IMDb RATING
5.3/10
4.7K
YOUR RATING
A journalist takes his son with him to investigate pirate activity off the coast of Florida. But he gets stranded on a mysterious island--where he might not be alone.A journalist takes his son with him to investigate pirate activity off the coast of Florida. But he gets stranded on a mysterious island--where he might not be alone.A journalist takes his son with him to investigate pirate activity off the coast of Florida. But he gets stranded on a mysterious island--where he might not be alone.
- Awards
- 2 nominations
James J. Casino
- Doctor #3
- (as Jimmy Casino)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIn this movie's story, the pirates are descendants of the French Buccaneers of Hispaniola. The secret enclave of them has been in existence since it was established by Jean-David Nau a.k.a. François l'Olonnais (c. 1635 - c. 1668) during the seventeenth century. L'Olonnais was a real-life pirate who was active in the Caribbean Sea during the 1660s. The pirate leader played by David Warner is called John David Nau, named after their legendary ancestor.
- GoofsJust as Michael Caine exits the plane right before it explodes, he yells "Run, Jeffrey, run" to his son. But his son's name (the character) is Justin, not Jeffrey. Jeffrey is the first name of the actor who plays the son.
- Quotes
Windsor: Are you wise enough to feel privileged by what you see here? You and I are the only living men to see what you lies before you now.
Blair Maynard: A bunch of arseholes playing Long John Fucking Silver?
- SoundtracksEin Heldenleben
by Richard Strauss
Featured review
A rum do
This film is a true oddity. In some ways it could have been a good children's film, with oddball pirates and exotic locations, but unfortunately is full of nudity and violence, particularly at its gory climax. Some truly bizarre scenes, such as the pirate who sets light to his hat during raids, a mating ritual involving some kind of mud and an otherwise naked man who carries a leather pouch in front of his genitals when he turns up on a hunt party. Intermingled among this weirdness is some intended comedy, sometimes inappropriate, such as when one pirate sniffs another's feet during a burial at sea. No doubt it is things like this which has earned the film a cult status.
But viewed as an adult film, it makes little sense. This starts early in the film when a gun shop is quite happy to sell a weapon to a 12 year old boy (are US gun laws really this slack?). Next Michael Caine decides to take his son with him on what is a potentially dangerous trip (his son wants Disneyland). Next a wacko pilot (and his pet pig) take Caine and son to Navidad where they are flagged down when trying to land (no explanation for this is given) and the plane crashes. The pilot is remarkably chipper about this. And this is merely the first 20 minutes before we meet the pirates and their peculiar ways.
This bizarreness does make the film strangely watcheable.
But viewed as an adult film, it makes little sense. This starts early in the film when a gun shop is quite happy to sell a weapon to a 12 year old boy (are US gun laws really this slack?). Next Michael Caine decides to take his son with him on what is a potentially dangerous trip (his son wants Disneyland). Next a wacko pilot (and his pet pig) take Caine and son to Navidad where they are flagged down when trying to land (no explanation for this is given) and the plane crashes. The pilot is remarkably chipper about this. And this is merely the first 20 minutes before we meet the pirates and their peculiar ways.
This bizarreness does make the film strangely watcheable.
helpful•175
- son_of_cheese_messiah
- Apr 11, 2011
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Details
Box office
- Budget
- $22,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $15,716,828
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $3,123,267
- Jun 15, 1980
- Gross worldwide
- $15,716,828
- Runtime1 hour 54 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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