At the Earth's Core (film)

At the Earth's Core is a 1976 science fiction film produced by Britain's Amicus Productions. It was directed by Kevin Connor and starred Peter Cushing, Caroline Munro, Philippa Herring and Doug McClure. It was filmed in Technicolor. It was based on the science fiction novel At the Earth's Core, by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the first book of his Pellucidar series, in token of which the film is also known as Edgar Rice Burroughs' At the Earth's Core. The original music score was composed by Mike Vickers.

Plot summary
Dr. Abner Perry, a Victorian period scientist (Cushing), and his American financier David Innes (McClure), a man with a remarkable story to tell. David is a mining heir who finances the experimental "iron mole," an excavating vehicle designed by his elderly inventor friend Abner Perry Peter Cushing drilling machine in a Welsh mountain, but the Iron Mole goes off course,much the original story and after a time end up in a strange underground labyrinth to the twilight world of Pellucidar ruled by a species of giant telepathic flying-reptiles, The Mahars, and full of prehistoric monsters and cavemen.In a test run, they discover the vehicle cannot be turned, and it burrows 500 miles into the Earth's crust, emerging into the unknown interior world of Pellucidar.In the movie,David Innes and Abner Perry,look as their Pellicidar is as big as some hich school gym,lighted red and green ,and filled fake jungle plants,get attack by some wacky bird billed dinosaure I think.

In Burroughs' concept, the Earth is a hollow shell with Pellucidar as the internal surface of that shell.Pellucidar is inhabited by prehistoric creatures of all geological eras, and dominated by the Mahars, a species of flying reptile both intelligent and civilized, but which enslaves and preys on the local stone-age humans. They are captured by the Mahars, who keep primitive humans as their slaves through mind control. David falls for the beautiful slave girl Princess Dia (Munro),changed Dian the Beautiful as in original novel, but when she is chosen as a sacrificial victim in the Mahar city, David must organize the humans to rebel and save her.

The movie somewhat follows the novel.David, attracted to Dian,Dia in the movie defends her against the unwanted attentions of Hooja, but due to his ignorance of local customs she assumes he wants her as a slave, not a friend or lover, and subsequently snubs him. Only later, after Hooja slips their captors in a dark tunnel and forces Dian(Dia) to leave with him, does David learn from Ghak the cause of the misunderstanding.In Phutra the captives become slaves, and the two surface worlders learn more of Pellucidar and Mahar society. The Mahars are all female, reproducing parthogenetically by means of a closely-guarded "Great Secret" contained in a Mahar book. David learns that they also feast on selected human captives in a secret ritual. In a disturbance, David manages to escape Phutra, becomes lost, and experiences a number of adventures before sneaking back into the city. Rejoining Abner, he finds the latter did not even realize he was gone, and the two discover that time in Pellucidar, in the absence of objective means to measure it, is a subjective thing, experienced by different people at different rates.

Some point,David Innes confronts a fire breathing dinosaur,that wooks a frog rhino or something.I believe in the novel,it was something normal like a cave bear.

Obsessed with righting the wrong he has unwittingly done Dian, David escapes again and eventually finds and wins her by defeating the malevolent Jubal the Ugly One, another unwanted suitor. David makes amends, and he and Dian wed.Not so in the movie,this David Innes will kiss the Pellicidar Jungle Gal,but marry no way.

Later, along with Ghak and other allies, David and Abner lead a revolt of humankind against the Mahars. Their foes are hampered by the loss of the Great Secret, which David has stolen and hidden. To further the struggle David returns to the Iron Mole, in which he and Dian propose to travel back to the surface world to procure outer world technology. Only after it is underway does he discover that Hooja has substituted a drugged Mahar for Dian. The creature attacks David but is overcome, and the return to the surface world proceeds successful.In the movie,very un Burroughs like David Innes plans to leave Dia behind,because neither live their different worlds.Burroughs would just them be able to live in either,if the adventure calls for,but the movie producers fell alot of Hollywood smuck thinking here,folks.

The movie ends,not with David Innes fighting a Mahar or finding himself in the Saharah Dessert,but digging up through I'm assuming Buckingham Palice.Duh.

Back in the world we know David meets the author, who after hearing his tale and seeing his prehistoric captive, helps him resupply and prepare the mole for the return to Pellucidar.In the movie,that David Innes,didn't find himself in the Sahara Dessert.If he did,I;m sure he'd ask What happened ?Before everything was cool.Exciting.This Pellicidar was about the size of someone living room,filled puppet dinosaur,that didn't ever exist anywhere on earth.Dian the Beautiful,was some dimbat bimbo,with buck teeth.

Come on,not even the Denny Miller Tarzan's going to ever visit this place.

Main cast

 * Doug McClure - David Innes
 * Peter Cushing - Dr. Abner Perry
 * Caroline Munro - Princess Dia
 * Cy Grant - Ra
 * Godfrey James - Ghak
 * Keith Barron - Dowsett