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The Underwater City (1962)

 
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 8:52 pm    Post subject: The Underwater City (1962) Reply with quote



Proof positive that ambitious concepts can be killed by lazy film making. The concept here is the building of an experimental underwater metropolis. But the producers didn't sink enough money into the project. (A pun: I apologize). There are too few special effects, too much talk, and only one point of interest: Julie Adams (the beauty from "The Creature from the Black Lagoon").

One good indication that the filmmakers had no faith in their own movie is the fact that it was shot in color but released in black-and-white! Directed by Frank McDonald.

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


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bulldogtrekker
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 02, 2015 7:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This movie is shown quite often on GET TV and is watchable. If you are a fan of Men Into Space, then it is worth watching. (William Lundigan stars)




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Rick
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 02, 2016 6:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This was among the last 3 or 4 movies I got to see at my beloved LeRose Theater before it closed its doors. I was 12 years old and I saw this doubled with THE THREE STOOGES MEET HERCULES. Believe it or not, I liked that Stooges' flick so much that I went back on Sunday afternoon to see it again.

But...THE UNDERWATER CITY... You know, I saw good movies at the LeRose (THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD, HORROR OF DRACULA) I saw bad movies there (GHOST OF DRAGSTRIP HOLLOW, THE HEADLESS GHOST), I saw bad movies which I still loved (THE ASTOUNDING SHE MONSTER, THE DEADLY MANTIS), I saw movies which others think lousy but I do not agree (THE KILLER SHREWS). I even saw a movie which made me want to kill somebody (CURUCU, BEAST OF THE AMAZON). But I only saw one movie there which bored me so intensely that I seriously considered just leaving the place. And that one movie was THE UNDERWATER CITY.

It was shown in black and white in the theater, so it was almost mind-blowing when I saw it on TV in glorious color. It is a little better on TV than it was at the LeRose. I mean -- color, the ability to walk out of the room to get a cup of coffee or a sandwich or take a nice long nap, plus the fact that I now know what to expect. So, yeah, it's a little better now.

And I still have the comic book.

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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 02, 2016 9:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rick wrote:
I saw movies which others think lousy but I do not agree (THE KILLER SHREWS) . . .

Actually I'm very fond of both The Killer Shrews and the other one by the same folks, The Giant Gila Monster — even though I saw them both for the first time just a few years ago as a full-fledged, jaded old adult.

I can't explain it, but I just love 'em both — warts and all!
Very Happy
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


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Rick
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 02, 2016 10:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I saw both of those -- THE KILLER SHREWS and THE GIANT GILA MONSTER at the LeRose, just a week apart, way back in 1960. THE KILLER SHREWS was doubled with ANGRY RED PLANET, but GIANT GILA MONSTER was flying out there on its own.

I like both of them as well, and though I'm sure some of it is nostalgia (particularly for GIANT GILA MONSTER), I think it's a little more than that too.

At the time GILA was just another pleasant Saturday at the movies. Good fun, well worth the dime or quarter or whatever they were charging that week. I remember sitting and watching and enjoying, but there's nothing special to the memory.

KILLER SHREWS was something else altogether. I already described elsewhere how that was the one and only time the orderly ticket queue broke down, becoming a wild, riotous melee. And it didn't calm down much inside. As I recall we had to sit in the very front row, the only time that ever happened. And every damn thing in the movie had us screaming and yelling. It was a madhouse from the first frame to the last. So I always think of KILLER SHREWS as some sort of crazy, high-octane, hormonal, almost orgiastic experience. And I was ten years old.

I still enjoy SHREWS, but I've never had an explanation for the bizarre behavior at the theater that day. Maybe somebody had released some sort of goofy dust in the area that Saturday.

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But for the weakness of his feeble will.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 03, 2016 12:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rick wrote:
I still enjoy SHREWS, but I've never had an explanation for the bizarre behavior at the theater that day. Maybe somebody had released some sort of goofy dust in the area that Saturday.

Thank God the snack bar didn't run out of food, otherwise the ravenous adolescents would have started eating each other until one was left! Shocked
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 09, 2020 10:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

I apologize for the picture quality of this trailer, but it was the best I could find.


_________ The Underwater City (1962) - Trailer


__________

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Sun Jul 05, 2020 11:00 am; edited 1 time in total
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 05, 2020 10:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

IMDB has a very interest trivia item about this movie. Very Happy
________________________________

Although the film was shot in color, producer Alex Gordon stopped in a theater where it was showing and was astounded to see that it was being shown in black and white.

He checked with Columbia Pictures, the distributor, and was informed that all release prints of the film were in black and white. Gordon could not get anyone at Columbia to explain to him why the film was released that way.

Later, when the film was syndicated to television, the prints that were sent out were in color. Gordon couldn't get Columbia to explain that, either.

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
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