Journey to the Center of the Earth

You might think that a Jules Verne adaptation featuring musical numbers by Pat Boone would be a total wreck, but for sheer cornball fun, Henry Levin's 1959 sci-fi fantasy adventure is hard to top. James Mason stars as Professor Oliver Lindenbrook, embarked on a race with the unscrupulous Count Saknussem (Thayer David) to discover a passage to the center of the Earth, a journey fraught with peril--from narrow rock ledge pathways to lizard-like dinosaurs to Pat Boone's vocal cords (Boone plays Alec McEwen, Lindenbrook's airhead assistant). Imaginative settings and effects are combined with location footage shot in Carlsbad Caverns, earning the film Oscar nominations for art direction and special effects. Although extra-less, save for an excellent four-minute restoration comparison, Journey to the Center of the Earth boasts a beautiful new anamorphic widescreen digital transfer and Dolby Digital surround sound that highlights Bernard Herrmann's thundering score. Recommended. (R. Pitman)