Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea/Fantastic Voyage

This Fox "double feature" leads off with Irwin Allen's Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, in which the atomic submarine Seaview attempts to save the world from an overheated Van Allen Belt by...um...nuking it (but let's not quibble over the science). Although a delight (to this 5-year-old) in 1961, the film seems rather cheesy today, with its banks of blinking lights (representing modern submarine technology) and laughable giant squid attack. Richard Fleischer's 1966 Fantastic Voyage is somewhat better, as it follows a miniaturized surgical team (including Stephen Boyd and Racquel Welch) on an arterial voyage to destroy a blood clot in the brain of a noted scientist. To be honest, the unintentional laughs (the crew and command post communicate by Morse code!) tend to enhance the viewing experience. A strong, optional purchase. (R. Pitman)[DVD Review—June 12, 2007—Fox, 105 min., PG, $19.98—Making its second appearance on DVD, 1961's Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (Global Warming Edition) boasts a fine transfer and Dolby Digital 4.0 surround sound. DVD extras include audio commentary by author Tim Colliver, a “Science Fiction: Fantasy to Reality” featurette (17 min.), a seven-minute interview with costar Barbara Eden, an isolated score track, stills galleries (production art, props, and publicity), the original exhibitor's campaign manual, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a rather forgettable sci-fi flick.][DVD Review—June 12, 2007—Fox, 100 min., PG, $19.98—Making its second appearance on DVD, 1966's Fantastic Voyage (Special Edition) sports a nice transfer and Dolby Digital surround sound. DVD extras include an audio commentary by film and music historian Jeff Bond, isolated score track (with commentary by Bond, and music scholars Jon Burlingame and Nick Redman), a “Lava Lamps and Celluloid: A Tribute to the Visual Effects” featurette (18 min.), a two-minute storyboard comparison for the whirlpool scene, behind-the-scenes stills galleries (for storyboards, a deleted scene, props, and publicity), an interactive press book, and trailers. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a ‘60s sci-fi favorite.][Blu-ray Review—Oct. 22, 2013—Fox, 101 min., PG, $24.98—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1966's Fantastic Voyage features a fine transfer and DTS-HD 5.1 audio. Extras include audio commentary by film and music historian Jeff Bond, an isolated score track with commentary by Bond and historians Jon Burlingame and Nick Redman, “Lava Lamps & Celluloid: A Tribute to the Visual Effects” (18 min.), a storyboard comparison (3 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a minor special-effects classic makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray.][Blu-ray Review—Oct. 22, 2013—Fox, 106 min., PG, $24.98—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1961's Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea sports a nice transfer and DTS-HD 5.1 audio. Extras include audio commentary by author Tim Colliver, a “Science Fiction: Fantasy to Reality” featurette (17 min.), an interview with costar Barbara Eden (6 min.), an isolated score track, and trailers. Bottom line: this so-so big screen adaptation of the popular TV series looks good on Blu-ray.]