War-Gods of the Deep (1965)

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Overrated

Memorable, crazy movie

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

No matter the century, country or circumstance, Vincent Price's American International films loosely based upon an Edgar Allan Poe short story or sonnet always saw him reliving the same obsession with a dead wife. It was inevitable that he'd end up 50,000 fathoms below the earth's surface, here the self proclaimed modern day Neptune, and as looney as a lobster facing a pot of hot water. There's a really big pot of hot water here, an underground volcano threatening not only the ready to fry Price, but his unwelcome visitors (Tab Hunter and the chicken obsessed David Tomlinson) as well.In a setting that looks like something out of a gladiator movie, this is a campy, over the top adventure with Price really playing "He who must be obeyed", a man who has learned the apparent lesson of eternal life which occurs at the bottom of the ocean floor, but is not without its consequences. Hunter and Tomlinson are there to rescue the abducted Susan Hart, finding that there's more under the sea than fish or plankton.Silly comedy is abound, especially regarding Tomlinson and his pet chicken, at one point resting on his head. Price really deserves a hand (which he literally gets) for keeping a straight face. Poe's poems appear several times, with a supposed first addition among Price's character's belongings. Hunter is pretty decent in this, as are the strangely costumed sea creatures who live in the waters outside Price's compound.

In Jules Verne's "Journey to the Center of the Earth" (1959) there's Pat Boone and a Duck...In Edgar Allan Poe's "City In the Sea" there's Tab Hunter and a Chicken. Both Boone and Hunter and Duck and Chicken do Nothing but Cause Cringes and Sink Both Films to the Bottom of Their Respective Environment.In This One Vincent Price is On Hand to Do Some Poe Readings and Dialog Readings Like He has Somewhere or Something Else On His Mind (perhaps adding to His Art Collection). He Shows Up in One Shoddy Looking Costume and Never Makes Another Trip to Wardrobe.The Movie, While At Times has Some Impressive Sets, at Other Times the Movie Looks Cramped and Dull. The Film Fluctuates Like that from Beginning to End. It Impresses and Then Disappoints Regularly.The Director Tourneur Fought the Producers and Lost on Some of the More Embarrassing and Lackluster Things and Overall the End Product was a Lot Less than its Parts. The Underwater Chase Scenes are Slow and Boring and the Comedy Relief with the Chicken is just Intolerable.Overall, Worth a Watch with the Lowest of Expectations for Some of the Sets and Visuals and a Peek-A-Boo Look See at Some Hammer Inspired Cleavage.

Vincent Price stars in this very loose adaptation of the Edgar Allan Poe poem as the Captain, a seemingly ageless man who rules an undersea city inhabited by smugglers and gill-men(!) who raid the nearby surface Cornish coast, and kidnap a young woman(played by Susan Hart) who is believed by the Captain to be the reincarnation of his late wife. Coming to her rescue through an underwater cavern are her friends(played by Tab Hunter and David Tomlinson) who are shocked by what they find, and are determined to defeat the Captain, and escape back to the surface.Starts off fine, with moody atmosphere by director Jacques Tourneur, but goes down the drain before long, with a silly plot and unfunny comedy relief with a rooster that shares a diving suit with Tomlinson...it's that kind of film; a sad waste of potential, given Price and Tourneur's reputations.

A lost city beneath the sea is discovered off the coast of Cornwall. Vincent Price is the captain overseeing a group of sailors who have lived there for more than a century where the peculiar mix of gases has allowed them to extend their lifespan.Allegedly, Vincent Price didn't see the script until six days before shooting began. He does not show up until 25 minutes into the film, and is not the main character. If you came to this film to see Price, you will, just do not expect him to carry the picture.This one is as beautiful as any of the AIP films, despite not being well known, and having a plot that might leave some disappointed (it is, after all, a take off on the Atlantis legend mixed with "Creature From the Black Lagoon", but maybe not a smooth mixture). I thought the atmosphere really carried the picture, personally.The female lead is gorgeous, though she appears far too briefly, and I like the concept of ultraviolet rays causing shorter lifespans, along with the negative consequences of immortality (forever is a long time).The film is sometimes called "War Gods of the Deep", and sometimes takes the title of a Poe poem, "The City Under the Sea", and attempted to exploit the Poe films trend, even though the only connection is a recitation of the poem at the end. Since "City" is not one of Poe's well-known poems, this probably was not a problem.Again, this movie is apparently not well known, as it does not appear in any of my reference books. And that is a shame. It has a good horror/sci-fi feel to it, beautifully shot, and stars Vincent Price. Deserves a lot more recognition than it has received, and I hope more people come to discover it.