Echoing what others have said, I saw this movie when I was about 16. I only saw it the one time, the original broadcast in 1978, but it has remained lurking in my memory ever since. The music, the situations, the cheesy effects . . . The doomed romance element still makes my heart ache. For a cheap little Rankin-Bass production, this film is remarkably effective. This one *seriously* needs to be released on DVD.
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lanzman28 July 2002
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After reading the other comments here, I see that this movie does truly affect people. The one and only time I saw this movie before last night, was when it first aired when I was only 4 years old. The turtle and Jennie's eyes were pretty much the only thing I remembered. Somehow this movie stuck out on my mind. I searched the web for it, not knowing the title but finally find it. I searched the web for a copy and finally found one. I watched it last night and got the full effect of it. This is actually such a sad, haunting tale of forbidden love and sadness.
The effects are good for its time and for a made for TV movie. The music is what conveys the sadness and gives the viewer a haunting sense of love that could never be and loss. This movie is many things-a love story, an adventure, a sci-fi movie and a fantasy movie. I'm so glad I was able to finally find it and see it as an adult so that I could get the full feel of it. I can see why so many others have had a lasting impression of it.
The acting is believable although not a full effort by some characters. Overall this movie is a definitely a must see for lovers of many genres. -
secragt23 April 2003Strangely enough, I am yet another in the apparent landslide of 13-year-olds already so copiously documented here who saw this eerie and haunting offering first run in 1978 on ABC TV. I, too, was touched by all the same ethereal aspects others have mentioned. It is interesting that we all seem to share the same highlights: the lilting guitar-based "Jenny" theme and the symphonic theme, the cheesy turtle, the phenomenally fetching Ms. Selleca and the sad descent into the ocean at the end. I, too, can attest to all the same strange stirrings and emotions in response to the doomed love story...probably a lot of it was mere hormonal lust but I also suspect there was something deeper at work, because so many have echoed my remembrances. This seems like a somewhat extraordinary communal experience shared by so many given the presumably mediocre ratings for this modestly budgeted and anonymous tv movie which has rarely ever aired subsequently.
I saw portions of the movie again some years later (probably 1990 or so) and recall that the plot was not nearly as plausible as my less discriminating 13 year old mind might have believed and that the production values were lacking (the sea turtle was pretty claymation looking). I also seem to recall that there was something weird in one of the actor's voices like all of their lines had been dubbed sloppily. However, I also recall that there was something at work in this movie that is rare. A lot of it was probably in Connie Selleca's gorgeousness but some of it was also in the darkly gothic nature of the secret undersea world this movie creates so effectively. The movie itself has many amateurish aspects but there is still a magic to it such that I'm still intrigued by this movie, even with the limitations I can recall from having last seen it some ten or so years ago. I still want to see it again and be entranced by the tragic and ill-fated romance of...The Bermuda Depths.
One more thing (pretty innocuous, but it hasn't been mentioned yet so...) the "Jenny" song bears more than a passing resemblance to a similarly mysterious and haunting melody called "Moonchild" by KING CRIMSON on their "Court of the Crimson King" LP of 1969. Whenever I hear that song (which is semi-regularly), I immediately flash to the end where we see the turtle plunging to the depths. The movie really does stay with you! -
random122 August 1999This movie is my Holy Grail. I have found every movie that affected me as I grew up but this one. I was 8 years old when I saw this movie and all I remember is the sound of the ocean and the haunting memory of a lovely phantom girl who waits for her childhood love. (Carl Weathers being dragged to the oceans depths on the back of a giant turtle is a bonus as well.) It's been so long that I don't recall how the special effects were but it's tone and moodiness have stuck with me to this day.
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germanyjon6719 January 2004the year the film made it to TV, I must have been 11 years old, and the intensity i felt at that time, must have been corresponding with puberty, as it left a lasting impression on me - much to the level "The Blue Lagoon" did around that same time.
It's just a haunting and cerebreal movie I had forgotten about, but am glad to find again... if it would only come out on DVD. -
mcdgames20 June 2006This is a motion picture that can be rated in many facets, and in some ways it would disappoint a casual viewer or enthrall another who sees something deeper (pardon the pun) in the story.
First of all, Connie Selleca's unearthly beauty is one of the main reasons to watch this. She is so like a mythic siren, that you will no doubt be lost upon the rocks by just following her crystal blue eyes.
For those who like guys, Leigh McLoskey is a personable but vague "hunk" (my girlfriend has a still of him from this movie).
The story is haunting with some very interesting elements within it. The soundtrack is somewhat dated, of course, but adds much character to the overall effect. Maurie Laws' harpsichord instrumental is the best bet here, capturing Selleca's distant and melancholy character Jennie Haniver from the time she was alive.
Suspend disbelief, and just watch the scenery and the atmosphere here - don't get yourself hooked up on special effects (or lack thereof); this is not Spiderman or Star Wars. Watch for the smaller and more moody shots that actually will make you yearn to for the ocean and its mysteries.
The problems with this movie? The script could have been polished, yes. Bankin-Bass could have tried to put more money into better effects and a better director overall. The acting is a tad bit over-melodramatic. I kept waiting for Burl Ives to fall into a sea chantey.
Still, watch it on a cloudy Saturday afternoon when the house is quiet. If you live on the coast, its better. -
amagee-118 October 2004I am so happy right now, I could cry. I also feel kind of stupid for waiting so long to do an IMDb search for "sea turtle". Like so many others here, I saw the film on TV when I was about 6. I have never forgotten it and I think of it often. There are images from this film that are seared into my brain. I think it is very strange how many gen-x'rs here have been affected by this film. Someone should do a Psyche dissertation on this - or maybe we should all get group therapy!
I have just signed the on-line petition to have this film released on DVD, and I was #399 - YEAH! I strongly urge everyone else to do the same. Its easy, just follow this link: http://www.petitiononline.com/bermuda1
If anyone knows how to get hold of a copy of this film, or you just want to chat about your memories of the movie, feel free to email me. amagee@sbcglobal.net
I have been looking so long for this movie that I am convinced that I will not be able to leave this earth until I have seen it at least one more time.
Thank you all for sharing your thoughts and memories on this film.
-Andy -
cmshea1111 January 2007I too saw this movie only once, at age 9 in 1978. Maybe twice, but it still lingers in my mind ever since. As a young boy, I thought Connie Selleca was beautiful, an angel in fact. Well, maybe more of a mermaid or sea nymph here. The giant turtle in the movie was pretty wild since Selleca as Jenny and her boyhood friend found this turtle, kept it as a pet I think, then released it to the sea where it grew to this enormous size. I think there was some mad scientist that genetically engineered the turtle to grow so big but I'm not sure. Typically, Carl Weathers was in the movie and he dies by being pulled under water by the giant turtle an drowning as he is attached to the turtle by a rope around his leg. It was a tragic love story. Pretty cheesy, but I'll give it a 7 for staying in my find for 30 years. Oh, the scientific name of a giant turtle is Archelon Ischyros.
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I have always had the memory of this film in the back of my mind...I learned to scuba dive and my love of the sea is because of this movie. I have always remembered parts of the film, like the initials on the back of the turtle...help I so need a copy..let me know, I'll go the distance!
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Sidadressage4 February 2006I liked this movie a lot. And I have to say that I must be old as well because I also saw it in the late seventies or mid eighties. If anyone can get a DVD of this film for me let me know and I'll pay for it. Gawd it seems that it takes forever for anybody to put a movie out on a new format. I just got an email from Amazon about another movie that I loved that just came out. The Frisco Kid with Harrison Ford and Gene Wilder. It seems that I'd been looking for this film for a couple of years. I actually bought a bootleg DVD several months ago and of course it comes out now on DVD. There are a few that I want and one of these is this film. Mabey I'll get lucky and it'll come out soon.
JPC -
Coventry22 July 2010My old grandfather always used to say "boy, don't go chasing mermaids ". I just thought he was senile and never had a clue what he meant, but now after seeing this movie I do! My pop must have experienced something similar like the protagonist in "The Bermuda Depths". I guess the expression means: never trust a girl you meet on the beach, because she might turn out a minion of the devil who sold her soul in exchange for eternal life and terrorizes the Bermuda area on a ridiculously over-sized turtle Makes sense, right? "The Bermuda Depths" is quite a bizarre film. I was getting worried and upset from the very first seconds already. I thought I had purchased a sea-monster movie/Bermuda Triangle mystery, and yet the film opens with a love balled sung by Claude Carmichael and elegant underwater photography. That can't be good. Then, to make things even worse, we're exposed to an overlong flashback depicting a youthful romance that predates "The Blue Lagoon" with two years and comes across as even smarmier. A boy and a girl meet on the beach and carve their initials in a turtle's harness (sadist kids!), but then suddenly she disappears into the ocean and he loses his father in a weird accident. Twenty years and numerous foster homes later, the boy returns to the beach area and joins his father old work buddies. They try to solve the Bermuda Triangle mystery and are convinced there's some kind of undiscovered animal species living in the depths at the ocean. The boy also meets his childhood crush again, but there's something very suspicious and hallucinated about her. You know, this movie is something fairly unique: one of the only amalgamations between dreamy fairy-tale romance and cheesy monster action! The impossible love-affair as well as Jenny's heartbreaking folklore legend is very likely to enchant, while Carl Weathers' obsessive hunt at least keeps the film somewhat intriguing. The first hour is pretty dull, but the last twenty minutes compensate for a lot! There are delightfully cheesy images of a mega- turtle (eat your heart out, Gammara!) and also miniature ships and fake helicopter explosions. The climax is very anti-American and thus very unexpected! I love it when that happens. Practically all my fellow reviewers have fond memories of this movie, as they apparently all watched it on TV during their childhood. Sadly I can't share the nostalgia. Neither can I share the sentiment that "The Bermuda Depths" is a great movie. It's weird and random, I'll give it that.
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TVholic16 July 2000SPOILER: Those of us old enough to remember the ABC Movies of the Week in the '70s remember more than a few science fiction, horror and fantasy pickings. Among them were "The Stranger Within," "Satan's Triangle," "The Last Dinosaur" and Irwin Allen's "The Time Travelers." On a cold, dark winter night of January 27, 1978, Rankin and Bass -- best known for their cheerful Christmas stop-motion cartoons -- took us on a two-hour trip to tropical climes with "Bermuda Depths," featuring lush locations filmed in where else but Bermuda.
In recent years, I obtained first a poor-quality copy of the movie and later the DVD. The first time I played it was with some trepidation. Would it be better left in the past? After watching it, I'm still ambivalent. It was good to see it again, but some parts were definitely B-movie quality, something an older but not necessarily wiser me finds less easy to forgive than 22 years ago.
This movie was an uneasy blend of science fiction and mystical fantasy. It appears the writers couldn't decide on which kind of movie to do. Sometimes, it's a supernatural story with the devil's servant - a gigantic turtle with glowing eyes - and a forever young "imaginary friend" who only appears to men about to drown or to be lost at sea. Then it turns around and both can be wounded by nothing more than spear-guns and harpoons. If only the writers had chosen one or the other, it would have been a stronger story.
One can't help but note the similarities with 1984's "Splash." A young man returns to a place of happiness from his youth. He finds a mysterious young woman, also with ties to his past, who is far more than she appears. Determined to ferret out the truth is an obsessed researcher. The biggest difference is that this story has the kind of ending Hollywood would never allow today. Not a single character is left happy. Not even bittersweet. "Rudolph, the Red-nosed Reindeer," this wasn't.
The main musical theme was a delicate, somewhat melancholy piece composed by one of the masters, Antonio Vivaldi. It's the Largo movement from the Concerto for Lute, 2 Violins and Basso Continuo in D Major. Vivaldi composed in the early 18th century, the time of Jennie Hanniver. The Concerto also made several appearances in Georges Delerue's Academy Award-winning score for 1979's "A Little Romance." The first three minutes, an extended flashback to Magnus' days as a boy on the island, were the highlight of the movie as the lyrical concerto wended its way through scenes of childhood innocence.
The special effects were dead ringers for ones from Japanese "kaiju" giant monster movies, complete with blatant miniatures in the water tank shots. The giant turtle even looked a lot like Gamera in some shots. This is understandable as the effects actually were done in Japan, as with the previous Rankin/Bass monster effort, "The Last Dinosaur."
The young leads did what they could, but were hampered by their inexperience and the material. This introduced a lissome Connie Selleca. Leigh McCloskey fared somewhat less well as his character's motivations were never really clear. Nor was it ever explained why Jennie appeared to Magnus twice - first as a little girl and later as an adult - when he was not about to drown or be lost at sea either time, as the legend demanded.
A single U.S. production run of the videocassette was done in the '80s. With no promotion from the company, most of the tapes went into video rental stores. It took decades, but at long last, Warner is offering a manufactured on demand DVD with some decent picture quality. It's not perfect, but certainly no worse than our TV reception back in 1978. -
keith-jeronymo17 October 2014I have also wondered about this movie for a very long time. I saw it as a kid on TV, and only remember the plot about the giant sea turtle and the final scene with Carl Weather's character and the other trying in vain to cut through the cable tangled around Carl's ankle with a pocket knife... then being pulled to the depths by the giant creature. That last shot of Carl's character going deeper and deeper with a trail of bubbles above him... very haunting as a kid. And it has stayed with me all these years. Odd, for someone who has lived, worked and played on the ocean most of my life, this image have prevented me from learning to SCUBA dive when younger for fear of not being able to see past 50 feet or so while underwater (clearly, no, I've never considered learning in water that was more clear to see through!).
Wow - never thought I would find the name of this movie again. -
I must have been 6-7 when this movie aired and have been trying to describe "a movie with a girl name Jenny, a giant sea turtle and her name carved in it's shell" for years.
Finally a community of people who must also remember That's Cat!
Anyway, this movie and the "movie about a man and an otter named Mitch (Ring of Bright Water - 1969 - otter's name is actually Mij)" have been torturing my brain for years--thank goodness for the Internet (and for those who remember life before it).
Other titles that are easier to find, that you probably remember or would enjoy are: Sweet Hostage (1975); The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976); The House on Greenapple Road (1970).
Something about the images, the mood, the lighting, and the sound (mono) makes the movies so oddly memorable that it is "haunting". -
aesgaard411 November 2000What starts out as a good sea serpent thriller for kids turns into an unrequited love story for adults.Plot:Leigh McKloskey returns to Bermuda to seek out why and how his father died when he was a boy.Instead,he discovers that his father had been conducting strange experiments and that his childhood friend,now played mysteriously by Connie Sellecca,is not what she appears to be.The last scenes in the cemetery and the giant turtle underwater wrapped everything up for me.The movie's theme, "Jenny," still drives goosebumps up my back. I recommend this movie for anyone who's been to Bermuda or is thinking of going.I stayed up late one night just to tape this movie on my VCR and I'll tell you,it was worth it !!!
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Victorian_Lord10 September 2003I last saw this film in 1979 when it was re run and it's imagry still haunts me. A young man returns to his home after many years where he meets up with his childhood playmate, now a grown woman. But she is not what she seems, and is part of a dark secret, a secret that cost the young man his family when he was a boy. Although it's been twenty plus years since I saw this movie, I can still recall many of the images clearly; the 1700's Jennie sinking into the depths after making her pact with the devil, skirts billowing around her, the giant turtles attack on the lighthouse, Jennie's eyes glowing just before she claims Carl weather's character, the haunting theme song (Which I wish someone would have put on a record). I have searched for this film on VHS and now DVD for many years to add it to my collection, but to no avail. I see Rankin and Bass, who produced all those animated holiday specials have brought them out on DVD, so why not this movie which has obviously touched a great many other people besides myself. is there any way we could contact them and let them know just how much we'd be willing to purchase this film if they produced a quality DVD version?
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Muldwych3 September 2010A young man returns to Bermuda hoping to discover why his father died 13 years earlier and becomes entranced by a mysterious young woman who turns out to be the childhood friend who disappeared into the sea that same day. Somehow, she is connected to his father's strange fate, but the answers lie out there, in the Devil's Triangle.
I first saw 'The Bermuda Depths' many years ago and while the plot had faded from memory long since, there was something about it that remained with me. A recent reviewing went some way toward explaining this, although it also suggested that my tastes were probably less demanding back then. What I see now is a film that has not aged well, unraveled in its designs by bad acting, dreadful special effects and a premise that proves effective only while under the influence of Valium. The nonsense of the Bermuda Triangle too was perhaps more alluring in 1978, but seems painfully artificial now, perhaps because the coast guards of the region have been trying to get it through to people that nowhere near as many ships disappear in the area as pop culture would maintain, and those that have did so with a far more mundane explanation than some want to believe.
Others may suggest I'm missing the point of course, and 'The Bermuda Depths' rides high on the wave of piffle the previous decades have built up surrounding this supposedly supernatural island chain. Throw in an emotionally-damaged young man, a family tragedy, an attractive siren in a black swimsuit and legends of archelonian leviathans, and herein is the tale intended to ensnare us from the distractions of logic. Well-done, these elements should come together to form an intriguing mystery and a haunting story of star-crossed love, but the delivery is off both before and behind the camera.
The central character of Magnus Dens, for example, is potentially the most intriguing. Dens, we learn, is an aimless drifter, orphaned by the tragic loss of his parents and direction-less as a result. Upon returning to Bermuda, he finds himself entranced by a woman invisible to everyone but the local 'wise woman' who places her existence within the framework of a centuries-old curse. Rejecting the madness of the one person who believes him, Dens is treated with pitied sympathy by his friends, certain his crumbling psychological state is torturing him with the hallucinations of an imaginary friend. This, to me, demonstrates wonderful scope on the part of the lead that should lend true anguish and drama to the conflict. Unfortunately, actor Leigh McClosky brings this complex character to life with all the energy of a deflating balloon, his languid stares and lethargic movement interrupted at times by over-the-top aggression meant to signal an unleashing of his inner turmoil, but coming across as two-dimensional over-excitement. While I have no problem with the supporting cast, their efforts cannot make up for McClosky's inability to act. Even the lovely Connie Sellecca's superior performance as the almost spectral seductress Jennie – a subtle miasma of innocence and eternal regret – can only do so much when this is whom she must play against, although it's likely no coincidence that it is with her that McClosky gives his best performances, Sellecca seemingly bringing out in him capabilities elsewhere hidden from view.
That said, William Overgard's script clearly isn't interested in being the character study it ought to in favour of a shallow pastiche of 'Moby Dick' vying for time with the elements of unrequited love. There's no reason we can't have both, but efforts to champion one direction come at the cost of another, perhaps in a desire to provide spectacle. This unfortunately is where the film's low budget really becomes evident, with some very cheap and unconvincing model shots, special effects and atrocious day-for-night shooting , which admittedly I don't recall being such glaring problems 20 years ago. 'The Bermuda Depths' is one of those films that holds together far better not simply in the distant past when it was made, but in that hazy distance of memory, which over time smooths out the inconsistencies. It's a little like being reunited with your first love and finding that much of what you recall about it has been rose-tinted in the years since.
The soundtrack too is an odd mish-mash of styles reflecting the shifting, unevenness of the plot. A haunting period theme song suggests temptation and seduction, giving way to a recurring (and indeed familiar) classical guitar motif, both of which must coexist with a strange retro thriller score that reminded me at times of orchestrations Malcolm Lockyer was creating in 60s sci-fi matinées. The final element of what one today might call 'muzak' fills out the dramatic downtime. The overall lack of coherence suggests the differing perspectives behind the scenes and a loss of clarity.
One thing that has not suffered from the passage of time, however, is the location itself. All exterior scenes were shot in Bermuda and its sleepy urban landscape, powder-white beaches flanked by picturesque rocky outcrops and azure sea go a long way toward compensating for other deficiencies. The local government, credited for assisting in the making of the film, would doubtless have seen it as an enticing travel promotion and deservedly so – it certainly worked on me. The natural landscape lends itself perfectly to the storyline and ultimately, it is only the artificial enhancements of post-production, weak plotting and character development that don't stand up to scrutiny – especially to a modern audience.
Ultimately, these are the dangers of revisiting the past and the way it is often defeated by the ravages of time and the changes we undergo as a result. Ironically, this mirrors 'The Bermuda Depths' rather well. The film itself is the beckoning siren, luring the rose-tinted memories of an ageing audience toward potential heartbreak, and like the ancient mariners, I failed to lash myself to the mast in time. -
damianphelps16 October 2021I have no idea why this film got a bluray reissue, its just terrible! The picture quality is fabulous but nothing else is.
Save your time and stare at paint instead!
Avoid. -
AaronCapenBanner23 September 2013Leigh McCloskey plays Magnus Dens, a young man who returns to his childhood home in Bermuda to investigate his father's mysterious death. He meets up with two of his father's colleagues(played by Burl Ives & Carl Weathers) who are marine biologists looking into reports of giant sea creatures, and in particular a giant turtle. He also meets up with a beautiful and mysterious young woman(Connie Sellecca) who had been a friend of his from childhood, and has a strange and deadly connection to the giant turtle, which is no myth...
Effective and eerie TV film became a legend among viewers back in the late 70's as "that giant turtle movie", since the actual title was forgotten, and this film seldom seen. Has a memorably melancholy air of mystery and loss, and a haunting song "Jennie" about the ghostly and doomed woman Magnus is in love with. Scenes with the turtle are well done and exciting, and this film is worth seeing on DVD, from Warner Archive collection. -
david211210 January 2010I had a similar reaction as others did when I saw this movie on a local TV late night movie when i was 10 or 13. I still remember Jenny and the turtle. (and her spooky glowing blue eyes). The locations in the Caribbean were great. The scene with the doctor describing how the mans father died in the storm were a great way to set up the story. The movie is a great mix of romance and horror. Connie Selleca was very attractive when she made this. Creepy as heck for a Rankin/Bass movie. I finally found someone online about 5 years ago who was selling VHS tapes of it via ebay. I now have a copy. Rewatching it as an adult - the movie is still good but it has lost much of its allure. This should be on DVD. The VHS tape i have is OK but now there are only 5-10 videos i still watch in that format. This would be a great movie to remake with modern effects I think.
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Unlike many of the folks who have left comments on this movie, I first saw "The Bermuda Depths" (TBD) when I was in my late thirties or early forties. It is a movie that I should have written off as being just another cheesy made-for-TV flick but, instead, I found it to be strangely affecting, if not outright haunting. This feeling, I admit, flies in the face of the bad special effects (the giant turtle, for example), sometimes corny dialog, and a story rife with holes. I don't know if it was the interesting cast (Burl Ives puts in an especially good performance), the intriguing music, the story, or Connie Selleca's breathtaking beauty, but I was hooked. I watched it several more times before putting it on tape. I have since transferred it to a DVD, which I pull out every now and then. Strangely enough, my kids have come to share my love of this film, although they, like their Dad, can't say exactly why. This film is somewhat reminiscent of some fantasy films of the forties and fifties. For example, I can't watch "A Portrait of Jenny" without thinking of TBD. Like TBD and "A Portrait of Jenny," some films rise above their obvious flaws and connect with the viewer's emotions in a very special way. These are special films, indeed, and deserve a different kind of recognition. In summary, if you get a chance to see "The Bermuda Depths" (if it ever airs again or comes out in DVD form), try to watch it with your heart and not your head. If you can, you, too, will be hooked.
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This movie had a very profound effect upon my brother and I. We saw it in 1979 when I was 11 years old, and my brother was 7. I spent the next 20 years trying to tell people about the movie with the "Giant Turtle". Virtually nobody knew what I was talking about, and they thought I was nuts - but I knew that both my brother and I had seen it.
I caught part of the end of it in the late 1980's, probably on WGN or TBS late at night, and actually called one of my friends and made him turn it on, because he thought I was making the movie up. So there was another person to verify it's existence! LOL!
I wish that this movie would be released on DVD; I found it every bit as haunting as the 1974 film GARGOLYES. (Which I just happened to get today for Christmas on DVD! Thank God my Brother understands and loves these old movies as much as I do! Thanks Bro!!)
All I can say is, this Movie Rocks. IF it's on and you have to go to work, call in sick! If they won't let you have off -then Quit! Jobs are available all day long, "The Berumuda Depths" isn't!
Tim -
kevnar27 March 2005* minor spoilers, if it really matters I saw this movie when I was about six or so. I don't remember much about it, but that it freaked me out as a child. I remember the two kids carving their names onto the turtle's shell. I vaguely remember somebody drowning, getting snagged and dragged down by the turtle or something, and I remember the scene at the end where the girl shows up on the boat with her eyes all glowing. I really want to see this movie again, but have never seen it anywhere, not even in a bargain bin.
I know I'd probably be disappointed, but it would fill in a lot of holes in my memory about it. -
Wizard-814 December 2003Not many people know that animation studio Rankin/Bass made a few stabs into live-action productions. This may be their best known, if only because (especially evident in these user comments) so many people remember it from their childhoods! I can see why, since there are some haunting images and scenes (like the long opening where hardly a word is spoken), skillful use of classical music, themes of loss and despair, and a decidingly un-Hollywood ending. Though watching the movie with the eyes of an adult, its flaws become clear - unbelievably cheesy special effects, plot elements that are murky or underbaked, and characters doing/saying things that are laughable at times. All the same, the movie still has some magic to it, and when you watch it you can see the makings of a truly enchanting buried under mediocre production. It probably deserves a DVD release - I'm certain a lot of people would buy it to relive their childhoods! - but since the majority of the Rankin/Bass catalog today seems to be under the control of Warner Brothers (who are clueless about releasing older movies on DVD), it will probably never happen.
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rpcjrfag9 January 2006This movie has haunted me since I saw it as a 10 yr. old. I could never remember the title, but the phantom girl and the giant turtle stuck with me. I found the title on "terrortrap.com" and was amazed to find from this site that there are other people haunted by this movie too. I will never forget the images of the girl throwing herself off the clipper ship into the depths, thus sealing her pact. Likewise the image of the male lead being dragged by the giant turtle to his watery grave. I don't recall the turtle or the girl being particularly evil, but it has been a long time since last I saw this film. (Actually, I saw it twice. Once when it premiered and then again the following summer as a re-run.)I would love to see it again and see how it holds up to my recollection of it.