User reviews

Prisoners of the Lost Universe: Science transports a mad scientist, a handyman, and a go get um TV reporter to "The Lost Universe" which turns out to be South African renaissance festival run by John Saxon.

On the plus side, this is no Frankenstein Island. There is some decent acting with actually appealing actors. Richard Hatch was always underutilized but certainly is appealing here. John Saxon is in full John Saxon mode and plays his evil character halfway between Donald Pleasance and Kurtwood Smith. As others certainly have pointed out the real find is Kay Lenz. Well find is a bit of a stretch. She played a hippy chick intertwined with William Holden in the Clint Eastwood lensed Breezy. Having recently watched that film for the first time it is well worth the look and she is fantastic in it. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance (Best New Actress nominee). Kay Lenz is fantastic in her role with great chemistry with Richard Hatch and a sense of spunky fun.

The movie also has some decent ideas wrapped up with some on the spot dialogue. So why am I watching this movie with a Rifftrax soundtrack and comparing it to Frankenstein Island? Well…. Did I mentioned it was filmed in South Africa… in the early Eighties… and they used their entire budget for top name stars like Richard Hatch? Yes, this one had potential but everything else is a pure train wreck. You can't make Lord of the Rings on a 100k budget. It is a combination of LARPers gone wrong and some of the worst, yet strangely creative costumes and makeup ever seen. You have giants, midgets, green people… and sets that would make 60's Star Trek blush.

It's all in good fun and the stars mentioned above make most of this more palatable than it should be. For those times even the charms of Richard Hatch or John Saxon cannot win one over I had the soothing jokes of Rifftrax to see me through. An okay time but don't be surprised if you are confused after fifteen minutes and asleep after forty-five.

The Plot.

Through a series of coincidences, Carrie, Dan and Dr. Hartmann all fall through a teleporter device Hartmann has invented.

Transported to a what appears to be a prehistoric world in a parallel universe and unable to find the Doctor, Dan and Carrie must figure out a way to get back home.

Before they can do that, however, they must deal with tribes of savage cavemen, as well as brutal warlord named Kleel who has taken a liking to Carrie and seems to be unusually well-supplied with Earth technology.

This is not a horrible movie.

The acting is good and the directing is suitable.

It's easy to watch and you can space out here and there without losing the plot.

It's set in LA but all the cars have their steering wheels on the right side because this was filmed in South Africa where tehy drive the English way.

The movie can't be taken too seriously and frankly I think it was made more as a comedy with sci fi elements rather than in the reverse.

The special effects are horrible. It has the look of Flesh Gordon. Too bad Kay Lenz didn't do some porn in her day.

I liked the movie. It was fun and different. Nothing to write home about but good for a lazy rainy day

This stereotypical, low-grade fantasy lacks both the budget and the directorial imagination to be really exciting. The only epic thing about it is the music score. The film is too cheesy for most adults, but it also has some unpleasant scenes that are unsuitable for kids - making you wonder what audience exactly they had in mind. What kept me watching it is Kay Lenz: she's both endearing and feisty, and she looks particularly sexy when she's angry. Her face has a great "bone structure" - she looks a bit like Kim Basinger (trivia note: they were born the same year, 1953), only more beautiful. And she can even keep a straight face through lines like "But....he's green!" (when the male lead suggests that they should follow a man). Take Lenz out of the movie and you don't have a movie - just a midget, a giant, an evil John Saxon, and other stereotypes. (*1/2)

PRISONERS OF THE LOST UNIVERSE is a fun, rollicking sci-fi adventure. It's also total nonsense. In a good way.

Carrie and Dan (Kay Lenz and Richard Hatch) are two strangers thrown together, just in time to travel to a parallel universe via a scientist's wonky machine. Once there, the trio (yes, the scientist tags along) encounters a sadistic warlord named Kleel (John Saxon) who, with the help of his army of shirtless male models, seeks to dominate the multiverse.

THIS MOVIE CONTAINS: Roaring, bug-eyed natives! An enormous caveman! A resourceful green dude! Lots of chances for Ms. Lenz to run around in peril!

If you enjoy heaping helpings of gooey cheeeze, then this is paradise found!...

The production team behind this sword and sorcery movie come with a fair amount of baggage . Director Terry Marcel and producer Harry Robertson had previously made HAWK THE SLAYER a film so bad that it almost attracted a cult following , almost . Certainly HAWK is a memorable film but not in any good way and Marcel and Robertson continue in the same vein here

PRISONERS OF THE LOST UNIVERSE is another sword and sorcery film where modern day protagonists from the 20th Century , a TV presenter called Carrie and a truck driver called Dan find themselves transported to an alternative universe that sees different medieval tribes warring against one another with the upper hand being held by a tyrant called Kleel

If the above makes you fear you're going to be watching a nonsensical movie then you'd be right . That said it's also a movie that doesn't take itself entirely serious . I was somewhat surprised as to how involving some of the film is and didn't find myself continually wishing for it to finish despite never once thinking it was ever in danger of being a good movie . In some ways it also reminded me of the TV show THE 10TH KINGDOM that might have very well be inspired by this camp movie

"A scientist has developed a matter transmitter that he is able to demonstrate for two people, when an earthquake occurs, disrupting the test and plunging the trio into a parallel universe. The trio must adjust to the strange new world, where medieval weaponry is mixed with modern technology, all the while trying to find a way to travel back home. The scientist becomes separated from the young couple and they attempt to find him, all the while a warlord is trying to stop them, so he can take the young woman for his own," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.

Richard Hatch (as Dan) and Kay Lenz (as Carrie) are both athletic and attractive, in this vapid and vacuous parallel universe adventure. In Terry Marcel's "Prisoners of the Lost Universe", Mr. Hatch and Ms. Lenz get to say naughtier words than they said on episodic television; and, of course, they banter before falling in love. The strange universe looks exactly like our Earth; however, it populated with amusingly costumed and made-up actors. It looks like it should have been a lot more fun.

** Prisoners of the Lost Universe (1983) Terry Marcel ~ Richard Hatch, Kay Lenz, John Saxon

I've now watched this movie twice. The first time I stumbled across it in one of those packs of DVDs that has 50 obscure movies you've never heard of. I went in fully intending to mock it throughout. I was pretty happy early on watching the main characters all come together. Then as the movie progressed, I realized there was a real plot, and some well thought out ideas. There are colorful characters, and some pretty interesting ideas in this thing. I also have an appreciation for the strong female lead in this movie. It's very welcome.

When you absorb it all, you have to allow for low budget, sometimes odd dialogue, and occasionally slow pacing. If you look at the variety of characters, follow their travels and enjoy the campiness that is built in, you should have a good time. This is an earnest movie throughout, and I love it for that. I have no doubt I'll watch it again in the future.

The story involves (although you may have read this already) a scientist, a reporter, and a guy who just happened to be in the neighborhood. Through a series of events, they all wind up in another dimension. The goal is simple. Find out if there is a way to get home, and if so, go for it. This movie is the tale of their adventures. Aside from some language, it's definitely family friendly. The violence is modest by todays standards and mostly consists of swordplay. Pop in that DVD and enjoy. You'll be glad you did!

This is by no stretch of the imagination a good movie. It is incredibly low-budget, and that leaves the OK(ish) acting badly exposed. That said, I thoroughly loved it!

To enjoy this movie you really have to be able to overlook the low budget. The "effects" are bad. Really bad. The alien dimension is an exact replica of Earth. The sets could come straight from a spaghetti western (perhaps they did). The "monsters" are people in mild fancy dress. The fight scenes are amateurish, and made more "exciting" by running the film faster. A three year old child could spot it without even trying. However, if you can accept the shortfalls for what they are – the result of an extremely low budget and an overreaching ambition – and allow yourself to ride with the tide, you will enjoy this film.

The saving graces come in the form of a fun script and Kay Lenz.

The script is not magnificently written, but the dialogue is fun and counterpoints many amusing incidents in the storyline. I won't highlight any incidents as I want this post to remain spoiler-free. However, if you relax into this movie and roll with it you will discover them for yourself when you find yourself laughing out loud – and you will perhaps be surprised that you are laughing with the movie, not at it.

Kay Lenz is also fun. If you like your heroines good looking and feminine but sparky, you will love her character. Having a female lead character in a film who looks like this, and is possessed of intelligence and verve, will always add a certain frisson for many male viewers.

I always find that one of the marks of a movie that has been particularly enjoyable is that at the ending I am surprised that so much time has passed whilst I was watching. This film met that criterion. It is refreshing to find this in a low-budget movie after sitting through some Hollywood blockbuster or other wondering how much longer it will be before the interminable film ends.

If you want to watch a fun bubblegum movie, and you are willing and able to overlook a budget so low that it hits you in the face thirty times per minute of running time, take a look at this film. You will have fun.

Normally I like modestly budgeted sword movies regardless, but something bothered me about this one. I'm pretty sure it was the flannel shirt. It might even be that I think that battlestar galactica guy is a dork. There were a few really good monsters in this movie. The pygmies with light up eyes were definitely original. The fighting sequences are well planned, but the explanation of why the hero knew how to use a sword really bothered me. Come on! a rustic handyman (or whatever he is supposed to be) that practices kendo? I didn't buy it. The abrupt ending to this movie also bother me. I rated it 5 because I don't think it deserves less, but it was a tad boring.

First, I can't imagine this can even be found anymore. I saw it one time, in the mid 80s when I was a kid, on T.V. I think it was orginally made for cable. Anyway, my expectations were zero, and instead I enjoyed a great "bad" movie, if you know what I mean. Fun way to spend an afternoon. Why do I even remember it? Because it is so obscure, it is one of those movies I use to test whether a film book (like Maltin) is really comprehensive. Glad to find it on imdb.com.

In countries other than the United States, made for cable sci-fi/fantasy Prisoners of the Lost Universe was released theatrically, meaning that people actually queued for and paid cash to see it - I can only imagine the level of disappointment felt whist watching this on the big screen. It was bad enough watching it for 'free' on Amazon Prime.

Kay Lenz plays Carrie, presenter of a science TV show for kids, who pays a visit to scientist Dr. Hartmann (Kenneth Hendel), inventor of a device that can transport matter to parallel worlds. While demonstrating the machine, an earth tremor causes Dr. Hartman to fall into the its beam, sending him to a savage land ruled over by barbarian tyrant Kleel (John Saxon).

Another tremor soon after results in plumber Dan (Richard Hatch) also being transported across dimensions, followed seconds later by Carrie. Temporal displacement between the two worlds means that Carrie turns up a week after Dan, and that approximately a year has passed since the scientist arrived. After exploring the new land, Carrie is eventually reunited with Dan, and together they set out to try and find Hartmann, their only chance of getting back home.

Along the way, Dan and Carrie befriend several other strange characters - a troglodyte, a green man, a thief - who aid them on their quest, but they also find themselves faced with a variety of perils, including hostile creatures with glowing red eyes, a water beast, vicious cave dwellers, tribesmen who worship a fire stone, and, of course, Kleel and his followers.

This all sounds like it's aimed at a younger audience - and it's almost a certainty that most adults will find it extremely banal - but a few bloody sword fights and a couple of attempted rapes mean that it's not really suitable for the kids. At the very least, I had hoped for a few shonky stop-motion monsters to liven things up, but all of the 'creatures' are just men in bad make-up and crap costumes. The writing is terrible, the acting is pretty bad all round (Saxon seems to have lowered his standards to suit the quality of production), and the low, low budget results in unconvincing sets, cheap props, and poor special effects.

An extremely dumb ending sees Dan and Carrie finding a portal to take them back home, despite Hartmann claiming the odds of doing so to be 10 million to one against.

2/10. As early '80s fantasy flicks go, this has got to be one of the worst.

You will not find this film available in any big name video store. The reason being, nobody wants to see it. The best part of the film was the end. And I don't mean the ending...I mean the film ending was the best part.

The money spent on this film could have fed a small village in Africa for months. Instead, we are faced with this disaster of a film.

Like Galactica 1980, Prisoners of the Lost Universe remain one of the worst pieces of science fiction.

Hokey sci-fi fantasy concerns a dimension transporter inadvertently sending three individuals (Lenz, Hatch and the contraption's inventor, Hendel) into a parallel universe where the evil Kleel (Saxon) is a reigning warlord whose justice is "harsh but just", raping and pillaging throughout the countryside that includes green men, water-beasts, fire rocks and other assorted weirdos.

Hatch is an affable leading man, here given sword-fighting ability against the chauvinistic Kleel character, played tongue-in-cheek by Saxon as he wields his will across the land. Kay Lenz is feisty and attractive, while Peter O'Farrell gets most of the scarce intentional laughs as a diminutive thief. The action and special effects are handled primitively, and there's a child-like quality to the film in spite of some sadistic violence and mild gore.

Difficult to pitch as a comedy (particularly as most of the jokes fall flat), and not serious enough to be a straight sci-fi fantasy, it's a curious film that makes little sense and offers only light, sporadic entertainment. Saxon delivers some mildly amusing dialogue ("Kleel's law is just.., odd, but just"), but it's not witty enough to attract cult status, and the climax is rushed (looks like a proper ending couldn't be conceived) leaving the overall film, immensely unsatisfying.

This is so forgettable. I know that if one were to dig, he could find some kind of clever sci fi in this. It's just so darn dull. The characters are caricatures. They are entirely tongue in cheek. That's find when you have a solid jumping off point. To get to the yucks, you have to wade through so much uninspiring dialogue. Many have said they thought Kay Lenz could carry things. As a Hollywood beauty, she is passable. She is an actress from a time of really forgettable actresses. They would pop up on TV shows and then disappear. Unfortunately, she isn't that great, at least I see nothing that separates her. Also, the events that pop up are uninteresting and we aren't part of the joke. Don't bother with this.

A film I acquired in the Mill Creek Dive-in 50-pack. Prisoners of the Lost Universe is basically a dorky action, adventure, sci-fi comedy. It's got a couple of giggles and a terrible story.

This one is below B-grade with most of the actors - only a couple of them are OK. Most of them are pretty lame at acting even for a comedy.

Basically 3 people are teleported to a parallel reality where barbarians and martial artists are abound. There are a few strange alien-like creatures. Can the 3 of them save the people in the parallel reality and get back to their own universe? The film is an OK sci-fi adventure overall. It's not good but it does have it's moments. Not a film worth seeking out but not a bad film to watch.

2/10

A waste of time with some charm. More exactly, all the charm of the film is Kay Lenz, no longer as sexy like 10-15 years before, but still very appetizing. The story is no exaggeration for young children, and the actors struggle hard to not be embarrassing. One star from me, only for the butt of Kay Lenz.

This film is very different sci-fi/fantasy film that has good action scenes and some very unique but original characters. Kay Lenz is so good looking! She looked great in this movie and she acted good too! John Saxon put on powerful performance. I really liked his character. Richard Hatch was good as well. If you can find this different film some where pick it up and I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Ostensible shades of a Hawk The Slayer reunion are evidenced here with two of that films main protagonists (Peter O'Farrell and Ray Charleson) present here in very similar roles to that which they portrayed in the aforementioned movie. In fact the film reviewed here bears more than a passing resemblance to the said glorious classic in many ways (a compliment indeed!)

The plot concerns a revolutionary scientist who develops an amazing device which can transport matter to another dimension. Predictably matters take a turn for the worse when himself, a female TV presenter and a handy man/kendo champion(!) accidentally fall into the device and inevitably end up stranded in an unforgiving parallel world ruled by a sadistic despot named Kleel (the always excellent John Saxon)

It turns out to be a highly enjoyable ride throughout boasting some great action set pieces including some very well staged battles wherein our hero, played by Richard 'Apollo' Hatch, demonstrates some highly nifty sword work!

Great fun from start to finish and can be enjoyed by all. It's just such a shame that films like this are so rarely made nowadays.

Yes, the hero and the damsel and all their friends are prisoners a lot in this film. If they aren't prisoners of the warlord then they are prisoners of the very earth itself! A film that tries to be a brisk fantasy adventure, but spends way too much time tracking the heroes progress as they walk through fields, walk through caves and walk through the fortress where there is no escape except death! Meanwhile, occasionally you get a creature or two for two seconds on screen like strange little people with red glowing eyes who are seen as the heroes arrive and are never seen again!

The story, a woman who does a news show goes to interview a scientist creating a way to travel to different dimensions. An earthquake occurs in what must be alternate dimension L.A. as the heroine's car's driver side is on the opposite side and men care more about the loss of a 40 dollar stick than they do the demise of their pickup. Well everyone ends up in a new dimension, one filled with war and clans and people and monsters that want to kill! They never end up in a dimension where there are orgies 24/7 do they? Well the woman is captured by John Saxon while the guy makes friends and gets captured by a tribe that worships turd rock and soon they will come together to fight and get captured...again.

The cast consists of the guy from Battlestar who was not Dirk Benedict and a very shrill voiced lady who is pretty attractive, but not as attractive as the girl the John Saxon warlord already had. Not sure why he thought he was getting an upgrade, I guess it was the bleach blonde hair. We also get a giant caveman who grunts all his lines, a very annoying sidekick along with a blue dude who is sort of like an elf. Adventure awaits!

The film would have been better had they had more monsters and totally out of this world stuff. About the only thing it did have was plates growing on trees and the occasional creature that bursts forth only to be quickly dispatched. There is also an Arnold Schwarzenegger clone in a diaper painted gold! Too bad there is not much of things like this and way too much walking in fields and people in dungeons.