The movie begins with some guy working at his desk. I guess the movie interrupted him. Still, he takes the time to tell us how mysterious the Earth is. I always hated when movies would do this. Giving us some fake scientist to throw some credibility behind the truly truly outrageous film we're about to watch. Enough with your theories man of science! Science man tells us this isn't a movie...it's a fable. A fable that if we really think about, will have deeper meaning. Keep dreaming man of science!
Our movie finally begins somewhere in Asia at an archaeological dig. An old tablet is found where there should be no human artifacts. As they translate the tablet an earthquake strikes. And leave it to John Agar to tell us in such a dramatic way. He delivers his line, 'Earthquake' as though he were telling us dinner was ready. The tablet is destroyed in the quake but some random kid brings more strange relics for them to puzzle over.
The relic is an oil lamp that tells the story of Noah and the flood. The oil lamp came from a mountain that happens to be at the center of the earthquake. It's a dangerous, treacherous place so naturally they decide to investigate. Agar tells us climbing the mountain is safer than crossing Time Square. Uh...do what now? Anyway after they brave some avalanche stock footage they finally discover the ruins of a temple. When one of their team members falls down a crevice they immediately venture in after him.
The movie passes slowly and without any soundtrack at all. Another member of their team buys the farm once he causes a rock slide, trapping our would be explorers/rescuers underground. They wander around aimlessly for a bit until they discover a terrible matte painting of an underground city. The guys decide to take a nap but are quickly kidnapped by...The Mole People!
They meet some guys in weird pajamas skirts with swords and are taken to another underground city. We meet the Royal Court and after being sentenced to death the guys decide to make a break for it. When LaFours falls behind they hold off their pursuers with a flashlight. Later on the guys see that the albinos have enslaved the Mole People. They are chased off and Agar can't seem to work the flashlight, telling us the button is jammed. What, like it's a gun or something? LaFours is caught and killed by one of the Mole People and Agar manages to get the flashlight working and drives it off.
The Royal Priest shows up and invites the remaining explorers to a feast, believing they are now holy after witnessing the power of the flashlight. The Priest tells them there are 'twice and a half times sixty' albino people. What? Barbie was right, math is hard. Must be using that new math. Agar saves a pretty girl from being whipped and the King gives her to him. Agar tells her about the surface while she plays her funky albino guitar. Later on they almost make kissy face but are interrupted.
The King asks the explorers to punish the Mole People but they refuse. The guys save some Mole guys from being beaten to death by using the last of the flashlight's power. The King and Royal Priest decide they need to appease the gods by making a sacrifice. Leading up to the sacrifice we have a dance scene that kinda goes on for too long. The Priest opens a door of light and three women walk in. Later their charred corpses are brought out and we are left to wonder exactly what happened.
When the body of LaFours is found the King orders the explorers to be killed. They are drugged with sleepy mushrooms and for some reason the girl runs off into the slave pit of the Mole People and is captured by them. Back at the Royal Court the guys wake up just in time to be executed. The Mole People emerge from beneath the surface and attack. They kill the King and Priest, break into the execution chamber and find it filled with sun light. Also, the chamber is in the shape of the Starfleet symbol.
The three climb up the sunlight chamber and back to the ruins on the surface. Another random and convenient earthquake strikes which frightens the girl. She runs off, falls and is crushed by a falling column. She tries to speak but dies. The sunlight chamber caves in and we have...
The Mole People was produced by Universal and is often listen as part of their Universal Monsters series. With the atomic age the popularity of the Universal Monsters seemed to wain and the trend was now to make films about flying saucers and monsters created by radiation. This film may not have either of those elements but it does have The Mole People. Unlike some movies the monsters of this film are not used sparingly. They show up quite frequently and are fairly menacing.
The Royal Priest is played by Alan Napier who you may know better as Alfred from the 60s Batman series. Also in this cast is Hugh Beaumont, who is famous for playing Ward Cleaver on Leave It To Beaver. I've already mentioned John Agar who shows up in many a B-Movie and was once married to Shirley Temple.
This is yet another film that was mocked on Mystery Science Theater 3000 and is one of my favorite episodes. That being said The Mole People is a fun film that really isn't all that bad. I always get a kick out of the Mole People dragging people underground. If you get a chance I suggest watching the MST3K version of The Mole People.
No comments:
Post a Comment