Death Ship (1980) User Reviews (116)

Ship of Death: The Haunting of Unspeakable Acts from the Past

[Vomitron_G · 6/10 · 22 November 2006]

When I was a little kid, driving by this local videostore on my bike, I always stopped to take a quick peek at this amazingly cool video-cover displayed in front of the store window (just look up the poster art here on IMDb). Around that same time I saw on television just a few little fragments of a French-dubbed horror movie taking place on a ship. The name George Kennedy both on the cover and on the credits linked the two facts together. By the time I was old enough to go rent it, the copy had mysteriously disappeared from the videostore. I've been on the look-out for this film ever since.

Thanx to Dario_the_2nd (fellow horror-boarder) the wait finally came to an end. And to say it right away: I honestly don't understand the low rating this film has here on IMDb. Sure it's not a perfect movie; the story is pretty thin and the acting isn't really memorable or something (though not bad at all either). What this movie lacks in the plot-department, at makes up more than enough in eerie atmosphere and creepiness. When a luxury cruise ship sinks, a few survivors adrift find their way onto a huge, dirty and abandoned ship, apparently floating dead in the water. But not quite as dead as they expected, they'll soon find out. The pace of the movie is rather slow, but the ship itself is frightening and menacing. With numerous shots of its self-functioning engine, countless pipes, valves and other iron-work, the vessel establishes itself as a threatening presence, or even more so: a real character, throughout the entire movie. It's no secret at all that this ship is haunted and the reason why is quite shocking. Two scenes that stayed with me from when I was a kid, were that-one-lady-in-the-projection-room-turning-ugly and especially the blood-shower scene. The latter one really is a foul scene. Of course, you've seen that before, but this is one of the better efforts. However, this still remains a very un-stylized B-movie. No fancy cinematography, no well-balanced lighting and a lot of hand-held camera shots. But all this adds to the effect of realism. And at not one point I found myself giggling at the sort of clumsiness of the mise-en-scène (which I actually expected to do so, before going into this movie). As much as the editing is rudimentary, their are some fine textbook examples of cross-cutting to be found. A technique seldomly used anymore. At least not in mainstream films. The rather minimalistic but effective musical score helped to set the right tone from the opening credits on.

I could conclude that this flick might perhaps not be enjoyed by the general horror-fan nowadays, but if you're interested in the weird and bizarre, then this one is worth hunting down. Good luck with it.

Death Ship

[ryan-10075 · 5/10 · 6 July 2020]

When I was a kid I hated this movie. But, after additional viewings and understanding that there is a creepiness to the film and some good ideas. Yet it is not a good horror film in my mind and those good ideas become wasted due to what I find are scenes that are too drawn out, stupid characters and it does become tiring watching the characters bumble around an empty ship.

The story is about a cruise ship with ultra-stuffy Captain Ashland (George Kennedy) on his final voyage. They crash into this mysterious ship and are sunk. The few shipwrecked survivours are in a lifeboat and come across that very ship that sunk them. Inside they begin to find horrific secrets and must escape before their very lives are taken.

Film also has a pretty darn good cast that also includes Richard Crenna, Nick Mancuso, Kate Reid and Saul Rubinek. Yet, in the end it just misses the mark.

A movie where George Kennedy drinks sewage

[BandSAboutMovies · 5/10 · 1 October 2019]

Alvin Rakoff is a Canadian television, stage, and film director who has spent most of his career working in England. This is the lone horror film on a resume that including more than a hundred television works. It's certainly not the only horror film on the IMDB list for co-writer Jack Hill, who wrote and directed Spider Baby, as well as Switchblade Sisters, Foxy Brown, Sorceress and so many more.

Imagine if you will - a combination of a slasher and The Shining on a boat. That's probably how this got sold, with a logline just like that.

Captain Ashland (George Kennedy, who as we all know will never turn down a role. Sadly, this is not his worse cruise ship film, as he'd save that honor for Uninvited, a film in which he battles a genetically altered housecat on a drug dealer's boat) is on his final voyage around the Caribbean, a fact that makes him angry about life in general. His replacement, Trevor Marshall (Richard Crenna) tries to connect with him, but it isn't happening. Also: Marshall never got that old salty sailor memo about wives being bad luck on ships.

Before the movie even gets out of port, a black freighter appears and sinks the ship, leaving a small band of survivors in a rescue boat. Don't get to know many of them all that well - they're fodder for the slasher gods.

Beyond Marshall and the captain, there's Marshall's wife Margaret (Sally Ann Howes, who played Truly Scrumptious in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Seriously, was Ian Fleming the most ridiculous, the most sexist or the most ridiculously sexist namer of female characters ever? I can almost see him sipping on tea and saying, "I'm going to name her Scrumptious. Truly Scrumptious.") and kids, Robin and Ben. As the movie moves from scare to scare, Ben is truly the little engine that moves this death ship onward, all because he can't stop peeing. Seriously - 90% of this movie is this kid looking for a place to piss and then getting lost and leading others to their doom.

There's also a young officer named Nick (Nick Mancuso, following "The Danza" trope here; he'd go on to be in TV's Stingray and play the improbably named Antichrist Franco Macalousso in an extension of the Left Behind franchise) and his girl Lori, as well as an older passenger named Mrs. Morgan and the ship's comedian, Jackie (Saul Rubinek, who was in True Romance and SyFy' Warehouse 13).

They all managed to find their way on to the black freighter - no, not the one from Watchmen - and instantly Jackie the funnyman is grabbed by a cable, held aloft and repeatedly dunked into the ocean until he's swept away. Jackie didn't seem like all that popular of a crewmember, because the attempts to rescue him are laughable in their half-heartedness.

In the midst of all these shenanigans, the captain meets the Nazi ghosts that run the ship and - shades of the aforementioned Kubrick film which came out the very same year - he becomes the new captain of the ship, doing fun things like menacing children and strangling old women. He even manages to find an old Kriegsmarine officer's uniform, a fact that no one really finds as troublesome as it should be.

This being a slasher, we're going to need some nudity and plenty of blood. A scene where Lori takes a shower - I love this character choice, made in the midst of a once-trusted captain going full on bonkers and Nazi ghosts singing in the hallways - that turns into a bloody deluge before she's casually tossed into the drink. She's soon followed by her lover, Nick.

Of course, the family gets away and we're treated to the image of George Kennedy getting ground up in the gears of the ship. Speaking of ship parts - if you play the drinking game that involves having a drink every time b-roll footage of the ship's engine room is shown, you'll die faster than any character in this movie. Some of that footage - including the actual flooding of the ship - comes from 1960's The Last Voyage. There's also some footage cribbed from the 1970's remake of King Kong!

The actual death ship used for this movie broke down in the first hour of filming, so any of the shots of it cruising through the ocean are all trick photography. That's probably the best thing I can say about this movie, other than after watching a scene where George Kennedy is blasted full in the face with sewage for an extended period of time, I really felt for him. He had kids - and grandkids and ex-wives - to feed, so he gamely just stood there and took it right in the kisser. God bless you, George. PS - he also played Captains in three other films: Police Captain Ed Hocken in the Police Squad series, a captain in the movie Mean Dog Blues and mechanic Joe Patroni, who eventually became a captain for the truly baffling The Concorde ... Airport '79). Before you say that's typecasting, please know that Kennedy was a captain in the U.S. Army, serving for 16 years before retiring due to a back injury. He actually broke in to Hollywood as a technical advisor on The Phil Silvers Show.

Cheap but has its moments

[heedarmy · 24 October 1999]

"Death Ship" was obviously produced on a flimsy budget, as the cost-conscious opening shipwreck demonstrates - we're not talking James Cameron here! There are other flaws - plot loopholes, dodgy acting and one extraordinary moment of bad editing/continuity. Nevertheless, I think it's an effective film because the basic idea is strong and there are some good creepy moments. Alvin Rakoff's direction makes the most of the location and the climax is well-managed.

Dreary Ship-Board Horror.

[AaronCapenBanner · 3/10 · 31 August 2013]

Richard Crenna and George Kennedy star in this violent, unpleasant, and dreary film about sunken cruise-ship survivors who board the "Death Ship" which turns out to be haunted by the Nazis who conducted experiments there, and now the ship has attained an evil life force of its own, and roams the seas in search of new victims.

Plot has potential(could have been on a very dark episode of "Night Gallery") but it is squandered in a film devoid of style or impact, despite the good actors, who can do little with it. Confusing at times, with annoying use of slow-motion.

This film's poster is the best thing about it!

This "Ship" has sunk

[Zbigniew_Krycsiwiki · 1/10 · 27 January 2004]

A sort of combination between "The Shining" (even though this film was released first, so I really shouldn't compare it in that perspective) and "The Poseidon Adventure": a rusted out, old Nazi torture vessel floats aimlessly about the open waters killing people so it can live off of the blood of its victims. Why does a ship need blood? That is never explained. Not much about this movie makes sense, with rotting corpses showing up in about every other scene for no real reason.

This is a movie that could have, and should have, been a lot more fun than it is, but it takes itself entirely seriously, instead of trying to have fun with its absurd premise. This grimy little movie ends up being absolutely no fun at all, and not worth even considering watching it a second time- except maybe for the shower scene, the highlight of the film. It comes complete with the obligatory setup for a sequel which, happily, never materialised.

decent ghost ship yarn

[jellopuke · 5/10 · 23 October 2019]

Not as gory as it needed to be and there are a few weird continuity problems, but overall its, particularly the last half hour, a creepy ghost story with some nice atmosphere. Despite the low budget, it works well, even if the beginning is dull and the characters are pretty forgettable. Almost a hidden gem, but still worth seeing.

The teeth were terrifying, but watch it for the shower scene !

[vforvirulence · 7/10 · 18 March 2010]

This has the most gratuitous shower "blood-booby" scene imaginable - everything that Terror Tuesday should be.

Over twenty years on, it was as atmospheric as I recalled from watching it as a teenager on the late Saturday night horror shows, and whilst a tad predictable after years of horror-enjoyment, some of the scenes such as the frozen locker of bodies and the 'interrogation room' still gave me jitters.

This film is so different to much contemporary horror, creating an atmosphere of tension instead of showering us in blood. I love the gore, but atmosphere is a prerequisite, and this film showcases how well it can be done. Not to mention the blood covered tatas !

It's a different horror film even though it still has big problems

[breakdownthatfilm-blogspot-com · 5/10 · 29 July 2014]

By the last half of 20th century film making, horror genre pictures had solidified themselves in pop culture. Plus, the horror genre began splitting off into various sub-genres like the "slasher" and "monster" flicks. But when it came to out at sea related adventures, it's hard to say whether there was a lot of them around yet that delved into the horror genre. The biggest noticeable boom in this particular kind of story / setting would be seen later with pictures like Leviathan (1989), Deep Star Six (1989), Deep Rising (1998), Virus (1999) and Ghost Ship (2002). But for Death Ship (1980), it seemed like this was the grandpap of all of them. It is by no means a true gem but it at least has certain aspects that should be respected for.

After being shipwrecked and stranded in the ocean, a group of survivors from the wreck discover an abandoned rusty derelict. Once on board, they begin to realize that the ship is running with no crew. Odd. There's more than meets the eye to this ship that's for sure. Apart of the survivors are George Kennedy as Capt. Ashland, his second in command Trevor Marshall (Richard Crenna - with a full beard) and his wife (Sally Ann Howes - from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)) and kids. Although these actors are good choices, their performances aren't among anything moving. Other than these actors, the last bit of the cast is highly forgettable. Partially this is due to the writing, which addresses some motivations, like the Captain's but not all of them, and this isn't the only flaw.

The ship that which these survivors take refuge on has supernatural powers. It can close its own doors, control its own chains, pump its engines, steer itself and even is accompanied by ghostly voices. Nice! So how did it get these powers? Was it cursed? Don't know, a topic that is never touched on sadly. There is an explanation to what it thrives on but that still doesn't explain its current condition. But going back to the actual ship itself, is something to behold. The production design by Chris Burke and cinematography by René Verzier blend evenly. The look of this ship is as grungy and weather worn as they come. Not to mention all of those cobwebs all over the place. Although the back-story to the ship is not expanded upon, the mystery of not knowing does make it entertaining to a point.

The camera-work is also done differently. To simulate that of being on a boat, the camera sways making it unleveled with square surfaces. It can get a bit nauseating at times but it feels realistic. The practical effects are nice too. All the ship's eerie movements and creaky noises help make the vessel feel that much more bizarre. The horror aspect to the film is probably the weakest though. None of it was scary, it was just unsettling (and that's OK). Adding to that unsettling feeling is Ivor Slaney's score, which incorporates classical sounding orchestral tones and some synth. The best theme was the tune that plays for the ship's engine pistons where horns crescendo and decrescendo for the swinging movement every time they pump. Too bad the complete score isn't available. Horror fans may find something to like about, but I don't guarantee a whole lot.

It has a few respectable cast members but their characters' are not developed fully. However, the ship's production value, camera work, music and all around eerie surrounding is enough to make it somewhat likable.

Interesting Howler!! [Possible Spoilers]

[Steve_Nyland · 6/10 · 1 November 2004]

DEATH SHIP turned out to be my Halloween 2004 movie without even intending to have it be the feature of the night. One of the most notorious "bombs" of the 1980's, DEATH SHIP actually turned out to be one of the most interesting movies I've seen in a while for a couple of reasons. George Kennedy stars as the captain of an excursion liner who is facing retirement with less than a dignified attitude, who's boat is rammed by an old Nazi freighter that apparently acted as a sort of floating death camp, complete with a medical atrocities ward. For reasons never clearly explained the ship has become "haunted" or possessed by the Nazis who manned it [who's demise is also never explained] and continues roaming the seven seas looking for souls to torment by ramming pleasure yachts and lurking around until the survivors scrabble on board for refuge.

We do indeed get a new batch of survivors to be tormented, and the bulk of the film has this apparently none too bright handful of humanity slowly figuring out that the DEATH SHIP is not just some old boat floating around, but not until after an old lady is mutated by some sort of leftover germ warfare experiment, Kennedy is possessed by the DEATH SHIP and goes insane, one guy gets thrown down into the flooded hold and onto a pile of rotted human remains [the film's finest "ewww" moment], and the hot panted chick decides it would be a good idea to TAKE A SHOWER on the DEATH SHIP, to disgustingly amusing results.

To a certain extent this is a masterpiece of trash 1980's horror and another one of those "you can't make 'em like this anymore" movies you sort of watch with a quiet awe, wondering to what depths it will sink next to elicit a howl or two. To be sure it is a somewhat uneventful movie, with not really much happening once you get down to it, and only two or three graphic deaths depicted on screen. The meat of the film lies in the territory of previous "Ghost Ship" type films [there is a great deal of resemblance to Amando deOssorio's GHOST SHIP OF THE BLIND DEAD especially], with endless panning shots of the rusted hulk, dimly lit interiors and surprisingly well maintained engine room -- coupled with appropriately gloomy mood music -- that convey without a doubt to audiences that something is creeping in the dark, though we never see any zomboid Nazis.

And on that note this film has a curiously indefinable moral position: The movie goes out of it's way to show us the dusty echoes of Nazi horrors, but beyond showing them to us never has anything to say about them or the people who committed and suffered these atrocities. I liked how the film has the boat dunk oil onto the white uniforms of Kennedy and two of his officers as they clamber on board, giving their clothes a sickening gray hue that said to me "It just turned them into Nazi sailors." We also get a somewhat disturbing shot of Kennedy all mucked up with his hair slicked across his forehead Hitler-style, but what does that really have to say about who his character is? Is he an escaped war criminal? We are shown movie reels of Nazi rallies and concentration camps that supposedly drive one character to throw himself off a high ledge, but what of it?

The answer is that this may have been one of the last of the great Nazi Exploitation Films, with the distinction being that it was a predominantly American production. By not necessarily staking a moralistic claim on what it shows us, the film exists as a sort of quasi mood piece, instowing revulsion, dread, and above all curiosity in the viewer as they try to make sense of what they are seeing & hearing, which is what those Nazi horror flicks like ACHTUNG! THE DESERT TIGERS and THE BEAST IN THE HEAT were all about. Here we get a supernatural angle where the Nazis are all gone, with only the legacy of horror left to bear witness upon how evil they were -- The pain and anguish they created still haunt the DEATH SHIP, but who or what is behind the DEATH SHIP's actions, and how are we supposed to feel about it?

By not providing an answer the film succeeds where it's ultra-lowbrow production values may not. I like how the victims of the DEATH SHIP's horrors all describe what is happening verbally while it takes place in case the disjointed editing intended to keep the budget down leaves anyone behind. I appreciated the unpredictability of the script, and also liked how the movie ends, with the DEATH SHIP apparently just continuing on it's miserable way to the next victim, and making this just a snapshot in a couple of days from the life of a never ending nightmare now happening to whomever gets in it's way. Definitely worth seeking out, though the film is out of print and not likely to be revived anytime soon.

I give it ** out of **** for being so utterly unpredictable and single-minded; A howler to be sure, if you're in the right frame of mind.

Pretty Boring

[Uriah43 · 3/10 · 26 August 2013]

"Captain Ashland" (George Kennedy) is in command of a cruise ship which is operating in the Atlantic Ocean. He is not a "people person" and because of that he is being replaced after this voyage for a more personable captain by the name of "Trevor Marshall" (Richard Crenna). What neither of them realize is that there is a "ghost ship" also operating in the same waters and it is on a collision course with them. Only 9 people manage to survive the collision and they take shelter on the very ship that killed all of the other passengers. Anyway, rather than reveal the entire story I will just say that, because of some of the top-rate actors involved, I had high expectations for this movie. I was disappointed. Not only was there very little character development, but the special effects were practically non-existent as well. There wasn't much suspense or horror either. As a matter of fact, the only part that was remotely interesting was the shower scene involving "Lori" (Victoria Burgoyne). Everything else was pretty boring. In short, this film had a decent cast to work with. Unfortunately, the people on the other side of the camera weren't nearly as competent. Below average.

Worse things happen at sea!

[cjlines · 8/10 · 13 October 2002]

I first began my relationship with "Death Ship" when I were a lad growing up in the Heart of England - we had a little video library in our village that had quite a nice selection of horrors and I was always fascinated by the garish, ghoulish box art... Oh, and there were few as ghoulish as the spooky cover of "Death Ship", which I vividly remember recreating with pencil sketches in my schoolbooks. We rented it and I have VERY vague recollections of it not being very good but I never got round to see it as an adult. When the video certification act came to pass in 1984, "Death Ship" (rated X) was removed from the shelves, never to be released again in the UK. Which brings us to the present day - after all these years, I finally score a copy by chance, excitedly bring it home and, with a set belief in my mind that it's going to be a huge disappointment and a rubbish movie, I line up the alcoholic anathestic and push the tape into the cringing VCR... To my surprise, "Death Ship" turns out to be a winner! In fact, I'd file it quite high up in my "Lost Gems" folder - quite why this one has been resigned to the Dustbin of History and the Golden Turkey awards is beyond me. I was greatly impressed!

The plot is reasonably simple but inarguably bizarre. In the opening scenes, a luxury cruise ship packed with holidaymakers collides with some kind of ghastly black vessel in the middle of the ocean. The cruiser sinks, killing almost everyone on board. There are only about eight survivors who sit floating in a lifeboat, waiting for someone to come and rescue them... Unfortunately the only sign of life for miles is this horrific looking black ship that's just lingering ominously in the ocean. The cruiser's curmudgeonly Captain (George Kennedy) is becoming increasingly ill, having nearly drowned, so the group of survivors decide that they will have to board the evil looking vessel in order to get food, drink and shelter. It doesn't take long to find that the ship is completely deserted and, although no one can rationalise how or why, it seems to be running itself! Worse still, we start to see through a series of unusual events (ie: people being hit over the head with flying objects, doors locking folks in spooky old rooms) that the ship appears to want its new passengers offboard as soon as possible.

It's all quite "Twilight Zone" to begin with but as the film moves along, it gets increasingly horrific and frenzied, hurtling towards a (quite literally) crushing climax. The film is shot mostly onboard the ship and it's a wonderfully unpleasant set. From the moment they first board and get covered with oil and grease, you can virtually smell the rust on the ancient machinery and, as it develops, the stench of putrefaction. Oh, and THE SMELL OF FEAR (oh c'mon, it's a George Kennedy movie, I had to make at least one "Naked Gun" joke!)... Seriously though, it's clearly low budget, but I really enjoyed the rough and raw directorial style - the darkness and the frequent use of shaky, hand-held camera angles and really lend it an air of madness and menace. I felt the energy of the direction coupled with such genuinely ugly and sinister set pieces combined to create a very unique atmosphere that is, from start to finish, thoroughly unpleasant. There are certain scenes, mostly in the chaotic second half, which just make your skin crawl - the murder scenes aren't particularly *gory* as such, but they're shot in such a feverish manner as to prove really quite unsettling indeed. When the real identity of the ship is finally revealed and we discover what befell of the 'crew', it's an almighty suckerpunch and, again, the use of maniacal camera-work and some utterly disgusting sets just add to the overall effect.

As I said before, I can't understand why "Death Ship" gets such a bad rap. As a haunted house movie, it's one of the better ones I've seen - on top of the rabid direction and deathlike atmosphere, we even have some real quality actors in this one (Kennedy is particularly menacing as the cruiser Captain whom the death ship begins to drive slowly mad) *AND* a cracking script to boot. The storyline moves at just the right pace (the first half builds up creepily and then the second one is a breakneck descent into the inferno) and it's unusual enough to make "Death Ship" an extremely memorable horror movie. I'd give this one an easy 8 out of 10 on the Horror-O-Meter. If you can find a copy, it's well worth seeing!

I remember it from 20 years ago-Better than the film- Ghost Ship-

[MarieGabrielle · 7/10 · 13 May 2006]

This film, "Death Ship", while it was a made for TV movie, is actually pretty scary. Considering it has been awhile since I saw it last (then I recently rented it). George Kennedy is the main character, and is rather creepy in this movie.

It is definitely worth viewing. The set of an abandoned Nazi ship conjures up the torture chambers and murder which occurred there. There are also some strange sound effects, the voices he hears remind one of what the gas chambers must have sounded like. The ship itself is a nightmare, and the acting is plausible.

If you have seen the recent "Ghost Ship", with Gabriel Byrne and Ron Eldard, rent this film, It is a lot more frightening with a better story to it. 7/10.

Worth one look for fans of ghost and ghost ship flicks

[ebeckstr-1 · 5/10 · 17 March 2019]

This movie is more slow-moving than necessary, and marred by a climax which is mundane and action-oriented rather than in keeping with the ghostly plot that precedes it. There is a pretty decent pre-climax sequence in the last 12 minutes or so.

They also make reasonably good use of a set which appears to consist of an actual derelict cargo ship. They did not, however, incorporate a particularly effective or creepy score, and failed to make use of the kinds of sound effects that would have made the set even more effective. It's all a half-hearted effort, but worth a look for fans of ghost ship flicks and ghost movies in general. (FYI, I caught the uncut version on Tubi, through my Roku.)

Creepy and very atmospheric

[bfan83 · 3 March 2004]

Ok, we've already stated the fact that I LOVE b-movies. A lot of them are cheesy, badly acted, and have horrible plots. But that's what I love about them. And surely this film has all those right elements for a b-movie. But what this film does better than those other films, is that I manages to maintain atmospheric. Some of the scenes in this film were absolutely frightening! It kept me spellbound and wondering what was going to happen next. Even though, it was blatantly obvious and predictable. It still kept me guessing at certain parts. I give it a 9. Watch it if you are a die-hard horror fan or b-movie fan. Oh yeah, George Kennedy actually gave an award winning, creepy performance as the captain who wanted to take over the Nazi Freighter.

The Big Cheese

[baconator · 5/10 · 6 January 2002]

The only reason I find myself talking about this movie is that it seems to have wound up on many late night reruns lately. As a nightowl, I keep watching it. This is a cheesy movie, the effects aren't great, but dammit, if I'm flipping the stations and its on, I just can't stop watching it. Maybe its the atmosphere, because this movie has one of the greatest creepy atmospheres I have ever seen. An abandon, rusty, Nazi torture ship, roaming the seas, looking for victims. Ok, so its not real believable, but the concept is scary as hell! The horror of who the Nazis were and what they did, adds a whole other dimension of terror to this movie. Do not watch this movie if you only like good movies and good acting. Your prudish sensibilities will be very disappointed. However, for the rest who aren't as picky, this is a great chilling movie. N.B. beware of the severe late 70's early 80's problem with lighting. This movie is very dark, lots of shadows.

Nazi-boat ride!

[Coventry · 5/10 · 11 June 2004]

Once again, the charm of movies like "Death Ship" passes by on many people. Sure it's trashy and shot ugly, but it's FUN! It's got a freaky plot (Nazi-ghosts floating around the oceans and torturing survivors of a horrible shipping disaster), and an amazingly chilling atmosphere. The images of the abandoned ship, guided by unsettling noises really chills you. The isolated setting is elaborated rather professional by director Alvin Rakoff. The undertones and references towards the Nazi reign are eerie and photographed in viciously black and white. George Kennedy and Richard Crenna definitely are decent actors, although they're not really showing it here. Doesn't matter... a film like Death Ship doesn't depend on great acting. It already has got the things it really needs: tension, a fair amount of effective horror and great music. Oh, and one of the coolest original movie posters ever designed! Just ask the guys who developed the campaign for "Ghost Ship" They obviously thought so too! Don't expect logic, just a bunch of fun.

When the box art is scarier then the movie........

[mikemez · 1/10 · 27 November 2001]

That's when you know you're in trouble. Words alone cannot describe how horrid this movie is. Horrible special effects,cardboard acting and a terrible,terrible stor.......oh wait there was no story to this movie i forgot. Even if you love bad cinema you'll run away in disgust from this movie. If you want to rent a movie for cool box art this is for you,if not avoid it like the plague. 0 out of *****

Some castaways from a passenger luxury cruise are trapped inside a mysterious freighter on open seas

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 10 February 2010]

Creepy and exciting movie about some shipwrecked lead to remains of a deserted ghost ship that's been missing for more than 40 years , since WWII, it is packed with good actors and slick direction . The film concerns about a passenger luxury liner is crashed by a strange freighter . The castaways enter into the rare German ship and after encounter themselves trapped and they figure out that things are not as they should. A frightening vessel lost from the 40s at a remote region nowadays is floating drift.The mysterious Nazi vessel is lost at sea for more than 50 years.But one time aboard the cavernous, eerie ship, the group encounter that the decaying Oceaner freighter is anything but deserted. Boarding the ship results to be a big mistake since the tragedy that overtook the lives of crew and captain lingers and starts to affect the present passengers. When a series of bizarre occurrences happen and the crew becomes caught in a web of ghastly deeds ,they soon learn is inhabited by haunting previous crew.

The picture contains scary suspense, thrills, terror,tension, chills and is quite entertaining. Deserted ship is portrayed as a complete riddle with weird events,screams and grisly horrifying happenings. The movie paid attention to building up a terrifying atmosphere instead of violent and stabbing killing spree.The action takes completely place into a rusty ship wreck .The argument isn't original but it's being gradually revealed with nutty enchantment , such as ¨The shinning(Kubrick)¨ style and it attracts viewer's attention. The picture is starred by fine actors, doing some correct performances, as Richard Crenna, George Kennedy, Sally Ann Howes and nice secondary role for Saul Rubinek .If you're enthusiastic of the mystery tales and B films, so you'll encounter this picture to be agreeable. If your interest lies on a more cerebral terror movie,then I highly recommend you skip this one.This eerie movie is rightly directed by Alvin Rakoff during the 8os, he is a craftsman Canadian director as cinema as television . The film is recommended for all horror lovers which will find many nice eerie shots though not very logical but still their appetite for gruesome scenes will be satisfied.

Other adaptation about 'ghost ships' are the following : For television titled ¨The triangle(2001)¨by Lewis Teague with Luke Perry, Dan Cortese , Olivia Dábo and Polly Shannon, the high budgeted by Joel Silver titled ¨ The Ghost ship (2002) ¨ by Steven Beck with Julianne Margules, Ron Eldard and Gabriel Byrne and for Sci-Fi channel titled ¨The ghost voyage¨ with Antonio Sabato and Gary-Hiroyaki Tagawa.

lacking imagination

[SnoopyStyle · 4/10 · 29 March 2020]

Wearied passenger cruise captain Ashland (George Kennedy) is on his final trip and is tired of playing host to the tourists. His second-in-command Trevor Marshall (Richard Crenna) is set to take over his ship. A mysterious freighter relentlessly pursues the cruise ship until it rams and sinks it. The survivors climb aboard and find a disturbing death ship.

This has the bones of a good ghost ship B-movie. It would have been nice if the cruise ship is more like the Love Boat. The movie shows that the freighter is German and the machinery is 40 years old. It's not much of a leap to the Nazis. Someone should have found a room full of swastikas quickly after those two discoveries. Holding back that reveal gains no value. The blood shower has potential but the space is too confined to make it work. More could be done but this lacks the imagination.

Dying to see land.

[lost-in-limbo · 6/10 · 24 October 2009]

Along with 1981 sci-fi / horror 'Galaxy of Terror' (which only a couple months back I saw for the first time), 'Death Ship' has been at the top of my must see list and finally it was fulfilled. The most striking aspect to the film for me was its ominous looking poster artwork (which would be reused by the similar in plot 2002 'Ghost Ship') of a skull transpiring from the front of ramshackle ship. Creepy! And this co Canadian / UK produced low-rent, b-grade picture effectively delivered on its promised chills, despite its low-budget that shows from its creaky, murky and minimal execution. The off-kilter, but downright fixed premise is cut and dry (as the original idea, before the story/script was chopped and changed around was originally penned by cult exploitation filmmaker Jack Hill) with it projecting a Gothic haunted house atmosphere aboard an ominous looking rust-bucket ship endlessly travelling the high seas with an sinisterly deranged twist behind it.

A group of passengers that were on a cruise ship that went down in the Caribbean end up climbing aboard a mysteriously rundown ghost ship that seemed to come out of nowhere. While boarding the vessel they find themselves trapped on upon it, as if it has mind of its own.

Blaring on the back on the DVD case "The Shinning meets The Poseidon Adventure!" sounds about right. Familiar staples in a basic haunting set-up, but a motivated cast keeps it chugging along with the names of George Kennedy, Richard Crenna, Sally Ann Howes, Nick Mancuso, Victoria Burgoyne and Saul Rubinek. Very committed and hardened performances help to keep the tainted script afloat. Alvin Rakoff's sub-par direction is humidly tight and moody, letting it unfold slowly which actually made the nightmarishly suffocating atmosphere drill in some surreal (if tacked on) imagery and an unsettling ambiance when the true horrors are discovered (oh those Nazis). Stemming from that is an unpleasantly crude quality and some anxious suspense (characters losing their marbles); as the survivors are picked off one by one. Some flaws cropping up would be some sequences seem to be overlong, and the editing at times can be rather ragged. Sometime flashes of what's about to happen would work their way in… which would spoil any sort of impact. Ivor Slaney's softly spooky score is instrumental in setting the air. It won't set the world alight, as it's a limited, but resourceful minor production that sticks to its strengths.

'Death Ship' is a junky and makeshift, but fairly eerie and cold horror piece.

Ultimately bores

[tomgillespie2002 · 3/10 · 31 May 2016]

Take one look at the poster of Death Ship and its tagline 'those who survive the ghost ship would be better off dead!', and you can pretty much guess what you're in for. Death Ship is a run-of-the- mill, low-budget horror featuring a killer Nazi ship that feeds off blood and manages to lure some unfortunate genre archetypes on board for 90 minutes of rambling shenanigans. The one major plus that perhaps makes the film stand slightly above others of its kind is the presence of two genre legends - George Kennedy and Richard Crenna - both no doubt looking for an easy pay-day but lightening the mood nonetheless.

Grumpy and socially awkward Captain Ashland (Kennedy) is making his final voyage, transporting a ship full of dull socialites and holiday-makers around while his second-in-command Trevor Marshall (Crenna) waits patiently to take the reigns. When their ship is suddenly struck by a ghostly black freighter that blurts out warning messages in German, only a few survivors escape with their lives, drifting out to sea and eventually finding themselves on board the mysterious vessel. The group find nobody alive on board, and when the annoying lounge act Jackie (a young Saul Rubinek) is seemingly drowned by supernatural forces, it quickly becomes apparent that this is no ordinary ship.

The injured Ashland gradually becomes obsessed with taking command of the freighter, mocking Marshall for his lack of leadership qualities and developing a sudden fondness for the Third Reich. The scenes between Kennedy and Crenna, two strong leading men in their heyday, are when Death Ship is at its most enjoyable. Kennedy hams it up no end, but this only adds to the fun. Sadly these moments are few and far between, and the obvious lack of funding forces the movie to resort to endless scenes of inane chattering, gloomy shots of the ship's interior, and some terrible stock-footage where you can barely tell what's happening. One scene of Victoria Bugoyne trapped inside a shower spurting blood is undoubtedly memorable but inspires some unintentional laughs, but that is slim praise for a film that ultimately bores.

Great trash movie!!!

[HumanoidOfFlesh · 8/10 · 5 October 2000]

Atrocious acting,nonsensical script,very low production values:all these elements can be found in Alvin Rakoff's "Death Ship".So why am I not going to trash this little movie?It's simple,I really like this film for those very reasons.It is everything low-budget horror movie should be,yet still manages to tell its story and generate a considerable amount of unease and dread.A cruise ship is destroyed by another ship(the Death Ship),killing most of the crew.The few survivors of the crash,who include the captain(George Kennedy from "Creepshow 2" or "Just Before Dawn"),a family of four and some others,decide that it would be a good idea to board the same ship that crashed their cruise ship.The death ship then starts killing its new victims.Despite so many bad comments "Death Ship" is still watchable.It has some really creepy scenes and memorable moments.Yes,the film doesn't make very much sense,but that's not what director Alvin Rakoff intended.Instead he puts together nightmarish sequences surrounded by an eerie sounds.You have to be a real horror fan to fully appreciate "Death Ship".Check this one out,it's pretty good.Highly recommended.

Out of the frying pan into the fire

[neil-douglas2010 · 7/10 · 12 February 2022]

Decent enough chiller of the early eighties with an interesting cast. Whilst George Kennedy's character was unpleasant enough before being taken over by a Nazi ship, the rest of the actors have nothing much to do but scream and die effortlessly. At least the film doesn't hang about much being just over 90 minutes long. Seen worse but seen a lot better too. They would've been better staying on the boat to begin with.

Interesting premise let down by shoddy direction & miscasting

[Woodyanders · 4/10 · 28 January 2006]

A prime example of a potentially solid and effective fright film premise being done in by a deplorably inept and spiritless execution. The basic narrative set-up is novel and intriguing (Jack Hill co-wrote the story): a gigantic crewless haunted freighter powered by the demonic evil of the brutish Nazis that once manned it keeps said Nazi torture and sadism alive throughout the decades by sinking luxury ocean liners and allowing their survivors to board it so the foul festering behemoth can bump 'em off and derive energy to sustain itself from their precious lifeforce. Unfortunately, Alvin Rakoff's lifeless, fumbling, snoozing-at-the-helm direction totally ruins any vitality or creepiness needed to make the promising plot work. Rene Verzier's hideously mannered cinematography hurts matters all the more, overusing nausea-inducing zoom-ins, annoyingly tilted camera angles, whiplash-causing overhead shots, and some strenuously labored slow motion to an irritating extreme. The crucial miscasting of George Kennedy as the luxury liner's gruff captain who after boarding the Nazi ship degenerates into a ranting, demented, murderous crazy-as-an-outhouse-rat loons constitutes as another grave error. A friendly, comforting, avuncular screen presence, Kennedy's cuddly over-sized teddy bear persona proves to be all wrong for the part, therefor making his character's gradual descent into madness laughable instead of frightening. Richard Crenna as the fretful, worried out of his skull hero likewise is pretty embarrassing: glum and dejected, Crenna carries himself with the defeated, resigned air of a man who knows he's trapped in a turkey and mostly grits his way through the whole rotten mess. The big shock scenes are seriously bungled as well, especially a limply staged drowning and an excessively bloody "Psycho"-style shower sequence that goes on forever. Only in the last reel when a bunch of revolting decomposed skeletons in tattered rags are discovered does the movie finally deliver a few uneasy shudders, but by then it's much too little way too late to compensate for the grueling tedium which precedes it. The death ship itself, a 50-year-old Canadian coast guard ice-breaker called the "N.B. McLean," sizes up as a fabulously ghastly monstrosity -- dark, rusty, and grotesquely immense, with dimly lit hallways covered in cobwebs -- but just like the lackluster cinematic clunker it's stuck in it proves to be slow, meandering, heavy-handed and ultimately quite dead in the water.