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Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
20,000 Leagues Underthe Sea gets a dose of On the Beach in Irwin Allen's visuallyimpressive but scientifically silly Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.While the Seaview, the world's most advanced experimental submarine,maneuvers under the North Pole, the Van Allen radiation belt catches fire,giving the concept "global warming" an entirely new dimension. As the Earthbroils in temperatures approaching 170 degrees F, Walter Pidgeon'smaniacally driven Admiral Nelson hijacks the Seaview and plays tag withthe world's combined naval forces on a race to the South Pacific, where he plansto extinguish the interstellar fire with a well-placed nuclear missile. Butfirst he has to fight a mutinous crew, an alarmingly effective saboteur, not onebut two giant squid attacks, and a host of design flaws that nearly cripple themission (note to Nelson: think backup generators). Barbara Eden shimmies toFrankie Avalon's trumpet solos in the most formfitting naval uniform you've everseen, fish-loving Peter Lorre plays in the shark tank, gloomy religious fanaticMichael Ansara preaches Armageddon, and Joan Fontaine looks very uncomfortableplaying an armchair psychoanalyst. It's all pretty absurd, but Allen pumps it upwith larger-than-life spectacle and lovely miniature work. --SeanAxmaker

Fantastic Voyage
2001: A Space Odyssey took the world ona mind-bending trip to outer space, but Fantastic Voyage is the originalpsychedelic inner-space adventure. When a brilliant scientist falls into a comawith an inoperable blood clot in the brain, a surgical team embarks on atop-secret journey to the center of the mind in a high-tech military submarineshrunk to microbial dimensions. Stephen Boyd stars as a colorless commander sentto keep an eye on things (though his eyes stay mostly on shapely medicalassistant Raquel Welch), while Donald Pleasance is suitably twitchy as theclaustrophobic medical consultant. The science is shaky at best, but theimaginative spectacle is marvelous: scuba-diving surgeons battle white bloodcells, tap the lungs to replenish the oxygen supply, and shoot the aorta likedaredevil surfers. The film took home a well-deserved Oscar for Best VisualEffects. Director Richard Fleischer, who turned Disney's 1954 20,000 LeaguesUnder the Sea into one of the most riveting submarine adventures of alltime, creates a picture so taut with cold-war tensions and cloak-and-daggersecrecy that niggling scientific contradictions (such as, how do miniaturizedhumans breathe full-sized air molecules?) seem moot. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Two Voyages to the Top of Cheap, Fun Entertainment!
If you love sci-fi even a little bit, and especially if you came of age in the 60's and 70's, how could you possibly go wrong getting both of these movies in widescreen format for the price of a few espresso beverages?

Sure, the science is nutty, and the effects are dated, but it's about being entertained! The effects are enjoyable and pleasing in their own retro kind of way.

My one complaint regarding "Voyage..." is that there is no ambient "ship noise", like the deep, barely perceptable humming of engines. That would have made it seem much more like a submarine than a bunch of sets.

To me, the greating single reason to watch "Voyage.." is to see Walter Pidgeon play a character so very similar to the mad scientist he played on Forbidden Planet. This time he's a "mad admiral", and he drives most everyone else mad too.

And that's only half the DVD! You also get Fantastic Voyage. I remember when this movie was first released. It made quite an impact, and it spawned a Saturday morning animated series of the same name that was one of my favorite morning cartoons.

This DVD has more "bang for the buck" than most any other single DVD I know of.

One classic, one not-so-classic
As is often the case with double-feature DVDs, there is usually one decent movie and one lousy one, the B-side being a movie which probably would not sell well on its own. In this case, Fantastic Voyage is the good movie and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea the weak flip side.

In Fantastic Voyage, several people are reduced to cellular size to heal a man from the inside. The science may be flimsy (Isaac Asimov had enough problems with the ending to rewrite it in his novelization), but the tale itself is good and the special effects are nice. The human body comes off as a surrealistic dreamworld, far from reality but neat to look at.

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, however, is a seriously flawed movie. The science is below par even for a movie like this (in one scene, we see ice sinking in water!), and the story and characters are nothing very spectacular either. Even the effects are not very great, although there are a couple scenes that do look nice.

Fantastic Voyage is a four star flick, VTTBOTS just two stars. As a pair of movies, this is okay, but if you only watch the former film, you will still get your money's worth.

Barbara Eden and Frankie Avalon
Barbara Eden is the Best actress and is Great.The best scene is with Barbara Eden dancing and Frankie Avalon playing the trumpet in the movie.Frankie Avalon sings the theme song of the movie.Buy this DVD if you Love Barbara Eden and Frankie Avalon.

One of the top ten sci fi pictures any time
Fantastic voyage is a real imaginative picture. A group of scientists will make a weird voyage , in the deep of the human body . They have just a hour to win in this dramatic mission.
They are sent through the blood current and they will have to minimize and destroy a serious damage in the brain of an eminent personality.
This film sooner or later will be remade . I don't have any doubt about.
But the challenge to win this original film is hard to reach. The script , the dramatic tension along this tour de force , the amazing inside locations around the lungs , heart brain and optycal nervous are first rate! plus the incredible cast: Artur O Donell , Edmund O'brien , Stephen Boyd , Donald Pleasence and the unforgettable and seductive beauty Raquel Welch give this film of Richard Fleisher two thumbs up about the top ten gem sci fi pictures , because he would make five years after Soylent Green another must in your collection.
Watch this movie .
A permanent triumph and a gorgeous visual experience!.

Great Quality reproduction
As I've viewed more DVD's I have found that there is a lot of quality difference, especially when porting old movies.

This DVD, although burned on both sides, has fine quality and produces a good viewing experience.

There aren't a lot of extras, which is disappointing, but there are some trailers for other classics such as all four The Fly movies (that is the two with Vincent Price, the one with Gena Davis, and the other one ;)

The movies themselves are Irwin Allen classics. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea features Peter Lorre in one of his last movies, and a close up of young Barbara Eden's rear end doing some version of the twist. Global Warming, 60s style! This movie launched a TV series with the same name but with different actors. Good adventure yarn.

Fantastic Voyage is a little more substantial offering. I believe THE Issac Asimov was the technical advisor/script consultant. I remember when this came out the special effects were considered fantastic. They still hold up pretty well, although the computers and electronics are dated. It's sort of a proto-nanotechnology exploration. Raquel Welch is the babe in this one. They shrink some scientists and a submarine down to molecule size and inject them into a VIP's bloodstream to cure him from injuries he received from an assasin. In many ways it was ahead of its time conceptually. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Disaster movies used to work because there was little certaintyas to who would survive. Not so in this film, really an amalgam of twooriginal stories, about a group of well-to-do celebrants at the top floor of askyscraper. Cheapo electrical wiring and bad construction managementcause an enormousblaze at the lower floors, steadily rising to consume the revelers. Newman'san architect, McQueen a firefighter, and Fred Astaire a kind oldgentleman, for which he was Oscar-nominated. O.J. Simpson plays asecurity guard who rescues acat. Now that's a disaster. --Keith Simanton ... Read more

Reviews (68)

No doubt, BEST DISASTER MOVIE EVER!
Firstly, this movie deserves praise for Faye Dunaway's dress that she wears throughout the entire film. But movies shouldn't all be beautiful women in provocative clothing, this movie has it all. Produced by Irwin Allen, who produced "The Poseidon Adventure" before this movie. Allen bested himself in this flick.

The story is relatively simple; the world's highest skyscraper catches on fire. There is a large party on the top floor, and we watch as people fight for survival as the fire creeps towards them. Only Steve McQueen playing a streetwise firehouse captain, and Paul Newman acting as the tower's architect can stop the fire before everyone inside dies. As I was re-watching this film I couldn't help but think of the similar situation faced by many in the 9-11 attack. Their result was not as positive.

throughout the film there are too many people, too many relationships, and too much death to keep track of everything. However, the important people to watch are Fred Astaire, Faye Dunaway, Paul Newman, and Steve McQueen. This is the only real weakness to the film.

Also, for a film that is approaching 30 years old the special effects are still good, and that will make this a good film for a long time. The images of the tower burning, the fires, and the stunts are superb.

At times, the acting in this film can seem a bit stiff. That's early on, however after the first 20 minutes of the film everyone seems to find their place in the film. One of the notable performances is done by O.J. Simpson, who plays as a senior security guard. The interplay between McQueen and Newman is also well done, especially since there was a good chance of major dorkdom in the architect of the "perfect" building versus the blue-collar fireman plotline.

Some may complain that the movie is slow, and maybe by modern "immediate gratification" standards it is, I say that the tension builds, you care about the characters, many of which, and are left at the end of your seat. And I was watching the thing on a computer; imagine what a decent entertainment system will do.

This definitely is an "essential" film.

An epic disaster film! Not to be missed!
I remember first seeing this movie at a very early age. As a child, I loved this movie for it's spectacularity. As an adult (sort of), I love it for the acting performances of it's marvelous cast.

This is a disaster movie. During the seventies this type of movie was extremely popular, with timeless hits such as "The Poseidon Adventure" and "Airport".
Disaster films seemed to have lost their appeal during the eighties but recent hits like "Armageddon" and "Titanic" show that this type of movie is still very popular and here to stay.

In San Francisco, the tallest building in the world, "The Glass Tower" has finally been completed. An awesome superstructure and the new icon of the city.
On the night of the dedication ceremony on the 130th floor a seemingly harmless fire erupts fifty floors below the partying crowd. When the situation grows out of control their pleasant happening turns into a nightmare struggle for survival.

With some of the best actors of that time (Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, William Holden, Faye Dunaway and Fred Astaire to name a few), true drama and an absolutely convincing inferno this movie deservedly took the world by storm!

Got a Match?
Somebody once asked James Garner's character on "The Rockford Files" TV show if there was nothing he wouldn't do for money. He wouldn't kill for it and he wouldn't marry for it, he said, other than that he was pretty much open to suggestions. Paul Newman and Steve McQueen must have been open to suggestions when they ok'd this turkey, and I wish they had said no. The world's tallest skyscraper is burning due to shoddy construction work, and architect Newman and fireman McQueen would like to put it out before the entire cast is incinerated. On top of the building are a million gallons of water in reserve Newman forgot about in all the excitement. Why this 2500 ton weight hasn't gone crashing into the basement we are not informed but the daring duo manage to blow up the tanks and there's your happy ending. O J Simpson rescues a cat and Fred Astaire, after a lifetime of giving the American movies some of their greatest moments, was awarded an Oscar for enduring this production.

A better film than is often assumed
More than 10 years ago, Roger Ebert and the late Gene Siskel did a special edition of their program that examined "The Early '70s: The Last Golden Age of American Film." It was a great show, with a look at each nominee for the Best Picture Oscar for the years 1970-1974, and then which film Siskel and Ebert would have chosen as the winner.

When the duo got to 1974, and a split screen revealed the five Best Picture nominees for that year, Ebert expressed some amusement at "The Towering Inferno's" nomination, when compared with the others ("Chinatown," "The Conversation," "Lenny" and the winner, "The Godfather Part II."). But while it was not the best film in a truly great year for the medium, "Inferno" did deserve to be considered one of the best.

This is polished, professional filmmaking. It was not intended to be a scathing expose of construction politics, or an actor's showcase. "The Towering Inferno" never tries to be anything more than an action spectacular, pure and simple, and on that level, it has few equals.

The film has been criticized for being almost gleeful in its depiction of various deaths, but I'm not sure what those critics would have had directors John Guillermin and Irwin Allen do. The story is about a giant skyscraper on fire, which means that the primary dangers involved are burning, falling, smoke inhalation and being buried under tons of debris. All of these are horrific, and "Inferno" conveys that horror.

The movie takes on a different hue than the Irwin Allen film it's inevitably compared to, "The Poseidon Adventure," the minute Steve McQueen arrives at the scene as the San Francisco Fire Dept.'s battalion chief, O'Hallorhan. Unlike "Poseidon," in which a small band of ship passengers follows a layman toward safety, the "Inferno" disaster is going to be taken on by a competent, experienced professional, leading other professionals. McQueen conveys an authority that anchors the film.

None of the acting struck me as truly bad, even in action-oriented scenes that called for broad playing. Aside from McQueen, my favorite performances were those of Susan Flannery and Jennifer Jones. Flannery makes the most of a small but memorable part as Robert Wagner's love interest, while Jones, looking very good for a woman of 55, plays the kind, heroic love of Fred Astaire's con man character.

Fred Koenekamp's cinematography received a well-deserved Academy Award, as did L.B. Abbott's special effects. The song "We May Never Love Like This Again," sung by Maureen McGovern, also won an Oscar, though I found it to be forgettable. "The Poseidon Adventure's" similar "The Morning After" is much better (which will certainly be faint praise to some).

John Williams' Oscar-nominated score would have been a perfectly reasonable choice as the winner, though Jerry Goldsmith's evocation of film noir classics for "Chinatown" was probably the year's best. Carmine Coppola and Nino Rota wound up winning for "The Godfather Part II."

Williams is in majestic form here. The main title is appropriately busy and exciting, the love themes for the Paul Newman/Faye Dunaway and Astaire/Jones duos are poignant, and the finale is one of the masterpieces of the art. This is a justifiably a favorite score among film music buffs, and Williams' greatest triumph, in my opinion, until "Star Wars" in 1977.

"The Towering Inferno" is a must for action film fans, and the finest representation of the "disaster film" genre.

The Glass Tower - tallest building in the world... on fire.
After a long vacation, away from the hectic city life, Doug Roberts (Paul Newman) returns to San Francisco in order to participate in the opening of his newest architectural wonder, The Glass Tower - tallest building in the world. The seemingly perfect skyscraper has one big flaw as James Duncan's (William Holden) son-in-law has received kick backs to ignore Doug's requests on the top-of-the-line electrical circuitry. The installed electrical circuits cannot handle the electrical use of the Glass Tower and on the opening night a fire begins on the 81st floor, which Fire Chief Michael O'Hallorhan's (Steve McQueen) men try to get under control while the opening party is taking place on the 135th floor. Towering Inferno has an immensely talented cast (e.g., Faye Dunaway, Fred Astaire, Richard Chamberlain and many more), however, the cast cannot enhance the cinematic experience. Overall the film is hurt by the many scenes that go on ceaselessly as the director attempts to create suspense through tedious climbing and rescue scenes. This occurs through occasional lapses in realism in the film, such as the ending, prevent the audience from receiving a top notch suspenseful drama. Instead the audience is left with an epic rescue mission that seems endless, and leaves the audience with a barely acceptable cinematic experience. ... Read more

Description

Irwin Allen's doomsday epic pits an all-star cast against a North American invasion of killer bees! ... Read more

Reviews (19)

DVD release just about everything you could want.
Warner Brothers DVD release of Irwin Allen's cult classic bomb The Swarm features a beautifully rendered widescreen transfer (which is the only format to truly appreciate this movie), the theatrical trailer, and a straight faced and rather serious sounding behind the scenes documentary that looks to have been made for televsion airing for the film's summer time hype (it contains easy to see commercial break segues). Sadly the promised Michael Caine commentary and Big Bug trivia did not come through, though there is a biography for the late Master of Disaster in the Cast and Crew section (it is also the only one offered). As we all know, mutant killer bees threaten Texas and Michael Caine and a whole lot of back-up stars have to stop them, or else. The movie remains a goofy, silly disaster movie that is incredibly hard to dislike. If you love so bad they're good movies, then this disc is a must have. An essential for any schlock fan.

SO CHEESY IT'S A BLAST!
For sheer audacity, this is another classic howler from Irwin Allen`s epic disaster back catalogue! Michael Caine and Katharine Ross get all the unintentionally hilarious lines(CAINE: I never dreamed it would turn out to be the bees. They've always been our friends.) And these bees begin the movie by showing who really rules the skies by invading a nuclear missile silo and attacking the launch crew. They proceed to cause helicopter crashes(yes, that is in the plot!), attack a picnicking all-American family(yeeaahhh) and invade a town during its annual flower festival, causing many victims to run around like penguins trying to fly and fall all over the place looking utter idiots. As the military and scientists' attempts to wipe out the bees are miserable failures, the deadly swarm cause a spectacular train crash(special effects by the local model train shop), and much more mayhem. Then they head for (gulp!) HOUSTON! Can the all-star cast save the day??? We know the outcome, but if you would like an absolute laugh riot(I want to see the extended version myself!) and like to watch well-known names try to deadpan their way through some of the most unintentionally hilarious dialogue ever written for the screen, then this is the cheesy 1970s classic for you! The novel, by Arthur Herzog, incidentally, is much better.

A laugh riot!
Remember the days of Irwin Allen? During the 1970s, this director ruled Hollywood with several all-star, action packed disaster films. There was "The Towering Inferno" with Paul Newman and Steve McQueen. "The Poseidon Adventure" with Gene Hackman and Shelley Winters. The only one he wasn't associated with, I think, was "Earthquake" with Charlton Heston and George Kennedy. A cast of stars both major and minor populated constellation Irwin Allen. He could do no wrong-his films weren't masterpieces of cinematic art, but they drew in audiences willing to spend money to watch these epics. Then Allen made "The Swarm," and a horribly swift silence descended over Hollywood. The 1978 film about a pack of civilization threatening killer bees should receive cult classic status from lovers of crud cinema. Where else are you going to see Henry Fonda inject himself with bee venom? Or Richard Widmark going down for the count while trying to stave off bees with a flamethrower? Say what you will about this film, and you could say plenty of terrible things about it, but it definitely falls under the "so bad it's good" category and thus deserves are attention.

Something's amiss at a missile silo somewhere in Texas. The military sends in a crack team of orange suited soldiers to discover what went wrong. It turns out a swarm of killer bees attacked the installation and killed all the personnel. General Slater (Widmark) arrives on the scene to supervise only to find Dr. Brad Crane (Michael Caine) strolling around the silo. Crane claims a swarm of deadly bees did the damage, a statement confirmed by a radar operator noticing something moving away at seven (!) miles an hour. A chopper sent up crashes when the bees attack (!!). Once the military defines the problem, Crane receives the go ahead from the president to take charge of the situation. He brings in all sorts of specialists, including world-renowned immunologist Dr. Krim (Henry Fonda) and the cranky Dr. Hubbard (Richard Chamberlain). Crane ramps up the hysteria by claiming that the bees will attack anyone in sight, including population centers. Sure enough, the focus jumps to a family picnic where we see Mom and Dad collapse under the weight of a thousand bee stings. Back at central control, Crane and Krim discover that a single bee sting is enough to kill a human being.

The situation rapidly deteriorates. The bees swarm through a town, ravaging the locals at will. A train full of evacuees derails as the killer insects attack with abandon. Hundreds die as Crane and an Air Force officer named Helena Anderson (Katharine Ross) try to find a solution out in the field. More problems emerge as the bees wipe out a nuclear power plant run by Dr. Andrews (Jose Ferrar) before moving on to Houston. Every solution the military attempts fails, including an effort to use flamethrowers to burn the bees out of the city. As Houston burns in the background, as ambulances crash through windows and blow up with the force of atomic bombs, Slater worries whether history will condemn him to the ash heap for what he has done. Crane offers one final idea, an idea that, if it works, could finally destroy the swarm once and for all. Barely escaping from the flaming wreck that is Houston, Crane and Anderson execute an intricate plot involving sound and helicopters. Fortunately, science again triumphs over the evil forces of nature. And not a moment too soon, I say.

Nothing works in "The Swarm." Plot holes abound, so many that it is impossible to mention them all here. How did the bees get into an underground bunker and back out again without leaving any trace of their passing? If the swarm is such a threat, how come only one immunologist is working on finding a cure? Could bees really cause a train to derail? Questions without answers will constantly sidetrack your attention as you watch this film. Moreover, the performances from big name stars achieve a level of ridiculousness that is simply delicious to watch. Caine sleepwalks as Brad Crane, Ross looks like she's in a coma, and Widmark chews scenery without a thought to his future career. Allen throws in a bunch of ineffective and clichéd subplots, including a three way geriatric love triangle between Olivia de Havilland, Fred MacMurray, and Ben Johnson that ends in tragedy. Then there's the obligatory pregnant lady about to give birth (Patty Duke), and the altruistic self-sacrifice of Dr. Krim. Fonda's melodramatic final minutes are a marvel of hammy acting. Best line here? His vital signs are "swinging from the norm to really spooky levels." Another personal favorite occurred when de Havilland's character, a school principal, witnesses a bunch of kids falling prey to the bees outside a building. She utters a hilarious groan of agony as she turns away from the window in horror. The movie, for some reason, shows this in slow motion. Are we supposed to be laughing this hard, Mr. Allen?

I could go on and on and on again about the hammy and ridiculous levels "The Swarm" achieves during its nearly three-hour runtime. I loved every minute of it, and am thinking about buying a copy of the film soon so I can roar with derision at my leisure. Sadly, the DVD doesn't have a lot in the way of extras. There is a short television style documentary about some of the stunt work in the film that in its own right is hilarious. You get to see Henry Fonda earnestly lecture the public on the real threat of killer bees, thereby implying that the over the top stuff in the movie could "really happen." Pshaw, Henry! You ought to know better than that. Of course, I should have known better than to try and take this film seriously. A comedy classic!

Magnificent "Disasterpiece"
Great Movie! But why are the bees referred to as "The Africans" - reference to Zu Lu??? Sir Michael - can you explain??

The Swarm
The Swarm was a very realistic movie about the attack of the Afraican Bee's. It shows realism and what we can face in the future ahead of us. It was a really intersting plot.Micheal Caine was at top notch performance, also Irwin Allan did a fantastic directing job. the last 20 minutes was a great the best 20 mintues in the ending ... Read more