Scorecard for At the Earth’s Core (1976)

Movie Poster for "At the Earth's Core"

 

Spoiler Alert!

 

If you haven’t yet watched
At the Earth’s Core, please do so.

If you want to compete, the full
rules and preview are found HERE.

But, just as a refresher, here are our rules:

  • Rule # 1: Drink to new acquaintances whenever a named character is introduced.
  • Rule # 2: Any time a named cast member dies, drink to their memory.
  • Rule # 3: Drink for courage any time a rubber monster enters the scene for the first time.
  • Rule # 4: Drink to victory any time a rubber monster is vanquished.
  • Rule # 5: Every time you see a Mahar blink, then you must take a drink.

Please remember to drink responsibly.

Okay, so without further ado…

(0:03:22) “Oh, David, take us with you!” (Rule # 1) “Sorry, Maisie. No passengers allowed.” (Rule # 1, optional, Maisie’s hardly a main character) Even though David Innes has just uncorked the champagne, Doug McClure seems already drunk. Acting?
(0:03:39) “Doc!” (Rule # 1)
(0:03:52) “A little champagne to success?” “Oh, yes, I’ll… I’ll drink to that. Oh, no.
I’d better not. I-I’m at the controls, and you must keep a clear head, too, David.”
Dr. Perry doesn’t drink and drive, and neither should you!
(0:03:57) “Winterbottom…” (Rule # 1, optional, Winterbottom’s hardly a main character)
(0:04:00) “Mr. Innes, sir. Dowsett, of the Times.” (Rule # 1, optional, Dowsett’s hardly a main character)
(0:06:27) “Milford, get the horses ready, otherwise I shall lose fifty guineas.” (Rule # 1, optional, Milford’s hardly a main character)
(0:06:33) “No cheating, Archie. You can’t start until they’re off.” (Rule # 1, optional, Archie’s hardly a main character)
(0:14:49) “It is a somewhat aggressive looking creature…” (Rule # 3, drink for courage!)

  • Mile Marker: 3-8 drinks thus far.
Prehistoric Bird-Thing from "At the Earth's Core"

Prehistoric Bird-Thing from "At the Earth's Core"

(0:19:02) “I’ll remember him, Doc, but they all look the same.” That’s racist!
(0:19:24) (Not yet Rule # 3, the rubber rhino creature makes his full dramatic entrance in a moment. ‘Tis better to drink then.)
(0:20:16) “Dia.” (Rule # 1)
(0:20:24) “Ghak.” (Rule # 1)
(0:20:38) “He is Hoojah the Sly One. Do not trust him.” (Rule # 1)
(0:20:45) (Not yet Rule # 3, the rubber rhino thing is following them. Wait for it…
wait for it…)
(0:23:00) “Ahhh!” There he is! Drink now! (Rule # 3, drink for courage!)
(0:23:26) A rival enters the fray… Snap! (Rule # 3, drink for courage!)
(0:24:26) Low blow! That’ll cost him a point.
(0:24:39) Down goes Frazier! (Rule # 4, huzzah!)
(0:25:24) “Oh, they’re so excitable, like all foreigners.” That’s racist!

  • Mile Marker: 9-14 drinks thus far.
An unfortunate "slave" gets consumed by a monster in "At the Earth's Core"

An unfortunate "slave" gets consumed by a monster in "At the Earth's Core"

(0:31:00) Our first glimpse of the Mahar. “A Rhamphorhynchus of the middle Jurassic period!” (Rule # 3, drink for courage!)
(0:31:24) *blink* (Rule # 5) And now you know what to fear…
(0:31:48) *blink* (Rule # 5)
(0:32:00) *blink* (Rule # 5)
(0:32:06) *blink* (Rule # 5) The drinks’re coming fast and furious now…
(0:32:12) *blink* (Rule # 5)
(0:32:13) *blink* (Rule # 5) Back-to-back!
(0:32:21) *blink* (Rule # 5)
(0:32:28) *blink* (Rule # 5)
(0:32:46) A special green glowing *blink* with musical cue. (Rule # 5) This must mean something…
(0:33:07) Again! *blink* (Rule # 5)
(0:33:26) And again! *blink* (Rule # 5)
(0:33:33) Non-dramatic *blink* (Rule # 5) They built these things, they’re going to get their money’s worth.
(0:33:46) “You’re beginning to annoy me!”
(0:33:51) *blink* (Rule # 5) Stop showing close-ups of the Mahar! Egads, the blinking doesn’t stop!
(0:35:19) “Fascinating. The Mahar is limited vocally… but has been… endowed with mesmeric powers and a high degree of telepathy. That’s quite a combination… for a bird.”
(0:38:01) Looks like David is “Building a Mystery”.
(0:40:55) Feed me, Seymour! (Rule # 3, drink for courage!)
(0:42:08) Help me find my keys, and we’ll drive out of here. (Rule # 4, huzzah!)
(0:42:36) Here. Put a lil’ ‘Tussin on it.
(0:43:12) “Ra.” (Rule # 1)

  • Mile Marker: 26-31 drinks thus far.
David and Ra bond in "At the Earth's Core"

David and Ra bond in "At the Earth's Core"

INTERMISSION
Take a 15-min. breather, you’ve earned it.

(0:47:33) The Mahar never blink and dive.
(0:48:28) “They’ve got to be destroyed. They’ve got to be.”
(0:49:55) A snoring Mahar!
(0:50:03) Technically, not a *blink*, the Mahar thought he heard a noise and opened his eyes. David hid. The Mahar saw nothing and went back to sleep. (Rule # 5, optional)
(0:53:43) *blink* (Rule # 5) Shame on you if you missed it.
(0:53:59) *blink* (Rule # 5)
(0:54:07) *blink* (Rule # 5)
(0:54:26) Significant *blink* (Rule # 5)
(0:54:41) *blink* (Rule # 5)
(0:54:54) And in this corner… Gypsy from MST3K! (Rule # 3, drink for courage!)
(0:55:08) The toad thing blinking means nothing.
(0:55:44) “David! The ear. Get it behind the ear.” Ra is quite the corner man.
(0:56:05) David must be taking a non-proficiency penalty with that spear. Aim the pointy end at the monster, dumb-ass.
(0:57:30) *blink* (Rule # 5)
(0:58:37) “Bravo!” (Rule # 4, huzzah!)
(0:58:39) Significant *blink* (Rule # 5)
(0:58:43) “David! Above you!”
(0:58:49) Ra to the rescue!
(0:59:00) Dying *blink* (Rule # 5)
(0:59:03) Another dying *blink* (Rule # 5)
(0:59:11) Again. (Rule # 5)
(0:59:14) Yep, again. (Rule # 5)
(0:59:17) Just die already! (Rule # 5)
(0:59:20) Once more for good measure… (Rule # 5)
(0:59:21) Ding-dong the Mahar’s dead! (Rule # 4, huzzah!)
(0:59:29) Significant *blink* (Rule # 5)
(0:59:48) Another significant *blink* (Rule # 5)

  • Mile Marker: 44-50 drinks thus far.
The thing in the pit from "At the Earth's Core"

The thing in the pit from "At the Earth's Core"

(1:00:03) “I have a firm grip upon your trousers, David!” Uh… yeah.
(1:00:17) Uh, that slave just ran through the fire curtain.
(1:00:20) Significant *blink* (Rule # 5)
(1:00:27) Another significant *blink* (Rule # 5)
(1:02:39) “David, have you ever thought of going to the moon? Hmm?” Is Doc fishing for a sequel?
(1:03:58) Out of the proverbial frying pan and into the firebreathing toad! (Rule # 3, drink for courage!)
(1:04:36) Uh, Doc must’ve been carrying that bow the way He-Man carries his grappling hook.
(1:04:52) “Bullseye!” David looks as incredulous as we are, but three arrows later and that toad a’splode. (Rule # 4, huzzah!)
(1:05:57) “My word, what a fiery beastie.”
(1:06:34) “It’s Jubal the Ugly One!” (Rule # 1, at long last after much foreshadowing)
(1:08:49) “Never mind the Queensberry Rules!”
(1:09:27) “Well done, David!” Remember Jubal the Ugly One, slain with his own giant spear. (Rule # 2)
(1:10:06) “Dia will not be mine until we destroy the Mahars and free Pellucidar.”
(1:10:11) Significant *blink* (Rule # 5)
(1:11:14) David blinking at Dia means nothing.
(1:11:23) Was that Desi Arnaz on the conga?
(1:12:59) *blink* (Rule # 5)
(1:13:13) *blink* (Rule # 5)
(1:13:50) “I must warn you, it gets very hot in there.” That’s what she said…

  • Mile Marker: 53-59 drinks thus far.
David tries to break the Mahars' psychic grip on Dia in "At the Earth's Core"

David tries to break the Mahars' psychic grip on Dia in "At the Earth's Core"

(1:16:05) Significant *blink* (Rule # 5)
(1:16:45) Another significant *blink* (Rule # 5)
(1:17:19) Yet another significant *blink* (Rule # 5) Our heroes are in deep trouble.
(1:17:32) Again. (Rule # 5)
(1:17:50) Keep drinking. (Rule # 5) We’re in the home stretch…
(1:18:05) Once more with feeling. (Rule # 5)
(1:19:02) Curse the Mahar and their telepathic eyelids! (Rule # 5)
(1:20:24) Surprise! (Rule # 3, drink for courage!) He paced his cell like a caged animal, mostly because he was.
(1:20:44) “You cannot mesmerize me! I’m British!” Gotta love the Doc.
(1:21:00) Ra is a freaking beast! Even a knife in the back couldn’t stop him.
(1:21:24) Doc Perry blinking means nothing.
(1:22:25) *blink* (Rule # 5)
(1:22:33) Mahar explode after encountering the great taste of arrow. (Rule # 4, huzzah!)
(1:22:55) Looks like that Mahar missed his pyro spot. (Rule # 4, huzzah!)
(1:22:59) Another Mahar bites the dust, but sans pyro this time. (Rule # 4, huzzah!)
(1:23:07) Mahar fall down, no go boom. (Rule # 4, huzzah!)
(1:23:13) They must be out of pyro. (Rule # 4, huzzah!)
(1:24:10) I might’ve spoke too soon. David’s Mahar spear kill gets pyro. (Rule # 4, huzzah!)
(1:24:53) Hold on, don’t drink just yet. That’s the same caged beastie we saw earlier, just a little closer to freedom.
(1:25:36) “Why have you stopped?!” “We must wait for Ra!” “Oh, yes!” “Ra! Ra!” “It’s too late. Come on!” Rest easy, Ra. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten. (Rule # 2)
(1:26:00) David gives one last “Ra!” for good measure. Alas, their bromance is at an end.
(1:26:10) Hoojah, we hardly knew ya. (Rule # 2)
(1:27:00) Yub Nub Celebration 7 years before Return of the Jedi. Alan Hume was the director of photography for both Core AND Jedi. Puts that Rancoresque monster in the pit earlier in a new light. Coincidence, Mr. Lucas? At least a ghostly blue Ra doesn’t show up at the end here.
(1:29:24) Don’t cry for me, Princess Dia.
(1:29:49) They saved Pellucidar from the tyranny of mind controlling vultures. Now, they can do the same for America.

  • Final Talley: 70-76 drinks.

Did you play along? Let me know.
Did I miss a *blink*? Let me know.
I considered a set of team rules where Team David drinks every time he says “Doc!” and Team Doc drinks every time he says “David!”, but haven’t had a chance to test it. Try this at your own risk, but be sure to let me know how it goes.

Until next time…
Here’s to a long life and a merry one,
A quick death and an easy one,
A pretty girl and an honest one,
A cold pint… and another one!

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