Lost Horizon

1973 "Come to Shangri-La! Come to a new world of music, a new world of adventure, and a new world of love!"
5.2| 2h27m| G| en
Details

While escaping war-torn China, a group of Europeans crash in the Himalayas, where they are rescued and taken to the mysterious Valley of the Blue Moon, Shangri-La.

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Reviews

Kidskycom It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.
Merolliv I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.
Aubrey Hackett While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.
Arianna Moses Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.
Michael Stever Just watched, 'Lost Horizon.' Wow! Am intrigued by its history, and the apparent deluge of hostility that was not only projected at it commercially, but between Bacharach himself and his collaborative partner. It's ironic that a film trying to perpetuate a sense of good will, and enlighten folks to see past the traditional rat-race BS of life, would find itself so 'plagued' in its own right. Callousness, and apathy are the REAL culprits here. Believe it or not there's a LOT to like about 'Lost Horizon,' further Bert Bacharach and his collaborative partner Hal David never produced a single, bad piece of music. The wisdom perpetuated in this film, is LEGION. Be wary who you give your heart away to, friends. This film IS in many ways, like a SPECTACULAR crash, (of sorts) but to pigeonhole it 'merely' as a failure is WAY off base. What it IS, is a movie that plays BY ITS OWN RULES, and is produced with an INCREDIBLE VISUAL FLAIR, memorable tunes and charming choreography, and a sweeping scope that says "To Hell with the rest of you, who don't get us."
gmonger What makes a musical, is the music. The music in this is excellent. Burt Bacharach and Hal David seldom miss and here they hit on every song. Reflections, The World is a Circle and I Might Frighten Her Away being great songs and routines. I recall, this movie bombed, was panned, by fan and critic alike, when it came out. At the time, the 70's, musicals were not a hot topic. Unless you were making a gritty, realistic, musical, like Cabaret, you were going against the grain. Dancing and prancing people seemed strange in this time of Easy Rider, Midnight Cowboy and grittier films of the era. The movie was mistimed to be sure, because there isn't anything more ridiculous in this, than any of the great musicals of years past, be it prancing, knife wielding, gang members, to store clerks, to lions, to scare crows.I am sure the great actors, known so much more so for drama, than a musical, threw off the public. Seeing Ullmann, Finch, Kellerman, York, and Kennedy especially, so often playing the heavy, in lighter roles was different. But guess what? They are all great actors and pull it off completely.If you have read any of my reviews you know I review lesser known or disparaged movies that I feel deserve a lot better fate. Why review, for the one millionth time, Casablanca, Spartacus, Network, or Gone With the Wind? Guess what? They are great and considered so for a very real reason.Lost Horizon, on it's own is one of the best musicals made and a great telling of the classic story. The B & W, Ronald Coleman version , as good as it is , is flawed due to the lost footage and the scars the film has due to it's repair. This musical version, is the best version of Lost Horizon, I recommend giving it a try . I guarantee you will be whistling the songs soon after.
Karl Ericsson I don't Think i have ever heard as despicable a sound as what in this film passes as "Music". When i Think about all stations this c-p had to pass through Before it was recorded, without anyone reacting on it, I am reminded of what I sincerely hate about the USA. This noise is the perfect mirror to American society. Pity, since the story which is thoroughly destroyed by the noise, isn't a bad one and if you fast forward every time somebody starts to fart then the Movie is almost watchable. I hate to imagine what would be made of the story if it was filmed today in these times that are so much more fascistic than anytime that Went Before.
MKHFromHollywood ...and somehow persuaded Bacharach and David to write songs for it, this is what would result. Of course, Ed Wood would never have the kind of budget to make this, nor his pick of prestige stars. Funny thing, when I saw this as a little kid I was actually impressed. I think the gorgeous footage shot in the Cascade range of the Pacific Northwest was a part of why, and the obvious care put into the building of sets. The production values are through the roof here. However, looking back on it, this deserves all of the brickbats it's gotten. John Gielgud in yellow-face. Sally Kellerman and Liv Ullman and Peter Finch trying to sing. Everyone trying to dance except for Bobby Van, who obviously is a hoofer. And Bobby Van lays on the corniness, almost making his dancing as cringe-inducing as the non-dancers trying to dance.This is most definitely a creature of its time as well. The cheesy New Age philosophy of the lyrics is cringe-worthy. And of course, the misunderstanding of Tibetan Buddhism that goes all the way back to James Hilton's original novel. Yes, it's directed like a '40s or '50s golden age musical, and movie musicals from the period like Godspell, Jesus Christ Superstar and The Wiz had more of a gritty texture from shooting on location instead of on a back lot with something other than big, lumbering 65mm cameras. And the costumes...dear goddess the costumes look like they came from Sears' Exotic Groovy India and China collection of 1971. Yes, it IS that bad. Producer Ross Hunter wound up never doing theatrical pictures again after Lost Horizon. He spent the rest of his career doing TV movies, exiled from the big screen. Making a flop-o-roony like this, which cost $12 Million in early '70s dollars to make and only took in $3 Million in early '70s dollars at the box office, was definitely enough to make no studio want to take a chance on future projects of his. It ranks with the legendary failures of Hollywood studio pictures...Heaven's Gate would come later, and would actually wind up being vindicated after the fact. I see a few people actually sticking up for this steaming pile. Each to their own taste, I suppose. But really...