Battle Beneath the Earth (1967)
IMDb meta-data is an epic runtime of 1 hour and 31 minutes, over-rated 4.5 out of 10 by 811 cinematizens.
Genre: Sy Fy.
Verdict: Z.
That old saying about the China syndrome, remember it? Well, the Chinese did it and following Interstates 80, 40, and 10 are planting subterranean atomic bombs from the west to east coast, starting – Gasp! – with Route 66. These reds are under everything, not just beds. The bombs won’t fit under beds, doh!
The only thing standing between these Europeans made-up as Chinese is Sinbad and a crew of ageing frat boys dressed in Army Surplus Store uniforms. Plenty of stock footage is included to cheapen this bargain basement production even more. The plot is ludicrous enough for The Avengers of the same year, but played straight, serious, and numbing.
When he goes spelunking Sinbad takes along a geologist who does not know what lava is. Ouch! Where did she get a PhD? Trump University! Wait, don’t blame her, blame the scriptwriter! Besides we know Sinbad did not take her along for her big brain but so he would have someone to protect.
The Z verdict above is for bottom of the barrel where I found this film. I was unable, well, unwilling to watch it straight-through, but did it in 10-15 chunks to manage the pain.
It is an Italian production (don’t be misled by the Anglo pseudonyms of the crew) set in the United States with a cast of British actors. No doubt tax accountants can explain that. There are a few expatriate Americans among the Brits, like Commander Stryker, which simply brings out the contrast even more.