Righteous Recommendations
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Like many of these very old movies there are more versions of Creature from the Haunted Sea than you can shake a sea monster at. At least this time there are a couple that stand out from the others.
While there are a few stand-alone DVD options only 1 of these stands out: the one that lists “In Color!” The other notables are multi-packs with one being the 50 pack of "Horror Classics," and the other being a Roger Corman 3 pack.
I'll be telling you about the "Horror Classics" 50 pack.
Video:
1.33: I thought this would have been the original ratio for the movie, but since the trilogy pack lists a widescreen version maybe this really is an early example of pan-&-scan. The image is pretty rough containing a lot of trash and lines. It looks like the negative was scratched up. It's still clear enough to make out all the action.
Audio:
1.0 mono: The audio quality is decent, and by decent I mean you can understand all the dialogue (which is not always the case with these old films). It shows its age but is acceptable. It does sound somewhat muted, but there isn't much white noise.
Packaging:
This particular disc is housed in a cardboard sleeve contained in a Velcro-fastened box. You can read about the set as a whole in great detail in the Horror Classics (50 pack) guide.
Extras:
There are no extras of any kind.
Other Editions:
While I don't care at all about having colorized versions of black-&-white films, the “In Color!” DVD does also offer a “restored” transfer of the original as well. It lists the full-frame ratio and no extras.
The Roger Corman Puerto Rico trilogy offers Creature from the Haunted Sea, The Last Woman on Earth, and Battle of Blood Island with the best presentations and listing of extras I've seen for any of them. This is the only listing for a widescreen version of this movie that I've seen along with a commentary and additional scenes shot for TV.
Final Thoughts:
If you're really wanting to own this movie on its own merits the Roger Corman trilogy is easily your best bet. It's the only one listing any extras and is your best bet at quality of presentation. The 50 pack offers a lot of movies for a low price and offers acceptable quality for the casual fan. The 20 pack is OK as well but generally less pleasing quality-wise than the 50 pack.
Want to get your hands on something you read about? Click the links below.
I've also seen the version in the 20 pack called “Chilling.”
Video:
1.33: It's trashy, a little washed out, and grainy with a shaky image.
Audio:
1.0 mono: There is a good bit of white noise, enough to be annoying.
Packaging:
The disc comes in a paper sleeve that lives in a plastic case. You can get more details about the set as a whole by checking out Chilling (20 pack) guide.
Extras:
No extras for this one, either.
