Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		2.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		3.5

The Phantom Empire Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 9, 2018

While working in the film industry for some time by 1988, writer/director Fred Olen Ray really came into his own during the latter half of the decade. Known for his no-budget entertainment, specializing in exploitation and homage, Ray was pounding out productions around this time, having previously helmed “The Tomb,” “Armed Response,” “Deep Space,” “Cyclone,” “Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers,” and “Beverly Hills Vamp” in a two-year period, clearing the way for “The Phantom Empire,” which, according to legend, was shot over a period of six days. Taking a small crew into the Bronson Caves area of Griffith Park, Ray concocted (with T.L. Lankford) a tiny tale of adventuring, with the main characters coming into contact with monsters, Robby the Robot, dinosaurs, and the blinding presence in Sybil Danning dressed in vinyl. “The Phantom Empire” has no finesse, just forward momentum, working with iffy performances, limited cinematic tools, and sheer enthusiasm for B-movies from the 1950s, finding Ray’s adoration for the filmmaking period coming through with more accuracy than the story he’s trying(?) to tell.

A monster wearing diamonds has emerged from a secret cave, coming out to feast on humans. When word of the find reaches Denae (Susan Stokey), she wants to locate the mysterious Lost City of Reliah, home to jewels and assorted wonders. Denae comes to C&C Salvage for help, using a stack of cash to mobilize Cort (Ross Hagen) and Eddy (Dawn Wildsmith) into action, with the trio soon joined by archaeologist Andrew (Jeffery Combs) and geologist Strock (Robert Quarry). Gearing up for a lengthy journey into the cave, the gang quickly discovers problems during the descent into the Earth’s core, meeting with mutant cannibals who terrorize Cave Bunny (Michelle Bauer), while coming out the other side to a lost world, and one that’s run by the Alien Queen (Sybil Danning), who looks to keep Andrew as a pet.

Ray doesn’t pretend to take any of this seriously, offering a “True Story” stamp at the start of feature, which is assembled from eyewitness accounts from those who lived through the Lost World visit. The reality of “The Phantom Empire” isn’t quite as cheeky, but there’s defined elevation to the work, which merely seeks to have as much fun as possible in 84 minutes, creating a fantasy world, including the enigmatic, secretive cave of wonders…which is located next to a picnic area. So much for high adventure, but Ray enjoys the silliness, getting the story up on its feet with Denae’s seed money and the acquisition of a cave map from a haunted explorer (Russ Tamblyn). A gang of experts is soon assembled, and the long walk begins, at least through a few tunnels. “The Phantom Empire” isn’t big on direction or depth, preferring to keep things lively through adversaries, including white-haired mutants who are ready to feast on Denae (even roasting her on a spit, much to her discomfort), and soon Robby the Robot is discovered, leading to a fight where the cast is under strict instruction not to damage the rubber star.

The episodic nature of “The Phantom Empire” aids digestion, with Ray finding things for the characters to do besides drink, smoke, and wisecrack (Eddy being the resident comedian). The unit is soon in charge of protecting Cave Bunny, who’s fond of Andrew, and the partners eventually emerge into the Lost World, where Alien Queen rules in strange future cars and deals directly with dinosaurs. Admittedly, Danning livens up the proceedings with her natural authority and eye-catching costume, giving the final act some punch as the explorers try to survive their violent surroundings, and Andrew is prepared for sexual enslavement.

The Phantom Empire Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Billed as a "New 2K transfer from the original 35mm camera negatives," "The Phantom Empire" comes to Blu-ray with low-fi vividness. The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation handles colors well, with highlights emerging from disco cave lighting (filling the air with smoky reds, purples, and pinks) and state park greenery. Primaries are secure and skintones are natural. Detail is satisfactory, taking in textured costuming, surveying adventure wear and the Danning's skintight outfit. Facial surfaces are preserved, along with distances, handling tunnel and park action with some dimension. Monster masks are also open for study. Delineation is capable, maintaining the view in limited lighting. Grain is fine and filmic. Source isn't in tip-top shape, showing considerable wear and tear at times, including scratches, speckling, a few jumpy frames, and mild judder. Slight macroblocking is detected at times.

The Phantom Empire Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 LPCM sound mix is fairly rough, though a lot of the issues appear to be inherent to the production, which worked fast, abandoning sonic precision. Intelligibility isn't completely threatened, but levels are inconsistent during the listening event, and muddiness is common, losing a lot of clarity along the way. Hiss is present as well, along with a few short dropouts. Performances still come through, but not as dynamically as hoped. Scoring is thin to begin with, making the synth-heavy music more about background noise than true support. Sound effects aren't rich, remaining significantly dulled, pulling snap out of gunshots and laser blasts.

The Phantom Empire Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features co-writer/director Fred Olen Ray and cinematographer Gary Graver.

• "Looking Back" (24:11, SD) is an undated making of for "The Phantom Empire," with cast and crew (including Fred Olen Ray, Sybil Danning, Michelle Bauer, and Ross Hagen) sharing memories about the quickie shoot. Ray recounts his initial inspiration for the story, quickly banging out pages when an opportunity arrived to use a set from "Commando Squad," inspiring a secret shoot of an expositional scene after hours. The rest of "The Phantom Empire" was put together in ten days, with Ray paying for the picture himself, wanting more creative and financial control. However, such speed inspired fear in the filmmaker, with Hagen gleefully recalling Ray's nervousness during production. Casting highlights are recounted, with Danning the big get for Ray, who compensated her with a little cash and distribution rights for Germany. There's some subtle commentary on frostier actor personalities and objections as well. Talk of props is included, including Robby the Robot, and Ray details a deleted scene involving a smoky pit, a hungry dinosaur, and Danning's Alien Queen in fight mode.

• "On Location" (10:03, SD) visits the set of "The Phantom Empire" during a summer day of pick-ups, highlighting cast and crew camaraderie, individual shot construction, and some discussions between Ray and the cast about the material.

• "Nite Owl Theater" (4:15, SD) features Ray in host mode, visiting his "mansion" to premiere "The Phantom Empire," with wife Kim burying a DVD copy of the film deep down in her cleavage. Ray presides over a house of topless women, includes an "Ask a Dumb Question" segment, and orders Kim to do battle with Rusty the Robot.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:11, HD) is included.

The Phantom Empire Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Come to all of this with lowered expectations, and there's fun to be had, especially for those who enjoy Corman-esque romps that largely look as though they were assembled over a long weekend. Cinematographer Gary Graver does well with exaggerated lighting, but there's no style here, just shenanigans, including a last act that delves into Abbott & Costello territory. "The Phantom Empire" doesn't impress with scale or even simplicity, but it has low-fi spirit, with Ray providing action, exploitation, and weirdness to the best of his ability.