Rating: 
Summary: A CLASSIC from the days of Friday-night "Creature Features"
Review: Ah, me - who would have guessed this movie would one day emerge into the light of day after being (apparently) submerged for years in fan-video limbo? This tidbit used to be a staple of the "Late Late Show" circuit - after the parents had gone to bed, the less critically demanding kids would have *their* kind of flick to watch. Never mind the preposterous assumptions (like huge passenger-carrying atomic submarines cruising under the polar ice cap!). We all tuned in for the weird Theramin-like music and the gooey, drippy one-eyed, tentacled alien. In fact, he looks a LOT like the ones you see on the Halloween episodes of the Simpsons! Long available only through specialty video outlets (at "special" prices!), this is really an inexpensive trip down memory lane for those of us who first saw it through our fingers in front of our eyes by the flickering light of the boob tube after everyone else had retired. It boasts a "Who's Who" of bit-part and character actors of the genre, some actually effective footage *inside* the underwater UFO, and that totally classic alien. Go on - you KNOW you want to see it! Why ELSE did you look this one up?!?! ;-)
Rating:
Summary: 'Invaders from Mars' clone
Review: Ah, me - who would have guessed this movie would one day emerge into the light of day after being (apparently) submerged for years in fan-video limbo? This tidbit used to be a staple of the "Late Late Show" circuit - after the parents had gone to bed, the less critically demanding kids would have *their* kind of flick to watch. Never mind the preposterous assumptions (like huge passenger-carrying atomic submarines cruising under the polar ice cap!). We all tuned in for the weird Theramin-like music and the gooey, drippy one-eyed, tentacled alien. In fact, he looks a LOT like the ones you see on the Halloween episodes of the Simpsons! Long available only through specialty video outlets (at "special" prices!), this is really an inexpensive trip down memory lane for those of us who first saw it through our fingers in front of our eyes by the flickering light of the boob tube after everyone else had retired. It boasts a "Who's Who" of bit-part and character actors of the genre, some actually effective footage *inside* the underwater UFO, and that totally classic alien. Go on - you KNOW you want to see it! Why ELSE did you look this one up?!?! ;-)
Rating: 
Summary: Perennial favorite looks stunning on DVD!
Review: Atomic Submarine is another of those "quintessential" B-movies that should appeal to any student of 50s/60s B&W cheapies. The cast is a who's who of second-string stalwarts, including Tom Conway, Dick Foran, Arthur Franz, Bob Steele, Brett Halsey, and Sid Melton for good measure. The Rabin/Block effects are better than their usual, and while not always convincing are consistently imaginative. The script actually attempts to deal with Weighty Issues (pacifism), Alexander Laszlo turns in another "spooky" semi-electronic soundtrack, and the film actually pays off with a cool/icky monster and serviceable flying saucer. Atomic Submarine never achieves greatness, but it's never dull either (try watching the big-budget Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and tell me which is really more entertaining).
The DVD itself is a pleasant surprise to those used to catching this on the late late show. The print used by Image is simply stunning. Aside from some occasional very light speckling, the image looks great: crisp and detailed, with good tonal values (although some of the "underwater" effects shots are a little flat, and stock footage shows the expected wear and grain). My VHS copy (from late-night TV) looks pathetic next to the DVD. Audio is also crisp and clear. The only thing odd I noticed is that the DVD is missing one short (40 sec.) scene (included in my TV copy) wherein Arthur Franz leaves Joi Lansing's apartment and chats briefly with a fellow swabbie while arriving at the sub base (although the DVD does include the last 10 to 15 seconds of the scene in the apartment, missing from the TV print). Other than this minor omission the movie appears to be completely intact. Chapter stops and trailer are included, but that's it for extras. (I was really hoping for a Sid Melton commentary.) All in all, another as-good-as-its-probably-ever-gonna-get release from Image. Aficionados of le films bad, buy with confidence.
Rating:
Summary: Classic BEM attacks! Viewers win...
Review: ATOMIC SUBMARINE is nifty. Here you have a very bad, cyclopean BUG-EYED MONSTER deployed to our ever vunerable Terra to scout its potential as a colonization planet. Its power source is earth's electromagnetic field so it particularly enjoys hanging-out at the North Pole. From its base, the BEM wages war against our "futuristic" submarine fleet. The latter comprises major commerce and transportation agency as well as military forte. The TIGER SHARK is commissioned to hunt the Bad Bug and save mankind (until next time). The FX of this late 50's thriller range from good to laughable. But that is why I consider the film so engaging. Sometimes you're watching stock footage of Admiral Rickover's prize nuclear sub Nautilus diving and surfacing at the Pole. Sometimes you get to see a squadron of bicarbonate of soda-powered toys cruising fish tanks full of plastic cube/glaciers simulating treacherous Polar regions. The reel-deal however, is the Alien craft. It is BIO-ORGANIC. That is, the monster and the space-ship are a singular entity. It may look hokey, but it's a stellar concept. The movie is 50's black-and-white sound stage action with a battle array of well-known monster mash matinee actors. Electronic music adds menace along with the fact that the BEM is genuinely UGLY. ATOMIC SUBMARINE is space monster opera. It's here to kill us. The good guys have to kill it. No quarter asked, none given. The classic BEM attacks...the viewer wins!
Rating: 
Summary: Great viewing fun!
Review: I found this flick to bring back pleasant memories of when I used to watch movies like this as a child, in stark raving terror of course. The special effects are warmly corny, and that goes for the alien too. But I can assure you, to a 9 year old boy, this was shear horror! I highly recommend it to those who love the old black and white.
Rating:
Summary: Great viewing fun!
Review: I found this flick to bring back pleasant memories of when I used to watch movies like this as a child, in stark raving terror of course. The special effects are warmly corny, and that goes for the alien too. But I can assure you, to a 9 year old boy, this was shear horror! I highly recommend it to those who love the old black and white.
Rating:
Summary: What fun...with my own reservations...
Review: I have to admit that a few things about this film disappointed me. The acting was better than expected, and the script was somewhat literate. Other than that, this was all the schlock, bad F/X I expect from films of this genre & time period. It's interesting to know that this film was released by Allied Artists, which was a studio neck-to-neck with American-International for the drive-in crowd. A-I went somewhat legit when they went with the Corman/Poe/Vincent Price movies, later the Beach Party films. Allied Artists went a different route: they picked up the options for the American release of "epics" like EL CID and 55 DAYS AT PEKING. (My vote goes to A-I, for sheer originality...) Enough history... This is a fun film. The special effects are absolutely laughable, my favorite being the alien saucer leaving the polar ice cap, obviously a toy being pulled up through soft wax. A previous reviewer referred to this as "warmly corny"; I couldn't put it better. Bad sets, bad effects...and, of course, after Brett Halsey proves himself to be a hero and not a wimp, his shirt is suddenly open showing lots of manly chest-hair. What a guy! I've always liked Arthur Franz (especially in "Monster on the Campus"). All in all, it's loads of fun for the "bad sci-fi" afficianado. My major disappointment with the DVD, though it has great picture & sound quality, is that it should've been in Widescreen. At the beginning, they show News Headlines declaring horrible stuff, but you could only see the middle of the headline...there was no perifery. As far as sets go, the perifery wouldn't have mattered...but no one can deny that the majestic scenes of the Arctic (few as they were) would have been awesome. Watch this, and keep all of your other guilty pleasures (beverages, junk food, etc.) handy. If you can ignore the good points of the film, the bad points will overwhelm you and entertain.
Rating: 
Summary: This one's all wet...
Review: I saw this movie on the BIG screen when I was 6, and I was under the seat most of the time back in 1958. My parents lived within a block of the movie theater; thus, you know what I was doing at that age. The music and sound effects really added to the earie atmosphere of this movie; especially, when the beam of light melted the frogmen. The cyclops creature had me under the chair - I now know it's a hand inside the puppet - but on that BIG screen...
Rating:
Summary: Atomic Sub on every set at home
Review: I saw this movie on the BIG screen when I was 6, and I was under the seat most of the time back in 1958. My parents lived within a block of the movie theater; thus, you know what I was doing at that age. The music and sound effects really added to the earie atmosphere of this movie; especially, when the beam of light melted the frogmen. The cyclops creature had me under the chair - I now know it's a hand inside the puppet - but on that BIG screen...
Rating:
Summary: Nifty late '50's sf/horror!
Review: I was amused to see the one-eyeball monster in this film show up in "The Simpsons" as the creatures piloting flying saucers. This ain't a bad movie at all: a submarine rams a flying saucer under the polar ice cap--and gets stuck! One memorable scene is when one of the crew gets caught as the door to the saucer closes on him, with predictable results. Good special effects, suspenseful atmosphere, and surprisingly good script. Even though it could be considered a "B" film, it almost transcends the genre.
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