Other Titles • Monster from Beneath the Sea • Dinosaurier in New York (1953) • Panik in New York (1953)
Synopses for The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
1.
A matinee programmer with lofty ambitions, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms is best appreciated as a vintage showcase for the stop-motion animation of special-effects legend Ray Harryhausen. The hoary plot follows the cold-war formula that dominated science fiction movies of the 1950s: After an atomic bomb test in the northern polar ice cap, a gigantic dinosaur--the fictional "Rhedosaurus"--is awakened from eons of dormancy, plots an undersea course for the Eastern seaboard, and proceeds to wreak havoc on New York City, culminating in a showdown with military marksmen at the Coney Island amusement park. Stock footage and tissue-thin drama make this a by-the-numbers monster flick, further hampered by Eugene Lourie's lackluster direction and a wooden B-movie cast. And yet, Harryhausen's first independent effort retains its atomic-age fascination: Beast marked yet another technical milestone for Harryhausen's impeccable techniques, and its perpetual status as a sci-fi classic is duly acknowledged in the DVD bonus features, including a retrospective featurette and a latter-day reunion of Harryhausen and longtime friend Ray Bradbury, whose short story "The Fog Horn" served as this film's inspiration. --Jeff Shannon
2.
A long-hibernating and ostensibly extinct rhedosaurus is roused from his eternal slumber by an atomic blast. Emerging from the sea, the rhedosaurus wreaks havoc in every direction, leveling cities and amusement parks in his path. Based on Ray Bradbury's short story "The Fog Horn."
3.
An Artic atom bomb blast free a prehistoric beast who heads for warmer climes-by way of New York! Ray Harryhausen special effects highlight this monster classic from Ray Bradbury story.
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