ISLAND OF THE DINOSAURS (1966)
(a.k.a. LA ISLA DE LOS DINOSAURIOS)
Article #780 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 5-4-2003
Posting Date: 10-1-2003
Directed by Rafael Portillo
Featuring Armando Silvestro, Elsa Cardenas, Crox Alvarado

An exploration team crashes on a primitive island with dinosaurs and caveman.

Since the only experience I’ve had with Mexicans working on giant monster effects was their work on THE GIANT CLAW, I was kind of curious as to how they would handle the special effects for a full-blown dinosaur movie. It was accomplished in much the same way that low-budget American dinosaur films were pulled off; lots of stock footage from ONE MILLION B.C. Not only did they borrow the footage, but a good deal of the plot was also borrowed, thus making it much easier for them to make copious use of the footage. The end result is just what you would expect; a Mexican movie with lots of stock dinosaur footage; if it seemed somewhat more competently acted, it was because my copy was not dubbed. It also was not subtitled, but since it’s your basic lost world movie, there aren’t a whole lot of subtleties to worry about. In short, you enjoy this one by sitting back and watching the slurpasaurs. And yes, Rumsford and Ignatz are on hand, and they are, or course, wrestling. Does this make this a Mexican wrestling film?