Four adventurers explore the depths of the ocean using the experimental diving bell designed by Dr. Millard Wyman (John Carradine). Something goes wrong and the bell plunges into the deep. Fortunately, the four people - two men and two women, conveniently - find a series of deep sea caverns nearby, ones in which there is apparently breathable air. While they try to make a go of things, they come across a stranger (Maurice Bernard), and he's a hilariously pop eyed, horny hermit with a memorably ridiculous looking "beard".Yeah, the movie fails to live up to its title, but people shouldn't watch productions this low rent and expect anything different. Truth be told, it's not as terrible as one would think given that the producer / director is schlockmeister Jerry Warren. It *is* supposedly filmed in actual caverns in Arizona, and it has some appealing B movie atmosphere. In terms of the plot devised by screenwriter John W. Steiner, it's fairly uneventful, even with such things happening as a volcanic eruption. The opening credits sequence, with shots of ocean waves crashing, is followed by under water footage accompanied by grave narration by Robert Carroll. It does get things off to a good start - relatively speaking, anyway. The octopus - shark title fight near the beginning is interesting to watch.Carradine is good value as usual, and thankfully he's hearty without being overly theatrical. He's the best actor in a mostly nondescript cast, even though it includes such familiar faces as Robert Clarke ("The Man from Planet X") and Phyllis Coates (Lois Lane on 'Adventures of Superman'). Coates is required to play a character who is bitchy for no discernible reason. Sheila Noonan is lovely as Lauri; Allen Windsor, George Skaff, and Lloyd Nelson (the latter two having also been in Warrens' "Man-Beast") fill out other supporting roles.Mostly agreeable, and good for some laughs. Only die hard lovers of cruddy B movies need apply.Five out of 10.

Four divers in a breakaway diving bell end up in a vast series of caverns. They explore their environment trying to find a way to the surface, but their path is blocked by an underground volcano. It is this cavern-world with its many stalactites and stalagmites that give this movie it's name.John Carradine is the scientist who's diving bell has failed. He realizes his mistake and makes a deal with his chief rival who is using a diving bell patterned after the first: he will correct his rival's design in exchange for using the bell at the first bell's location.This movie is weak, but not as bad as many reviewers have stated. There is little action, and the dialog is lacking. There is some suspense, however, as the four trapped people wind their way through the caverns. In addition, the caverns themselves provide a beautiful backdrop to this film.The flaws in the movie tip the scale to the turkey side. Carradine's character explains that the water pressure at the depth where the diving bell comes to rest will crush the divers, yet they inexplicably survive. The story explaining the hermit's presence faces the same problem.If you're a fan of John Carradine or Phyllis Coates, or if you enjoy movies set in underground caverns, you might enjoy this film. There is little appeal for anyone else.

Octopus vs. Shark: Review of the Incredible Petrified WorldThe central question in this 1950's nautical circus is whether the human storyline is a metaphor for the creature storyline, or whether the creatures represent the humans in the story. An additional quandary is why the basic plot line of this film was not made into a sit-com for the ages. Whether these questions are answerable will be apparent by the end of this review dear reader, or perhaps nothing is ever apparent when dealing with the mysteries of the deep sea and/or human relationships.There are four primary characters, a secondary character, and several tertiary characters. For the sake of brevity, the tertiary characters will be given little analysis, but might be seen as roaming electrons searching for an ion of meaning to the forsaken diving bell which represents the nucleus of the story. In fact, this movie might make for an excellent 8th grade science lesson, and I encourage all middle school teachers to show it!The film opens with an epic battle (are there any other type of battles?) between an octopus and a shark. Normally, I would handicap the shark, if I were the type to handicap such competitions, but the octopus surprisingly holds its own. Teeth and tentacles aplenty to set the scene for our four adventurous divers who want to reach a depth never reached before by humans.But a funny thing happened on the way to the bottom of the sea. The cable broke. This plunges the diving bell to a depth unthinkable and ruins communication with the surface tertiary characters. So we find Paul and Craig (who seem to be experienced oceanographers) with two females, Dale and Lauri (who have little scientific knowledge but are reporters there embedded if you will). The relationships seem to work like this: Paul and Craig are good friends, who even have a manly attraction to each other. Paul and Lauri have a heterosexual attraction to each other. Craig and Dale have little to no relationship, although if they must spend the rest of their days together, we can only assume there will be cuddling. And now for the Octopus and the Shark. Dale and Lauri have a competitive female relationship which culminates in the following dialogue:Dale: (to Lauri) You just listen to me, Miss Innocent. There's nothing friendly between two females. There never was. There never will be. Lauri: Sorry you feel that way. I was hoping we could help each other. Dale: You don't need help - neither do I. Not as long as we have two men around us.What we find here is an allusion back to the opening of the movie when we watch the octopus battle surprisingly well. Lauri is the octopus – she seeks to nurture with her tentacles of kindness and teamwork. Dale, however, sees the world as a shark eat shark world and cannot envision a noncompetitive situation with another female. Even worse, she feels that men are her salvation! Clearly, she will not be ready for the feminism about to change the world. Her weakness of only moving forwards (as sharks will die if they don't move forward), will eventually cost her the war against her "eight legged" female rival.The other interesting twist in the movie is the presence of a neo-Neanderthal and a volcano in the incredible petrified world. The screenwriter has clearly planted these second rate plot devices in the movie as metaphors. To the casual observer, the caveman is anachronistic source of danger and safety to our four adventurers while the volcano is definitely a source of frustration and danger.A careful viewing reveals that the volcano represents God and the caveman is Jesus. "Really?" you gape. It's true! The travelers think that this cavern will eventually lead to the surface, until the caveman points out that the volcano will block their path. What he really is saying is that until you give your life to your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (i.e. Him), you will never be saved. When the caveman spies upon the women, he is not merely being a voyeur, but he is judging and deciding if these females are worthy of his Kingdom.When the volcano erupts, the caveman behaves curiously. He seems to allow the giant, realistic looking boulders to land on him. Again, one is tempted to scoff at the silliness of the plot and action sequence, until one realizes that this caveman is sacrificing himself for the four divers. He has become a martyr and the viewer can't help but feel that a new age is dawning.This feeling is buttressed by the fact that the tertiary characters are diving and reaching the vessel which was lost in the beginning of the movie. I'm not saying how, the movie ends, but let's just say, we all have seen how Christianity has turned out. And we all know what happens when a shark battles an octopus.

A (very ) low budget flick -Ed Wood's movies are epics compared with it- where the special effects crew apparently worked with stuff bought in a dime store,this is definitely proof positive that this kind of attempt needs a lot of money.It sometimes looks like a poor man's "Journey to the center of the Earth" (1959)which was implausible too but which was saved by the splendor of the settings ,Bernard Herrmann's score and a good cast (yes!).The movie begins with a "cultural " prologue but do not expect Cousteau's "Le Monde du Silence" .It is not long before the "revolutionary" bathyscaphe runs into difficulties and sinks without a trace. "It 's a major loss for science!" the scientist sighs (the passengers,not the machine).Meanwhile,the courageous team (2 men,2 women: to enliven things a bit ,one of the ladies is jealous and nasty)is rambling through subterranean caves where they meet some kind of Robinson Crusoé - a hilarious carnival look-.There's a volcano 2 miles away,thank you Jules Verne.Like this? try this...."War Gods of the Deep" Jacques Tourneur (1965)