Mother Lode

I rented this movie on video in 1984. It instantly captivated me that I wanted to watch it again, but on returning to the store to rent it I found that they had sold it on. I remember this movie as a classic, the title didn't do enough to sell the film which in my opinion should have been listed with the best sellers. The first class acting of Charlton Heston made this one of the few movies on my, to see again list. To those who have not yet seen it, It's a must.

A couple named Sean (Nick Mancuso) and Andrea (Kim Basinger) travel into of British Columbia looking for their friend George. Then their aircraft crashes and they are helped by a fisherman (John Marley). Later on, they find a Scottish miner named McGee (Charlton Heston)who is searching a mother lode , a chamber full of gold .

The film is packed with suspense intensified by greed, thrills, good performances and marvelous landscapes. It is a bit slow-moving and a little boring because is mostly set into caverns and only a trio of characters . Tour-de-force playing by Charlton Heston as a dual role as twin brothers who live in isolation during decades searching the lost gold and emerging a violent conflict among them. The picture is a familiar venture with Charlton Heston as starring, his son Frazer Clarke Heston as screenwriter and even his daughter Lydia Clarke Heston as still photographer. It is filmed entirely on location in British Columbia with nice cinematography by Richard Leiterman, though is urgent a remastering. The movie is produced by Peter Snell, Charlton Heston's usual producer who financed the three films he directed as ¨ A man for all seasons¨ and ¨Marco Antonio y Cleopatra. Furthermore, he produced him the motion pictures who directed his son, Frazer Clarke Heston and starred Heston as ¨ Island of treasure¨and ¨The crucifix of blood¨. Nevertheless, ¨Mother lode¨is the worst film directed by Heston. Rating : average but entertaining. See this flick if only to enjoy the lush backdrop of British Columbia. It is only for Charlton Heston Heston fans.

I remember seeing this movie when it first came out. The opening scene scared the heck out of me. Seeing it so many years later, it still holds my attention.

As is stated already, the cinematography was well done and the acting (particularly by Heston) is first-rate. I thought the director did a very good job of creating an atmosphere that scares as well as intrigues. The story is a good one, the sort that you hear around the camp fire.

And yes, I agree that this should be on DVD. I'd buy it in a second.

A well made movie that stands the test of time.

If you hate tight, confined spaces and they make you very uncomfortable, then perhaps "Mother Lode" is a film you'd best skip. Now, I am not saying the film is bad...but the later portions are tough because they take place in tiny, tumbling caves.

When the story begins, a dopey guy sells his house and convinces his girlfriend to come with him into the wilderness of British Columbia. Why? Well, he believes that there's gold to be discovered there and he'll get rich. The problem is that getting to this location is a serious problem...and they almost get killed in the process. Once there, they meet up with a crazed prospector (Charlton Heston)...a man who's been digging for gold for nearly 30 years. What's next? Well, a whole lotta danger and suprises.

I'll admit that the film is a bit slow and Heston's performance is a bit out there....but the story improves a lot as the film progresses and the story is quite original.

Like the title says, you've probably never heard of this under-marketed suspense thriller with Kim Basinger (long before Vicki Vale), Nick Mancuso, and Charlton Heston. It sets up its premise quickly, with a search for a missing man that turns into a tense quest for gold in a played-out gold mine. Nothing terribly thought-provoking; it's not War and Peace, but it's a fun, claustrophobic little thriller with a plot-twist that maybe isn't the most original in the world, but the cinematography is well done and might have you jumping at shadows by the end.