Beyond Atlantis

To say that you've seen an Eddie Romero film that's actually enjoyable for its merits than its inconsistencies is a lot like saying you've seen an Andy Milligan film that's just okay. Anyway, BEYOND ATLANTIS is a fond memory from the good old days of late night television viewing... before the tube was taken over by relentless ads for salad spinners.

From MAD DOCTOR OF BLOOD ISLAND to BLACK MAMA WHITE MAMA, Romero's films are sweaty hybrids of 1940's RKO B-adventure programmers, tinny melodrama and 1970's exploitation elements. Regardless of how bad his films get (and you can't get much worse than BRIDES OF BLOOD), they are still curiously affecting.

This entertaining, well-shot adventure-fantasy concerns some cut-throats looking for undersea treasure being protected by amphibian-like humanoids (featuring the lovely Leigh Christian). The movie is genuinely well-made, with a surprisingly energetic shootout finale, and some interestingly surreal moments, like when the troublesome brood is suddenly surrounded by the amphibian people (who wear these interesting crustacean-like things on their heads). Plus, there's a few unintentional giggles when one of the men mates with the mermaid girl underwater. In all, a totally engaging movie. I'm glad it has resurfaced in the DVD world-- it will be fun to see this again after so many years.

Needless to say that I had never actually heard about this 1973 movie from writers Charles Eric Johnson and Stephanie Rothman. I happened to stumble upon it by random chance here in 2024, and opted to give it a fair chance, as I had never seen it, nor heard about it. I figured that it was an adventure movie of sorts, given the movie's cover and synopsis.

The storyline in the movie was fair enough. It made for adequate entertainment, but it was lacking a bit in the excitement department, because the movie had a rather monotonous pacing to it.

I will say that the movie was off to a good start when I saw that it had Sid Haig on the cast list. Of the entire cast ensemble, I was only familiar with Sid Haig and Vic Diaz. But it should be noted that the acting performances were fair.

The bug-eyed people were the source of a good laugh. It just made zero sense, and it was nearly impossible to take it serious. I can only guess at what the writers where thinking when they came up with the idea for that thing.

The music in the movie was a bit too over-dramatic, and it sort of added a comical aspect to the movie. Instead of actually being suspenseful or exciting, or whatever they were aiming at, it just came out ridiculous, and it was a rather swing and a miss with the music.

Watchable, sure, but not an outstanding or particularly memorable movie. Nor is it a movie that I will ever return to watch a second time.

My rating of director Eddie Romero's 1973 movie "Beyond Atlantis" lands on a four out of ten stars.

In the Philippines some Americans learn of valuable pearls on a remote island and form an alliance to get the treasure, but they have to deal with the inbred tribe that inhabits the isle. John Ashley, Sid Haig and Patrick Wayne star as the venal team members along with Lenore Stevens as a scientist. Leigh Christian plays an alluring blonde member of the remote society.

"Beyond Atlantis" (1973) is an oceanic adventure that combines "City Beneath the Sea" (1953) with the women-in-skin-bikinis of Hammer's "When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth" (1970). Like the latter, it has a barely-a-B-movie vibe, but it's more entertaining due to the superb location shooting and quality cast. The director knows how to tastefully shoot women (no pun intended) and it's one of the flick's highlights.

This could've been as good as "City Beneath the Sea" or "Mysterious Island" (1961), but more time needed spent on strengthening the (obviously) loose script. That takes time and time means money, which the producers regrettably didn't have. While this is a "bad movie," it's entertaining enough to check out.

The film runs 1 hour, 31 minutes, and was shot in the Philippines.

GRADE: C/C-

A gang of thieves and adventurers : John Ashley , scuba driver Patrick Wayne , pimp Sig Haig , Leonore Stevens , Vic Díaz go to an tropical island looking for hot pearls, there they confront the native islanders ruled by Nereus : George Nader , as they are really determined to keep their sacred treasure well hildden . These islanders have enormous eyes and allegedlly their ascendants were from lost continent of Atlantis . Their Spawning Ground... The Ocean Epths ! Forgotten by nature .. invaded by modern man...half human...half fish!

An adventure movie with thrills , emotion , shootouts , gorgeous photography and lots of underwater scenes. The tale is silly and laughable but effects and action are quite well . Some illogic parts in the plot are more than compensated for the excitement provided by the underwater images , the colorful coral reef and bikini-dressed mermaid Leigh Christian. It follows in the wake of the films directed by Kevin Connor of the 70s set in fantastic islands such as "Land that Time forgot" , "At the Earth's Core" , "Warlord of Atlantis" , "The People that Time Forgot" , usually starred Doug McClure or Patrick Wayne himself . An agreeable cast mostly formed by B-actors as John Wayne's son : Patrick Wayne , John Ashley , Sid Haig , George Nader and Vic Díaz , Eddie Romero's regular .

It displays a colorful cinematography that's the best factor of the movie , being shot on location in the Philippines Islands . This cheesy motion picture was professionaly directed by Eddie Romero , though has several flaws and gaps . This Philippino director usually collaborated with John Ashley and Roger Corman and he made a lot of films of exploitation and all kinds of genres as Terror, Women In Prison , Adventures , Wartime , Thrillers , outstanding the following ones : Black Mama White Mama , Savage Sisters , Terror is a Man , Day of the Trumpet, Mad Doctor of Blood Island , The Woman Hunt , Raiders of Leyte Gulf , Beast of Blood , Mad Doctor of Blood Island , among others . Rating : 5/10 . Passable and acceptable . The movie will appeal to adventure fans.

This was a very enjoyable film, combination of horror, action, plot and some comedy. Sid Haig was very memorable as East Eddie. Had some of the better lines to deliver. John Ashley made the transition from teen star to producer and Patrick Wayne was the perfect choice for the square-jawed hero. Leigh Christian was ....hmmmmm... and the final film appearance of George Nader...too bad the other entries "Womanhunt","Beast Of The Yellow Night",and "Black Mamba" couldn't put together the same formula.