Overview: Up from the forbidden depths comes a Tidal Wave Of Terror! If that sounds like an ad for a Roger Corman production, it is! Julie, an American on vacation in Mexico, spots a giant, one-eyed amoeba rising from the ocean, but when she tries to warn others, no one believes her ... or do they?

Julie persists in her mission to help the local townspeople, but the closer she gets to unearthing the monster, the more danger awaits! Directed by Wyott Ordung; written by Bill Danch; starring Anne Kimbell, Stuart Wade, Dick Pinner, Jonathan Haze.

Blu-ray Verdict: Julie Blair (Anne Kimbell) is an American vacationing at a sea-side village in Mexico. She hears stories about a man-eating creature dwelling in the cove. Most notable is the producing credit of Roger Corman who took a modest $30,000 budget and earned more than ten times that back at the box office. No small feat, especially from someone just starting out in the business. This also marks a collaboration between Corman and cinematographer Floyd Crosby; Crosby had been making films over twenty years, but would be possibly best known later on for shooting Corman’s finest films.

This was also the debut of Jonathan Haze, a gas station attendant that filled the small role of Joe. He must have done something right, because Corman hired him for numerous productions over the next decade, including the starring role of Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors.

As for the film itself, there are things to like and things that could have been improved. The monster is actually rather cool looking, and when revealed is no disappointment. To use him sparingly, they also have a shark and an octopus, which may cause a few people to jump. The film is also rather short - only 64 minutes - so there is little time for the pace to slow down. Variety praised the film back in the day, calling it an oddity but well-done, noting that Corman’s production supervision has packed the footage with commercial values without going overboard.

The negatives are few, but worth pointing out. The forced romance was a bad idea, though probably almost necessary for a film of its day. This is somewhat compensated for by having the main character be a heroine rather than a hero - not the strongest female lead, but a female lead nonetheless. The biggest issue is the sound. Clearly they had not invested in a boom mike, because scenes were either overdubbed, or the conversations were drowned out by the ocean waves.

While not the best film of 1954, it has its historical merits and is fun in its own way. For a low budget film now sixty years old, I think it holds up respectably well. [G.S.]

Special features include: Full length commentary by Tom Weaver and The Weaver Players; a new interview with author Justin Humphreys on the career of Bob Baker; an archival interview with producer Roger Corman about his early career; original theatrical trailer; re-cut theatrical trailer using restored film elements; slideshow of photos from Mike Barnum; and a full color inserted booklet with essay by Tom Weaver.

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