Strangely 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!
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!