Fathom (1967)
Review by HTQ4
Film:
DVD:

Written by Lorenzo Semple, Jr., based on the novel by Larry Forrester
Directed by Leslie H. Martinson
Starring Raquel Welch, Anthony Franciosa, Ronald Fraser, Richard Briers, Greta Chi

Features:

• Trailers
  

Fathom Harvill (Welch) is a dental hygenist who also happens to be a member of a U.S. skydiving team. She is jumping in Spain when she is approached by a Scottish secret agent asking her to help obtain information about a missing hydrogen bomb called the "Firedragon" that every covert organization in the world is trying to get their hands on. She parachutes onto Peter Merriweather's (Franciosa) veranda to plant a radio transmitter in his house, but she winds up in a tangled web involving a strange doctor named Serapkin (Clive Revill), the man who has his hands closest to the Firedragon.

This movie is everything a 60s spy spoof movie is supposed to be, filled with beautiful women running around scantily clad and getting involved in international espionage. The dialogue is absolutely silly and the story is even more outrageous. Welch is everything the role calls for, which of course is outstandingly sexy. Everyone else in the film is there simply to either make her look good or to put her in situations where she has to turn her on her feminine charms to get in or out of the given circumstances. What's really amazing is that no matter what situation she has been in, her hair and makeup are always perfect. Not to mention the fact that her costumes fit her like a glove no matter how active she has been. For the most part, this movie is pretty funny.

The DVD treatment is probably as good as what should be expected for a movie like this one. I mean, filmmakers didn't really make very many behind-the-scenes vignettes back then (and some might consider this a blessing), and what can you really say in a director's commentary other than stuff like, "Man, didn't Raquel look really hot in that outfit?" So, we have to deal with what they gave us on the DVD, which are merely the theatrical trailers for this and a couple of other 60s spy spoof movies.

The main problem with this DVD, though, is the audio track. I'm not sure whether it is the way they attempted to transfer the original soundtrack or that they didn't modify the original sountrack, but the audio mix is absolutely horrendous. It's so bad that when you have the volume loud enough to be able to hear the dialogue, it's painful to listen to.

So, if you enjoy 60s spy movies, or if you are a red-blooded American heterosexual male looking for a movie where you can eyeball the best assets of Raquel Welch, pick this movie up at your rental store.