Mother Lode

source: Mother Lode

Like the title says, you've probably never heard of this under-marketed suspense thriller with Kim Basinger (long before Vicki Vale), Nick Mancuso, and Charlton Heston. It sets up its premise quickly, with a search for a missing man that turns into a tense quest for gold in a played-out gold mine. Nothing terribly thought-provoking; it's not War and Peace, but it's a fun, claustrophobic little thriller with a plot-twist that maybe isn't the most original in the world, but the cinematography is well done and might have you jumping at shadows by the end.

MOTHER LODE is an all but forgotten tale of survival in the wilderness and the hunt for a golden treasure. I'd never heard of it before I saw it was on TV so I thought I'd give it a go; I quite like Charlton Heston when he's at his most bombastic so I thought I'd see what he was like here. The good news is that Heston is the best thing in the film and his larger than life portrayal of a mountain man is hugely entertaining. It's a shame that the rest of the film can't match, really, as MOTHER LODE is saddled with a slow-moving plot and some rather unlikeable protagonists. Nick Mancuso and Kim Basinger play characters who seem self-centred and indeed rather selfish and I couldn't warm to them despite their various misadventures. Basinger's screaming soon becomes annoying, too. What MOTHER LODE does have going for it is some stunning outdoor location photography of the British Columbian wilds. A lot of the aerial shots are simply breathtaking and truly bring to life this rather neglected part of the world (at least neglected when it comes to cinema). It's certainly an amiable enough watch overall, containing a little of that early '80s spirit of adventure that infused the likes of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, although this is much darker and more realistic, and not as entertaining. But it'll do.

My husband and I have always loved this film. The scenery is beautiful, and Kim Basinger and Charlton Heston were pretty good. It was the first film I'd seen Basinger in, and she made an impression. We always thought it should've gotten more attention than it did. It's a gripping adventure tale with Basinger and Nick Mancuso, who also does a fine job, cast as a young couple set off to the Northwest to search for a missing friend. That friend was looking for gold. Pretty soon, they're on the hunt themselves, befriended by a quirky old miner played by Heston. He plays the menacing, enigmatic character masterfully. You can never quite tell if he's just sort of quirky from having been alone so long, or if he's dangerously unstable. This movie has held up well over time.

Determined hothead airplane pilot Jean Dupre (a fine and credible performance by Nick Mancuso) and the sweet'n'spunky Andrea Spalding (a solid and appealing portrayal by the gorgeous Kim Basinger in an early starring role) find themselves trapped in the expansive Canadian wilderness after their plane crashes while searching for a missing colleague. The pair run afoul of hearty, yet insane, possessive, and reclusive Irish minor Silas McGee and his oddball twin brother Ian. Director Charlton Heston, working from a quirky and engrossing script by his son Fraser, relates the absorbing story at a steady pace, offers a flavorsome evocation of the vast, lush, and desolate sylvan setting, maintains a tough and serious tone throughout, conveys a potent feeling of real danger in the underground tunnel sequences, and delivers a few tense and exciting moments (the plane crash at the beginning in particular is quite startling). Moreover, Heston does first-rate work in a juicy dual role and essays the part of the no-count Silas with deliciously wicked and intense relish. Veteran character actor John Marley lends wonderfully engaging support as wise and crusty old-timer Elijha. The clammy and cramped caves add substantially to the claustrophobic suspense and authentically grimy atmosphere. In addition, there's even a strong central message about how greed and obsession can corrupt a man's soul. Richard Leiterman's sharp cinematography provides an appropriately gritty look, makes inspired use of dim natural light, and comes through with a wealth of striking images of the breathtaking British Columbia countryside. Kenneth Wannberg's moody score hits the brooding and stirring spot. Recommended viewing for those with a taste for something different.

Before there was Bigfoot, there was ogre-like Silas McGee, and his shadowy twin Ian, to provide virtually unfindable scary primates in the nearly uninhabited BC outback. The opening scene, involving a murder, by pick ax in a narrow mining tunnel, gives us a glimpse of how much of the film will play out. From Silas's later conversation, we can assume that the murderer was Ian and that the victim was the mysteriously missing George, mining company bush pilot boyfriend/husband? of Andrea(Kim Basinger).The McGee brothers remind me of nothing so much as Ted Kaczynski: the Unibomber, who somehow eked out an existence in the wilds of Idaho as a hermit, while making bombs to explode upon reception in the mail. Like Kaczynski, the McGees were murderous psychopaths, but also had an obsession with finding the underground source of gold occasionally found in nearby rivers. The McGee's claimed silver veins were apparently a sham. However, their tortuous and deep mine tunnels served as a perfect place to dispose of bodies, as long as no outsider entered the relevant tunnel regions. So, where did they get their funds to sustain their existence and mining activities for the past 30 years?? The film doesn't go into this, but the reviewer must assume that either they were finding a bit of gold, or they scavenged what they could(like planes) from the occasional murdered curiosity seekers. Although not usually classed as a film noir,to me, this is a rather extreme form of this genre. After the first part of the film takes us flying around the spectacular sunny backcountry of BC, and we enter the McGee's cabin, the action mostly takes place in the dimly-lit cabin or narrow mine tunnels and shafts, mirky underwaters, or in the often misty or dark nearby forest. For a claustrophobe and aquaphobe like me, I often felt uncomfortable. Jean Dupre(Nick Mancuso)is a devil-may-care adrenaline junkie, doing stunt pilot flying tricks while on a business run for the Mollyco mining company, often flying just above the surface, like a crop duster, and returning to explore the McGee's tunnel system, after he was told to stay out or else. He recklessly jumps out of the company plane he has just landed, leaving it to taxi in front of a plane trying to take off, with a passenger still inside. He must have more than 9 lives, as he should have died that many times in the film. ...Kim Basinger, as George's wife/girlfriend?, Andrea, becomes his partner in their adventure to try to find George, while looking for gold. She is mostly a passive partner, serving mainly to add eye candy and someone for Dupre to rescue from the McGees.... John Marley, as outback fisherman Elijah, has a small, but very essential role, acting as the young couple's saviour when their plane's engine quits, and when they need a quick way home after eliminating the McGee menace. According to producer Fraser Heston's DVD documentary, the crash landing of the float plane on the lake we see was unplanned, but provided a perfect excuse for Dupre and Andrea to go scouting around the wilderness for someone to help them get home... The mine tunnel system was all fake, although very well done. Care was taken to make its essential features realistic, based primarily on Fraser's experiences in exploring old mines in the Death Valley region.

Decent wilderness adventure with the legendary Charlton Heston directing himself in a tale of two young people, Jean (Nick Mancuso) and Andrea (Kim Basinger) flying to Northern British Columbia. They do it ostensibly to look for a colleague / friend who'd come there and disappeared, but the lure of a potential windfall in gold proves too strong to resist. Unfortunately for them, already residing in the area is grizzled old Scottish miner Silas McGee (Heston), who's not as friendly as he initially seems to be. Heston, directing from a screenplay by his son Fraser (Fraser was also the producer), does a capable job of drawing us into this story with good acting and well orchestrated thrills; the second unit direction was the work of Joe Canutt, son of another legend, Yakima Canutt, so there are two second generation filmmakers filling out important roles here. The film is well shot (by Richard Leiterman) in claustrophobic settings and paced well. Mainly, it's worth seeing for Heston's fine performance (there's a major twist regarding his character, but you won't hear it from me) as he completely immerses himself in the character and does a good job with the accent to boot. Basinger looks great as usual and she and Mancuso are both quite capable. John Marley is Elijha, the forest dweller who lends some much needed assistance and he's just a delight. This is quite well made technically, with some breathtaking aerial photography and lots of gorgeous rural scenery. Ken Wannbergs' music likewise adds to the overall enjoyment. It's too bad that this little film is not that well known nowadays, but it is on DVD now so more people can discover it for themselves. Not that it's anything truly *great*, necessarily, but it's tense and gripping stuff and entertaining all the way. Seven out of 10.

Dull, dingy and irritating. An incredibly weak script is at the root of this films problems. It really seemed to drag on interminably as various characters pursue each other through barely visible scenes up and down mine shafts. Some nice scenery, shame about the film.

This is a great independent movie the plot was good, and so was the photography. It was too bad that this movie did not have the advertising and promotional backing for more exposure and running length time. Because if it had, this movie would have done better and would be better known that it is! This movie should have gotten more exposure than it did at the time of release!

I rented this movie on video in 1984. It instantly captivated me that I wanted to watch it again, but on returning to the store to rent it I found that they had sold it on. I remember this movie as a classic, the title didn't do enough to sell the film which in my opinion should have been listed with the best sellers. The first class acting of Charlton Heston made this one of the few movies on my, to see again list. To those who have not yet seen it, It's a must.