Roger Corman made his first foray into producing with this low budget creature feature that sets the tone for his later output.

Julie (Anne Kimbell) is an artist having a break at a seaside village in Mexico, but is disturbed by talk of a man-eating beast terrorising the cove. Marine biologist and love interest Steve (Stuart Wade), doesn’t believe Julie when she sees a one-eyed creature emerging from the sea, but when she shows him a sample she obtained from the creature, he sets out to destroy the fiend.

Slow-paced and quaint, this monster movie might not deliver when it comes to effects and action, but it’s important for launching Corman into the indie giant he became. It’s not a particularly dull watch, being a brisk 65 minutes, and fans of classic horror will get a big kick out of it. Despite (or maybe because of) its rudimentary effects, it still delivers during the few moments they’re used.

Film Masters has released Monster from the Ocean Floor on this new Blu-ray edition, and it looks fantastic. The film is backed up with several special features. A pair of older featurettes focus on Corman’s early work and Bob Baker’s impressive monsters. A commentary from acclaimed horror historian Tom Weaver also includes archive input from the late, great Corman. Not overly abundant, but certainly making the release a worthwhile purchase.