I saw this movie on TV when I was a kid and I think it is what cemented bondage in my mind, forever.

The part of the movie where the ship is attacked by the giant squid had a huge impact on me. It was described at the time (1954) as “the most thrilling sequence ever photographed in motion picture history.” I remember watching this as a kid, with my dad, and being at once terrified — and also incredibly turned on — by seeing the tentacles of the monster grab the sailors. Once a sailor was in the tight grip of the squid, there was nothing he could do escape.

These images stayed with me for a LONG TIME, and in fact I think this is the kind of thing that got me interested in bondage from a very young age (Batman and Robin had a lot to do with it as well, but that’s a whole different posting for another day.)

Anyway back to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. This was a well-made movie spectacle, and it featured a very young Kirk Douglas, who looks like a total hunk in his red and white striped shirt. If you have never seen this movie, I recommend you put it in your Netflix queue immediately. Or you can get it on Amazon.

See below for the movie trailer.

(HINT: the squid attack starts at 3:40.)