention upon its first DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
release in 2001, all of it praising the stop motion animation as the most significant and memorable aspect of the movie. The film, released with no additional extra features, was given a grade of "C+" by DVD-rating site Digital Monster Island, while Digital Retribution gave it 2 stars out of 5. Allmovie gave it 2 stars out of 5 as well, and the film maintains a rating of 4.3 out of 10 on the Internet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
. It was released on DVD by Retromedia Entertainment on September 25, 2007 as a "30th Anniversary Edition" in widescreen format and was initially mislabeled as the "20th Anniversary Edition." It contains bonus features unlike the first DVD release.