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Dead Calm
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Dead Calm (1989) More at IMDbPro »

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Dead Calm (1989) -- A mass-murderer kidnaps and seduces a young woman after leaving her husband to die on the vessel whose crew he's just slaughtered.
Dead Calm (1989) -- A mass-murderer kidnaps and seduces a young woman after leaving her husband to die on the vessel whose crew he's just slaughtered.

Overview

User Rating:
6.9/10   12,717 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 20% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Phillip Noyce
Writers:
Charles Williams (novel)
Terry Hayes (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for Dead Calm on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
7 April 1989 (USA) more
Genre:
Horror | Thriller more
Tagline:
A Voyage Into Fear. more
Plot:
A mass-murderer kidnaps and seduces a young woman after leaving her husband to die on the vessel whose crew he's just slaughtered. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
5 wins & 5 nominations more
User Comments:
An Entertaining, Solid Little Thriller more

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Nicole Kidman ... Rae Ingram

Sam Neill ... John Ingram

Billy Zane ... Hughie Warriner
Rod Mullinar ... Russell Bellows
Joshua Tilden ... Danny
George Shevtsov ... Doctor
Michael Long ... Specialist Doctor
Lisa Collins ... 'Orpheus' Cruise Girl
Paula Hudson-Brinkley ... 'Orpheus' Cruise Girl
Sharon Cook ... 'Orpheus' Cruise Girl
Malinda Rutter ... 'Orpheus' Cruise Girl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Benji ... Dog (as Benji U.D., A.D.)
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Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Dead Calm: A Voyage Into Fear (USA) (poster title)
more
Runtime:
96 min | Turkey:83 min (TV version)
Country:
Australia
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby SR

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Around 1997, there were rumors that Orson Welles material had been revised and seemed "as good as complete (compared to the shooting script)," and that his widow, Paola Mori, was trying to get it cut and distributed. more
Goofs:
Continuity: At the end of the film, the suds from the shampoo in Rae's hair disappear. more
Quotes:
[Rae has just done away with a psychotic killer and rescued her husband from being lost at sea]
Rae Ingram: You know what I'd love for lunch? Fresh asparagus, then, um, pasta - angel hair pasta with heaps of basil, garlic, olive oil and, uh, apple pie. Uh, John, have you got a towel?
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Mitchell (#6.12)" (1993) more

FAQ

Why did Rae have sex with Hughie?
What happened to the passengers on Hughie's ship? Did they really die of food poisoning?
Does John know that Rae had sex with Hughie?
more
31 out of 34 people found the following comment useful:-
An Entertaining, Solid Little Thriller, 13 July 2003
Author: rwint from Chicago, Illinois

A young couple, trying to get over the death of their child, go on a cruise along the coral reef in their own private yacht. After many days at sea they come upon a boat with only one survivor. The man comes aboard their ship and almost immediately begins to act erratic. Tensions slowly rise until it becomes obvious that this man is a full blown psychotic who has killed everyone on the first boat and plans to do the same to them.

In many ways this has a foundation to a perfect thriller. The two main characters are sensible and intelligent people who just happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Like with every thriller their are a few minor loopholes, but overall the situations are done in a believable fashion with no extreme jumps in logic. The script is tight and the suspense consistent. The action comes naturally through the scenarios and is not forced or played out too long. Having it take place at sea gives it a very distinct flavor. The limitations of the setting actually makes it even more creative. It also hits on one of the main ingredients of fear which is isolation.

The only minor liability is the Zane character. At times he seems like a very believable and even fascinating psychotic. He is definitely no machine like slasher. There are times when he seems very calm and complacent. His disturbed traits only surface sporadically thus giving him a much more multi-faceted presence. Unfortunately he is also very careless and sometimes even amazingly dumb. This hurts the tension because it seems to be telegraphing his own demise.

The Neill character makes a good counterpoint. He is savvy and no-nonsense. He takes action into his own hands and doesn't just fall into the helpless victim mode of other thrillers. The Kidman character is another refreshing change of pace. She is not the standard 'screaming lady in a bikini', but instead shows equal resourcefulness.

The film does resort to the modern day slasher trend of having a 'double' ending. Yet everything is so slickly handled that you can almost just go with it. For thriller fans this should be a real treat.

7 out of 10.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Dead Calm (1989)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
The sex scene? pryscilla_paille1
Massive Nicole face work? red95king
SPECIAL EDITION DVD! luvehorror
Music Billy Zane is dancing to, on the deck of the boat? metroarea001
I go to rent this at Blockbuster wadanatod
Dumbest dog in the movie? pingkai
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