BENEATH THE 12 MILE REEF: Robert Wagner as The Joker

BENEATH THE 12 MILE REEF (Blu-ray)

1953 / 127 min

Leomark Studios

Available at MovieZyng.com

Review by Mr. Paws😼

For those of you who’ve never heard of this movie and tend to judge books by their covers, rest assured there is nothing in Beneath the 12 Mile Reef as cool as that Blu-ray artwork. Sure, a ticked-off octopus eventually shows up, but this ol’ relic is largely a sudsy romantic adventure film about two competing families of sponge divers.

It’s the Greeks vs. the Conches in a fight for sponge supremacy off the coast of Florida, with a very young Robert Wagner (looking about as Greek as a salad) playing Tony, who falls in love with his rival’s daughter, Gwyneth (Terry Moore) along the way. He also has to contend with Gwyneth’s jealous boyfriend, Arnold (Peter Graves, in a somewhat rare villainous role). 

"I just wanna watch the world burn, Dad."

Beneath the 12 Mile Reef is a silly film with goofy dialogue and mostly bland performances. In his first starring role, Wagner is the exception. Instead, he’s guilty of overemoting in every scene that doesn’t require a diving helmet. Whenever he smiles, like when he’s ogling Gwyneth, I’m reminded of The Joker (or maybe the face on that truck in Maximum Overdrive). But let’s not judge Wagner too harshly, because he eventually did get better.

Conversely, the underwater sequences are beautifully shot and the film is genuinely engaging - even suspenseful - during those moments. If nothing else, it makes excellent use of CinemaScope, which was new at the time. It looks equally vibrant and colorful on Blu-ray (though the sound quality sucks), so even if there are no toothy beasts or scantily clad swimmers, Beneath the 12 Mile Reef is still lovely to look at. But like other public domain titles Leomark Studios has acquired and released on Blu-ray, this disc has no bonus features, chapters, subtitle/language options or a main menu.

DESTINATION INNER SPACE: Everybody Hates Wayne

DESTINATION INNER SPACE (Blu-ray)

1966 / 82 min

Leomark Studios

Available at MovieZyng.com

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😼

Poor Commander Wayne (Scott Brady). Sent to investigate a mysterious object buzzing around an underwater laboratory, he dutifully goes down there in a diving bell, only to get nothing but flak from the staff. 

Former Navy man Hugh Maddox (Mike Road) absolutely hates him. Photographer Sandra Welles (Wende Wagner) hates him mostly because Maddox does. And both of them like to remind Wayne they don’t take orders from him. The object turns out to be a ship that touches down and unleashes an amphibious monster, which wreaks havoc on the station. Wayne wants to kill it, but Dr. LaSatier (Gary Merrill) poos-poos his decision, preferring to study it (even after the beast has killed a few people). 

The guy can’t get a break. Even the diving suit they provide for him is obviously two or three sizes too small. In fact, there’s a hilarious scene where he’s arguing with everyone while spending at least a couple of minutes trying to squeeze into the thing (with Brady himself looking exasperated). Still, he leads the charge to defeat the creature and blow up its ship before the station runs out of air. 

Directed by James Cameron

Destination Inner Space is a daffy, ultra-cheap underwater thriller that still manages to be entertaining, largely at its own expense. The basic concept of being trapped underwater with a monster is actually pretty solid, and has been used in such later (bigger) movies as Leviathan and Deep Blue Sea. But here, the special effects are gloriously bad, especially the shots of this ‘50 foot wide’ ship hovering over the ocean floor (which would make the clearly visible tiny fish swimming around it the size of Great Whites). Elsewhere, the creature is certainly colorful, but obviously a guy in an ill-fitting rubber suit.

The dialogue is often chuckleworthy, too, such as an early scene where Wayne flirts with Dr. Peron (Sheree North), as well as the priceless moment where Maddox’s confession of being a coward makes Sandra love him even more. In fact, all of the manufactured romance here is pretty damn funny. Ultimately, this makes Destination Inner Space an endearingly tacky must-see for bad movie lovers. Be advised, however, that this Blu-ray release sports a picture loaded with film damage and artifacts (unlike a restored version served up by Kino Lorber a few years ago). Additionally, there are no bonus features, chapters, language options or even a main menu. Great cover, though.

THE BLADE CUTS DEEPER: Almost an Homage

THE BLADE CUTS DEEPER (Blu-ray)

2024 / 84 min

Leomark Studios

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Well, at least director/co-writer Gene Dolders did some of his homework…

In The Blade Cuts Deeper, John Abbott (John Tueart) is the sleazy creator and host of “Light, Camera, Kill,” a sensationalistic TV show that exploits tragedy by flippantly reenacting real life murders. However, his latest episode, depicting a serial killer’s handiwork, pisses off the wrong guy, who commences killing off everyone associated with that episode. In true giallo fashion, the killer isn’t revealed until the end, but the viewer ain’t gonna need a slide rule to immediately know who’s doing the carving.

As an intended giallo homage, there are some other similarities, primarily its aesthetic. There's a mysterious black-gloved killer, extended stalking sequences that are emblematic of the genre, and of course, plenty of death by cutlery, including a jaw-dropping scene where one victim is repeatedly - and convincingly - stabbed in the face. On occasion, the film manages to generate some genuine tension . 

When someone brings donuts to the staff meeting.

However, there’s typically more to giallo than pure murder and mayhem. They’re generally structured like a mystery, even those that are more style over substance. Most of this film consists of Abbott being a dick while the killer picks off everyone around him. Storywise, this is just a slasher film filled with characters whose entire narrative purpose is to die.

That doesn’t mean The Blade Cuts Deeper isn’t enjoyable. Dolders is no Argento or Bava, but considering what appears to be a low budget, this is a pretty good looking film. Additionally, the death scenes are mostly well-executed and extraordinarily brutal. As slasher movies go, trust me, you’ve seen far worse. But while it sometimes resembles giallo, the spirit just ain't there. Maybe Dolders should've actually finished his homework.

CORA: The Economical Apocalypse

CORA (Blu-ray)

2024 / 100 min

FROM LEOMARK STUDIOS

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Mr. Bonnie, the Barbarian😺

It’s always interesting to check out apocalyptic disaster movies put together with limited resources. Most are utter crap, of course, but every now and then, you come across one that reflects a genuine effort to create something serious, intelligent and engaging, with a narrative that actually benefits from the lack of a budget. As such, Cora is a pleasant surprise, though definitely a Debbie Downer.

The movie is about the title character (Felicia Rhylander), one of many working in isolation for a company trying to save the world after a mysterious mist has killed most of the population (going outside without a mask is almost instantly fatal). When equipment starts malfunctioning and she eventually loses contact with her superiors, Cora and her computerized drone venture out to contact a colleague at the next outpost. 

But when she arrives, he’s already dead. Having committed suicide, he left a note explaining the company had long since abandoned trying to save humanity and went into hiding. They simply left Cora and the others to die alone in their bunkers. So she decides to find headquarters, but when she arrives, Cora’s captured by a gang of psychos led by Joseph, who not only has a vendetta against the company, he threatens to kill Cora if she doesn’t turn her drone over to him. However, during an escape attempt and violent shootout, she’s rescued by someone who looks exactly like her (I won’t reveal why, though the audience will probably figure it out before Cora does).

When you're forced to use a truck stop restroom.

Considering the budget, Cora is very well made and features an interesting protagonist. She initially seems somewhat vulnerable, but not only is she tough and resilient, Cora as no qualms about killing, even if it means shooting first. The character is made more compelling by a solid performance from its star, who’s on the screen by herself for a great deal of the running time. 

The film is relentlessly bleak, a tone greatly exacerbated by grungy production design, bursts of brutal violence (much of it perpetrated by Cora and her new “friend”) and an overall aesthetic that reminded me a little of the Russian classic, Stalker. While it ain’t exactly a barrel of laughs, Cora is a great example of dark sci-fi on a low budget. And for those who favor story over spectacle, it’s got a hell of an ending.