Munrovember-cember: At the Earth's Core (1976)

 Cushing alert! Cushing alert! Cushing alert! Finally a Peter Cushing movie! Also, it seems someone is pissing lava in the opening sequence. How very fitting. Ah. steam locomotives, reminds me of my childhood. Well, the movie start with your typical British rich snobs enjoying watching some hardcore drilling during afternoon tea. Yes, indeed the story is that some rich snob professor and his rich snob American student (played by B-movie legend Doug McClure, and is an American because of his accent) will try to drill themselves through solid rock in a giant Drill Machine, because of Science. Like these bourgeois dimwits would ever be able to drill anything. Cushing is playing a parody of the confused British snob scientist gentleman archetype, and I say it now, Cushing is what makes this movie worth watching. It's clear that he overplays the role on purpose, and it's amazing.

So of course their drill breaks down and crash, because they are dumb snobs who don't know shit about drilling. And they crash in a underground jungle at the Earth's core, because there are lot of underground jungles at the Earth's  core and stuff. And not long after the Rubber Monsters appear! This is Rubber Paradise! There are so many overgrown people in rubber costumes that it itself deserves and Oscar or something.

The first rubber dude is supposed to be a bird or a lizard or something, can't tell for sure. But this movie should be called the Rise of the Rubber Giants or something, because that would be a title that describes this movie well. Soon the dynamic duo is enslaved by the Pig People, because at Earth's Core the Pig People hold humans as slaves. Here we're also introduced to Caroline Munro, who plays the slave girl Dia, who's also a Princess (of course). But even more important: another rubber giant! And this one looks like a rhino-boar-horse thingy. And it start fighting another one! Rubber Giant fight, hooray! So McClure escapes and run into an angry dude and start a fist fight with him in the Cave of the Hentai Tentacle Monster! I'm not kidding, this really happens. The bad guys seem to be Giant Rubber Birdmen, and when they talk everyone get bored. Causing boredom seem to be their special power. But enough about that. Rubber! Rubber! Rubber! A Lizard of Rubber! And Cushing killing a firebreathing rubber monster with bows and arrow. Classic! There's also a human baddie called "The Ugly One". Such a charming name!

Munro is unfortunately not that prominent in this one, she again mostly is eye candy and McClure's obligatory love interest. She also mostly fall into the Damsel in Distress archetype. I'm fine with it, although they could have made her a little tougher. She's supposed to be a native of the Underworld after all. Of course she look beautiful and has a great revealing outfit. Anything else would be a waste of her talents.

As I said before Cushing is the reason to watch this movie. He is great. He overact the role deliciously. The scenes without him seem a little boring actually. The ending is also a little bit of a downer. But all in all, a fun watch. A mindless adventure flick with some Munro eyecandy and some Cushing glory. What's not to like?