The People that Time Forgot is a 1977 UK production, sequel to The Land that Time Forgot and based upon one of the many works by the late Edgar Rice Burroughs. There are no Martians or jungle lords present, but what there is just so happens to be just as good, namely dinosaurs in a land lost to time. Like every such mythical place, there are dangers aplenty and not just from the giant reptiles. The more hostile of elements from this savage garden is mankind, as it most often is in any given situation. The film sees an expedition sent to find the missing Bowen Tyler, the man who was left behind in the first movie and it will see his friend Ben and the rest of the team pushed to their limits, trying to overcome obstacles they never would have dreamed of in a million years.

Like that first film, this one also features many a giant creature with the special effects being just as good, if not a little better than they had been previously. When first arriving, Ben and the crew must ward off a Pterodactyl as they fly their plane in and it is actually quite thrilling to watch and it ends up being one of the best scenes in the movie featuring any of the monsters. There are others of course and one of the better things was the fact that Ben, Charly and Norfolk were not there to simply slaughter the beasts, instead concentrating on their mission to find their missing chum and the simple fact of staying alive.

Unlike like the previous film, this one had very few moments where it tended to drag as thankfully things managed to keep moving with quite a bit of action. A notable addition to this film was the cave-girl Ajor played by Dana Gillespie who would lend to that very action. Taking a page out of the Hammer playbook, Gillespie quite the revealing costume and you will find yourself wondering many times over just how it is that it actually remained on throughout the entire movie. The rest of the cast which included Patrick Wayne, Doug McClure and Sarah Douglas among others were pretty good, much better than those from the first film, but it was Gillespie who stole the show and not just because of her costume, but due to the fact that she often had to save the group from multiple dangers.

What this film managed not to do, unlike many other sequels, was the fact that it rehashed very little of the first film instead adding many different elements like the people which are referenced in the title of the movie. It was a little strange to find that they are samurais, especially as the movie is also filled with dinosaurs, but it was a pleasant surprise to say the least.  How they got there or why they still remained was never really revealed, but this land seems to be made up of patchwork peoples and creatures and if there had been a third movie, you can almost be sure that something else quite unexpected would make an appearance.  The costumes were great, the villains quite intimidating and all of it kept you watching from start to finish.  It was better than The Land that Time Forgot by a mile and it is not too often that a sequel outdoes the original.

The People that Time Forgot is a fun romp and is the perfect film to relax to on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Beautiful women, dinosaurs, cavemen, samurais and dangerous perils – what more could you ask for?

3.5 out of 5

2015 Edition

First Entry – Trapped in the… – Valley of the Dragons (1961)
Second Entry – Can You Feel the… – Tremors (1990)
Third Entry – Beauty and Danger Collide in… – Viking Women and the Sea Serpent (1957)
Fourth Entry – Dance the Night Away in the… – Village of the Giants (1965)
Fifth Entry – It Was a Time… – When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970)
Sixth Entry – Do Not Fall Into the Grasp of… – The Giant Claw (1957)
Seventh Entry – Who Knew They Could Give Birth? – Tremors 2: Aftershocks (1996)
Eighth Entry – So Many to Choose From – The Loves of Hercules (1960)
Ninth Entry – Should Have Stayed Down Below – Up From the Depths (1979)
Tenth Entry – Snakes On a Boat! – Anaconda (1997)
Eleventh Entry – Think Twice Before You Cheat – Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)
Twelfth Entry – Back to the Trough – Tremors 3: Back to Perfection (2001)
Thirteenth Entry – Past and Present Collide in… – Mega Shark Versus Mecha Shark (2014)
Fourteenth Entry – Mating Season – Anacondas: Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004)
Fifteenth Entry – A Land Before Time – One Million Years B.C. (1966)
Sixteenth Entry – Battle of the She-Titans – Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader (2012)
Seventeenth Entry – Look Out for The Hoff! – Anaconda 3: The Offspring (2008)
Eighteenth Entry – Impossible Dangers on… – The Lost Continent (1968)
Nineteenth Entry – You Will Wish the Legend Was Over – Tremors 4: The Legend Begins (2004)
Twentieth Entry – Going Global – Tremors 5: Bloodlines (2015)
Twenty-First Entry – They Had Discovered… – The Land That Time Forgot (1975)

Last Year’s Creatures…

Giant Monster Gamera (1965)
The Monolith Monsters (1957)
Gamera vs. Barugon (1966)
Tarantula (1955)
Gamera vs. Gyaos (1967)
Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957)
Gamera vs. Viras (1968)
The Cyclops (1957)
Gamera vs. Guiron (1969)
Monsters (2010)
Gamera vs. Jiger (1970)
The Killer Shrews (1959)
Gamera vs. Zigra (1971)
The Deadly Mantis (1957)
Space Monster Gamera (1980)
King Dinosaur (1955)
Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995)
The Black Scorpion (1957)
Gamera 2: Attack of Legion (1996)
Them! (1954)
Gamera 3: The Revenge of Iris (1999)
The Giant Gila Monster (1959)
Gamera the Brave (2006)
Frankenstein Conquers the World (1966)