The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues

Dir. Dan Miler 81 Minutes

USA 1955

Starring: Kent Taylor, Cathy Downs, Michael Whalen, Helene Stanton, Phillip Pine, Rodney Bell

*/***** Abysmal piece of 50s sci-fi horror about a radioactive rock at the bottom of the ocean that mutates the ocean life into a "terrifying" monster. At a nearly intolerable eighty minutes, The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues has a few moments of delightful cheese (unsurprisingly always rooted to its seafaring horror sequences), but the human drama is a unbearably extensive, surprisingly convoluted, and weirdly involved series of events that cover quite the amount of ground considering its non-existent dialogue, wooden acting, and absent screen presences by its leads. While the films message focuses on the dangers of radioactivity (common to much horror in the era), the avenues of getting to these points are unforgivably extended and the whole picture is essentially a slog to its finish. With efficient storytelling clearly not a priority for anyone involved, The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues is not even worth it for completists of the genre. October 18th, 2019