Destination Inner Space is a 1966 science fiction monster film directed by Francis D. Lyon (Castle of Evil) from a screenplay by Arthur C. Pierce (The Cosmic Man; Mutiny in Outer Space; The Navy vs. the Night Monsters).
The film is infamous for its aquatic monster, which looks like a cross between a piranha and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Its alternate title is the more suitable Terror of the Deep.
The film’s strident score is by Paul Dunlap, the composer for several horror and sci-fi films, such as I Was a Teenage Werewolf and The Angry Red Planet.
Main cast:
Scott Brady (Castle of Evil; Gremlins), Gary Merrill (The Mysterious Island), Sheree North, Wende Wagner, Mike Road, John Howard, William Thourbly and Biff Elliot. The film also includes an early appearance by James Hong (The Vineyard) as a chef.
Plot:
A group of researchers working in an underwater laboratory encounter with an Unidentified Submerged Object (USO – an undersea flying saucer), the base is attacked by a monster that may be the vanguard for invading aliens. The researchers and the base’s military staff must deal with the creature and destroy the USO…
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Reviews:
“The great mass of warmed-over leftovers in the script never comes anywhere close to developing its own identity, and anybody who has seen The Thing, The Atomic Submarine, or Revenge of the Creature is likely to spend most of the mental energy he or she devotes to Destination Inner Space on ticking off the elements stolen from each. Most of what entertainment value it has can be traced to its deficiency in two major areas: acting and special effects.” 1000 Misspent Hours and Counting
“The underwater models of the sealab are ridiculously small, and look exactly the size they are. The producers could at least have studied the TV series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea a little closer, for tips. Speaking of TV, this looks like an early TV movie, mostly a TV cast, TV-friendly aspect ratio, and tame on the violence…” Black Hole
“Low budget and average performances do not prevent director Francis Lyon from providing a first-rate entertainment. Nothing profound; just fun.” Jeff Rovin, A Pictorial History of Science Fiction Films
“The picture is unpretentious, quick paced, and admirably unworried about putting the saucer and the monster on screen as often as possible. The monster looks like an exaggerated Creech with harsh accents and bright red fins.” David Elroy Goldweber, Claws & Saucers
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Cast and characters:
- Scott Brady as Cmdr. Wayne
- Sheree North as Dr. Rene Peron
- Gary Merrill as Dr. LaSatier
- Wende Wagner as Sandra Welles
- Mike Road as Hugh Maddox
- John Howard as Dr. James
- William Thourlby as Tex
- Biff Elliot as Dr. Wilson
- Glenn Sipes as Mike
- Richard Niles as Ellis
- Roy Barcroft as Skipper
- Ed Charles Sweeny as Bos’un
- Ken Delo as Radio Man
- Ron Burke as The Thing
- James Hong as Ho Lee
Trailer:
Wikipedia | IMDb | Image thanks: Zombo’s Closet
