Search - Prehistoric Women on DVD

Don't die with Guati on your lips!

Brian A. Schar | Menlo Park, CA United States | 11/12/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a classic 50's bad film, so bad it's hysterical. And at a running time of slightly over an hour, even if you hate it, it's over fast. Every cliche of the genre, and then some, is exaggered to unintentionally comic effect. If you like this kind of thing, you will love "Prehistoric Women."See two tribes of clean, well groomed savages discover the basic principles of science in a couple of weeks! Thrill to the flight of the duck-a-dactyl! Cringe from the giant Guati and wonder if that poor guy got paid anything over scale! Get a sandwich as the girls dance and know not why! As an aside, modern audiences will be amazed that this was once considered racy fare, perhaps because of the bathing-suit-like fur outfits sported by the dubious "beauties" in this film. Hubba hubba!"

Learn How Being Chased By An Elephant Can Spark Creativity

Robert I. Hedges | 05/16/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This film is relentless. Not only is it badly scripted and acted, but also it has some of the worst production values ever. The print used for the DVD transfer is choppy and grainy, and while the movie claims to be in color, I count really only two colors in the film: gray, and slightly darker gray. In fairness when fire is depicted on screen you can see a hint of orange cast, but that's about it. Parts of the print are so dark it is very difficult to see what is actually going on, but enough about the film's good points.



This is a kind of primitive story of indentured servitude, rebellion, and revenge, and boils down to men versus women. In the beginning of the film we are introduced to the cast by an anonymous narrator, who unfortunately drones on and on through most of the film. We see that the heroine of the film, Tigri, and other women have to dance under the spell of a full moon and they just don't know why. (A village elder explains that they need men.) Through a few intergenerational flashbacks we understand that the women fled from the men after a woman threw a rock at a man. Since that time opposite gender contact has been strictly forbidden on both sides.



The male lead, Engor, enters the picture in a big way: he goes tiger hunting using sticks and a pit. He slays the tiger and later the girl's pet panther (which is obviously a very young and small cat.) Remember in 1950 that animal cruelty laws did not exist as they do today. The way they actually treat these cats is reprehensible by today's standards (although some of the panther wrestling is quite bogus.) Ultimately, Engor gets hurt by the panther and the women vow vengeance.



I could go on about the plot twists, but suffice it to say that both sides take prisoners, Engor discovers fire, Tigri explains how levers work (really), and all of this is an indirect result of the hilarious scene where Engor gets chased through the jungle by a bull elephant. There is a fight with a python, a fight with a big hairy ogre, and many episodes of infighting within the groups. They also learn rudimentary barbecuing skills.



The sole reason that I gave this film two stars (I had originally considered only one) is due to the scene where Tigri is attacked by a flying dragon, which is described by the narrator as "the scourge of the skies," but in fact looks a lot like "The Giant Claw" from the movie of the same name (if you have not seen "The Giant Claw" go and order a copy now!) I am not sure what this flying creature was (the focus and clarity of the film make it hard to examine), whether it was a model made of plaster and cardboard, or was a duck with a snood and beak taped on, but either way, this is one of the most unintentionally hilarious scenes in film history. You will be pleased immensely by the comic resolution of the flying dragon crisis.



As an added annoyance, the soundtrack features a lot of drum (bongo) music playing at every opportunity. There are several pointless scenes where women dance to this music, including a very poor ceremonial wedding dance, and overall the percussive effect is much like being at an Allman Brothers concert. There are no bonus points for guessing how the film will end: it ends exactly as you would expect, with a midnight mass marriage ceremony involving (you guessed it) a lot of dancing and some stupid customs.



This movie is really terrible, but does have a few fun moments. It is pure camp, and in the right mindset it can be quite enjoyable. This is inoffensive (feline torment aside) dumb fun, and is a prime example of the genre of bad caveman films that were so popular in the 1950s."

My Review Of Prehistoric Women

Henry E. West | Chicago, U.S.A. | 08/14/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This film is about a group of beautiful cavewomen lead by their leader Tigri, as they hunt and capture handsome but slightly smart cavemen in order to make them their mates. Along the way the cavewomen are confronted by a giant called Guati and battled him with the help of the cavemen. This was fun to watch and this film was probably the first film to be shown in color in 1950."