"When we protect nature, we protect ourselves."
Lost Worlds
Review by Ross Anthony

Lost Worlds Prior to the screening, Producer Dan Ferguson offered his own opinion of why filmmakers make large format pieces, "We're here for the spectacle - because we love it!"

A Mayan city abandoned at the height of its power ... Why? What happened? This production suggests that the answer lies in the delicate balance of nature. The concept of ecosystem is explored.

Starting in a New York high-rise apartment, we rush backwards through the kitchen water faucet, inside pipes, underground, finally surfacing in the Catskill Mountain reservoirs. Here we follow the food chain from microscopic animals to urchins to sea otters. We examine what happens if one link is taken from the chain, and what humans can do to repair it.

Then, off to a west coast tropical rain forest and all the winged insects therein. I enjoyed a rolling pan of a large biologists chart, chock full of organized, labeled, and pinned dragonflies and beetles. Interestingly enough, the next shot displayed a scientist with a Beatles haircut (coincidence, I'm sure).

Off to Guatemala via helicopter. This segment hosts the most spectacular of the film's landscape shots - magnificent waterfalls. The director does a fine job of keeping reference subjects (people, helicopter) in frame, especially while shooting behind the waterfall.

Up in this remote location, you'll witness carnivorous plants munching on unknowing insects. The macro shot of the millipede is also tantalizing. In addition to the handful of spectacle, "Lost Worlds" could have used some more edgy big screen moments.



  • Lost Worlds. Copyright © 2001.
  • Narrated by Harrison Ford.
  • Directed by Bayley Silleck.
  • Written by Amanda McConnell and Sugith Varughese.
  • Produced by Goulam Amarsy, Jeffrey Marvin at Primesco/National Science Foundation.



Grade..........................B



Copyright © 2001. Ross Anthony, currently based in Los Angeles, has scripted and shot documentaries, music videos, and shorts in 35 countries across North America, Europe, Africa and Asia. For more reviews visit: RossAnthony.com


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Last Modified: Saturday, 16-Sep-2006 08:05:09 PDT