The Phantom From 10,000 Leagues

Image credit: Amazon

What would modern horror movies be without the terrible B-grade flicks that pepper the genre’s history? As with anything we need to take some time to appreciate the terrible so that we might really admire the great. With that thought in mind, I draw attention to The Phantom From 10,000 Leagues…

This independently made monster movie tells the story of a mad scramble for a uranium deposit on the ocean floor and a marine scientist’s experiment gone wrong. After a fisherman’s corpse covered in radiation burns washes up on the beach a marine biologist and federal detective rally together to uncover the mystery. The theory is that a uranium deposit on the ocean floor is the culprit, but that changes when the biologist discovers a terrifying creature in the depths. Suspicion then turns to a local marine scientist and his mysterious research.

It may not be the flashiest or stylish monster move ever made –in all honesty it’s actually pretty terrible- but this movie really does make you appreciate other monster movies, especially older ones you watch as a modern viewer. This film in all its non-budget, B-grade splendor can actually give you a cute little history lesson. Celebrated cinema nowadays does not necessarily stem from the classic and sophisticated monster movies of the ‘30s, ‘40’s, and ‘50s. Case in point, there was a moment in this movie that strongly reminded me of Jaws. The lesson is that you can take something bad and improve upon it: make it bigger, faster, better. And watching a film like this hammers home that point.

Image credit: Titans Terror Toys

As a film this is pretty terrible. Everything from the uninspired performances to the papier-mâché monster that manages to overturn a boat simply by floating to the surface and booping it with its head is ridiculous.

I’ll give them snaps for trying with the story though. To compensate for the lack of money to spend on makeup and special effects the writers actually tried to concoct a story with some serious intrigue and came up with a fun –though probably wholly unrealistic- science-fiction war weapon plotline that opened the doors for a wide cast of characters and multiple storylines. Snaps.

If you can see the beauty in bad monster movies as well as good, then watch this. If not, you can live a full and happy life without it.

Starring Kent Taylor, Cathy Downs, Michael Whalen, Helene Stanton, Phillip Pine, Rodney Bell, Vivi Janis, Michael Garth, and Pierce Lyden