American International Pictures or AIP as they were generally known was probably the most influential distribution company in American movie history. Over the course of a quarter century (1954-1979) they released over 450 movies and launched the careers of such notable directors as James Cameron & Martin Scorsese and performers Bruce Dern & Jack Nicholson. AIP head honchos James H. Nicholson & Samuel Z. Arkoff cultivated the youth market of moviegoers by playing their films in drive-ins, exploiting whatever the hot topic of the moment was, and having a nose for young talent. Look them up on imdb for a list of the films they released and you’ll see what an incredible impact they had on American movies. This 4 feature set (on one DVD) allows us to see 2 features from AIP’s earliest days to 2 movies made in their prime.
First up is THE PHANTOM FROM 10,000 LEAGUES, shot for less than $100,000. The film was released in 1955 and capitalizes on 2 big movies from the year before, CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON and 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA. It’s actually pre-AIP as it uses the company’s original name, American Releasing Corporation. It deals with the hot button topic of the 1950s, atomic radiation and throws in a monster to boot. It is surprisingly well made from a technical standpoint but the performances from no-name stars are nothing to write home about. The flip side is THE BEAST WITH 1,000,000 EYES which was shot for about $30,000 and far exceeds its budget in what it achieves although the coffee pot spaceship has to be seen to be believed. Both features are in black & white and the quality of the prints is remarkably good considering their age and stature.
The second DVD features color movies from 1965 and 1976 respectively. Both were shot in England where the costs were lower and the personnel quality was higher. WAR GODS OF THE DEEP (ridiculous title) marks the final film of the great Jacques Tourneur (CAT PEOPLE) and should have been part of the Vincent Price-Edgar Allan Poe series. It incorporates a lot of Jules Verne and has some ridiculous dialogue and wooden performances but Tourneur’s use of color and light and shadow and the always watchable Vincent Price make it succeed in spite of itself. The same cannot be said of AT THE EARTH’S CORE. Some fascinating ideas are defeated by some really juvenile special effects and some really juvenile performances. Peter Cushing is on hand to recycle his Dr Who persona but under a different name. It was my least favorite.
WAR GODS OF THE DEEP & AT THE EARTH’S CORE were originally released on the old MGM MIDNITE MOVIES series. They were originally single DVDs and then were combined as a double feature. That 2 sided DVD has been reissued here without any kind of upgrade by 20th Century Fox who now own the distribution rights to the entire MIDNITE MOVIE series. PHANTOM FROM 10,000 LEAGUES and BEAST WITH 1,000,000 EYES have been given newer transfers complete with subtitles for those who need them. The print quality ranges from excellent to very good on all 4 films. There are no real extras but the price is certainly right. This collection serves as a fascinating time capsule from one of the most significant companies in Hollywood history, a fact that would have astounded Nicholson & Arkoff who set out with nothing more in mind than making a few bucks.
The Capsule Critic 