PHANTOM FROM 10,000 LEAGUES (1955)

[The Burgomaster]

This movie is very close to being as bad as some of Ed Wood's no-budget stink bombs.  At least Ed's characters were flamboyant and interesting (in a silly way).  THE PHANTOM FROM 10,000 LEAGUES has nothing but dull characters played by actors who read their lines in choppy, emotionless performances.  And the direction is nearly non-existent.  Most of the dialogue scenes are set up like this:

One character is standing in a room or on the beach or someplace.

Another character shows up.

They talk to each other, face-to-face, standing still, arms straight down by their sides . . . no gestures, no emotion, no moving around, nothing.  Just two "talking heads."

Even the sets are dull.  Most of the interior scenes take place in houses or offices that are basically square rooms with one or two pictures on the wall and a couple of pieces of furniture.  I've seen high-school plays with better set designs.

The monster (a really fake looking undersea creature) is good for a few laughs.  Unfortunately, it doesn't show up often enough to relieve us all from the boredom.

A classic snooze-fest that would make a pretty good double feature with ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES (which is a classic compared to this piece of crap).

[Shadowphile]

I have this one buried somewhere around the apartment.  I think I picked it up for 88 cents.  Given the review, I have to track it down and watch it.

[AndyC]

I tried to watch this one a while back. Got it with a bunch of bargain DVDs. I just couldn't do it. The movie would not hold my attention. It was too cheap, too crappy and too damn slow even for me. I had to take it out and put something else in.

[Scott]

This film has menaced B-movie fans long enough. Buyer beware ! ! ! This is a boring film even for mosnter fans. If you see this box art or title do yourself a favor and turn away. It's not even worth a look.

[Flangepart]

Bad film? Heh, worse then that stuff  you scarped off your teeth this morning.
Funny? I think so, in fact, it was my 23rd "Roll yer own" MST!
Ah, if only Mike and the Bots had gotten this...thing...

A hero named Ted Baxter ( Oh, Louuuu!), a doughy guy named Grant, A wall full of spearguns (the Marine Biologist version of a gun rack!),  Turtle tormenting, a monster who just gets fat on chubby sailors and skindivers, a slightly cranky scientest, and....
THE DINGY OF DEATH!
I mean it! This same white row boat gets in every on the water scene! The hero uses it when he KNOWS there is a monster in the water, but does he put a trolling motor on it even? Nooooo!....
Oh, The riffing came hot and heavy with this movie...kinda like a horney John Candy...Ya know, "Hot and heav-oh, that was grose, wern't it?...never mind...

Still a riff fest though...