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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
-
Haunting, Unique Film on Man's Lust for Gold
I first saw this movie in the theater as a boy with my father. It's stuck with me ever since and remains on the list of my top ten favorite films. Fortunately I was able to pick up an old VHS copy several years ago.
Remote Mountains, Eerie Mines, Mysterious Bagpipe Music Drifting through the Misty Woods, Rapelling into Bottomless Mine Shafts, Crashing Float Planes into Frigid Lakes, Gold!,... What more can you ask for in an adventure film? I never tire of watching this film. It is very UNIQUE! Much of the movie is filmed in actual mine shafts. It is dark, eerie, and mysterious.
General Plot (Warning some spoilers!):
The film begins with a man being pulled by the ankles from rubble inside a mine shaft by another man. You think he is being rescued. Instead the rescuer lifts a pick axe and finishes the man off. We then move to Nick Mancuso's character dramatically quiting his job as a pilot for a large mining company. You find out as he visits the home of Kim Basinger's character that their friend has disappeared somewhere in the remote mountains of British Columbia and Nick thinks he knows why... he's found Gold! Nick and Kim are then off to search for their missing friend in a rickety, old float plane. After a nearly fatal crash landing on the Stikine River, they finally arrive at a remote, mountain lake that Nick believes would be the destination of their friend. Following mysterious bagpipe music into the woods they come upon a cabin hidden deep in the dark woods and encounter Charlton Heston's character. Charlton introduces them to his "diggings", a creepy mine shaft dug into the side of the mountain near his cabin. Nick immediately suspects that Charlton has something to do with their friend's disappearance and it's likely got something to do with Gold! The race is on to find this Gold and get out alive.
I LOVE this film! I highly recommend this film to those who are looking for something out of the ordinary. It would be particularly interesting to those interested in mining, the mountains of British Columbia, Charlton Heston, Kim Basinger, or adventure mysteries!
Rating: 
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Heston Directs This Cool Film of Greed & Insanity
Despite the "reviews" here which whine and complain about there being no DVD copy, I will make the unusual move and actually review the MOVIE!
Charleton Heston (Apes films, Ten Commandments, etc.) directs and his son writes and produces an exciting script in this film of greed, corruption and insanity. He also makes a dual role playing himself and his twisted twin brother, in the British Columbia area. This film was filmed in BC, Vancouver area. Kim Basinger makes her film debut here, fresh from her Playboy stint, back in 1982.
Nick Mancuso's character is angry that his rival, George, took off looking for the mother lode, an almost mythical place of the source of gold that many feel was played out and not actually there. HOwever, Nick finds that his greed gets in the way of his love for Kim and when he sees what insanity McGee creates to get the gold ("been searching 29 year") NIck has second thoughts.
All in all, a great drama, awesome aerial photography. Charleton's son wrote and produced the script. I saw an interview of Heston where he said the script called for a smooth landing of the Cessna on a lake, yet the stunt guys crashed it. Rather than do a re-take, they kept the crash and incorporated it into a script rewrite. Nicely done. Heston also practiced a Scottish accent for many weeks to authenticate the role.
Some violence, scary parts, earns its PG-13 rating.
For those whining about a DVD, there is a non-USA version.
The VHS tape I have is a rental and so the quality suffered.
Rating: 
-
Question the quality of Mother Lode
Just a quick review to say that this looks strangely like a copy of a copied VHS tape. The faces have a shiny quality to them, and the while film is not clear in any means. I hope it is released on DVD someday. I remember when I ordered this movie there was one available for way over $100. I guess that would be an original? The copy I got was $29.95. It started off with video static, then went to a Vestron Video screen, followed by the titles and the movie. I know I bought a used movie. My question is if it was a new used movie or a copy. I am giving this movie three stars because it plays. It took over three weeks to reach me and when it got here it was a little disappointing.
Rating: -
Need this on DVD or Bluray!!!
Good story and very creepy performances and atmosphere. Really want to see this on DVD or Bluray!
JT
Rating: -
Will never be on DVD
Mother Load will never be released on dvd or in reprint for vhs the studio I was told went bankrupt and will never release, so I bouth a used copy on vhs collector item now
