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IMDbPro

The Bermuda Depths

  • TV Movie
  • 19781978
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 38m
IMDb RATING
5.6/10
798
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
7,108
86
The Bermuda Depths (1978)
AdventureFantasySci-Fi
Scientists investigating the briny deep are threatened by a giant turtle and the spirit of a young brunette swimmer in the Bermuda Triangle.Scientists investigating the briny deep are threatened by a giant turtle and the spirit of a young brunette swimmer in the Bermuda Triangle.Scientists investigating the briny deep are threatened by a giant turtle and the spirit of a young brunette swimmer in the Bermuda Triangle.
IMDb RATING
5.6/10
798
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
7,108
86
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Tsugunobu Kotani
    • Writers
      • Arthur Rankin Jr.(story by)
      • William Overgard(screenplay by)
    • Stars
      • Leigh McCloskey
      • Carl Weathers
      • Connie Sellecca
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Tsugunobu Kotani
    • Writers
      • Arthur Rankin Jr.(story by)
      • William Overgard(screenplay by)
    • Stars
      • Leigh McCloskey
      • Carl Weathers
      • Connie Sellecca
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 106User reviews
    • 31Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • Photos97

    Connie Sellecca in The Bermuda Depths (1978)
    The Bermuda Depths (1978)
    The Bermuda Depths (1978)
    The Bermuda Depths (1978)
    The Bermuda Depths (1978)
    The Bermuda Depths (1978)
    The Bermuda Depths (1978)
    The Bermuda Depths (1978)
    The Bermuda Depths (1978)
    The Bermuda Depths (1978)
    The Bermuda Depths (1978)
    The Bermuda Depths (1978)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Leigh McCloskey
    Leigh McCloskey
    • Magnus Dens
    Carl Weathers
    Carl Weathers
    • Eric
    Connie Sellecca
    Connie Sellecca
    • Jennie Haniver
    Julie Woodson
    • Doshan
    Ruth Attaway
    Ruth Attaway
    • Delia
    Burl Ives
    Burl Ives
    • Paulis
    Elise Frick
    Nicholas Ingham
    Kevin Petty
    Nicole Marsh
    George Richards
    John Instone
    Jonathan Ingham
    Patricia Rego
    Doris Riley
    Tracy Anne Sadler
    • Director
      • Tsugunobu Kotani
    • Writers
      • Arthur Rankin Jr.(story by)
      • William Overgard(screenplay by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Co-writer / producer Arthur Rankin Jr. actually moved to Bermuda after making the film, and lived there for the rest of his life.
    • Goofs
      A turtles shell scales grow larger as it ages. So the heart with the initials J+M that Magnus carves into one of the turtles scales should have stayed in that one scale. But when we see a close up of the giant turtle at the end, the heart and initials are now covering parts of four different scales.
    • Quotes

      Magnus Dens: [Delia is telling Magnus the legend of Jennie Haniver] You know who she is?

      Delia: Oh, we all know her. She been with us a long time. Some see her as a little girl. Others as a young woman. And even those who say they've seen her swim like a serpent.

      Magnus Dens: What are you talking about? The girl I met lives on the island.

      Delia: [pointing to the ocean] She lives out there!

      Magnus Dens: You mean she lives on another island?

      Delia: Oh no. Out where HE lives.

      Magnus Dens: He?

      Delia: The place you people call the triangle. That is where he lives. The other... the devil!

      Magnus Dens: Aw, come on! Not that!

    • Alternate versions
      There are 11 differences between the TV prints (that the majority of people have) and the very rare official VHS release (CK entertainment, 1992). The Tv print runs longer (96-98 minutes, VHS runs 90 minutes) and contains the following 10 scenes not on the VHS version. However the VHS has one scene not on the TV prints. 1. extended scene of Magnus and Eric coming off the fishing boat and meeting Doshan (Eric's wife) on the dock. VHS cuts most of this scene down 2.slightly longer head shot of Eric on the stairs arguing with Doshan. After they argue the camera stays on Eric for about 3 seconds. VHS does not keep the longer head shot and cuts right to the next scene 3. Delia's story of Jennie Haniver to Magnus is extended. VHS print cuts out most of the middle of her story 4. when Magnus, Eric and Dr. Paulis are on the boat, something grabs their fishing line. Dr. Paulis starts counting down how much line is left. The line of 4000 feet is cut from the VHS 5. right after the fishing line scene (above) you get an extended shot of them walking towards the front of the boat. VHS cuts this short 6. The infamous grotto scene (where Magnus goes into an underground cave with Jenny and it is alluded to that they made love), is cut entirely from the VHS print. This scene runs roughly 6-7 minutes 7. roughly 56-60 minutes into the film Eric on the boat comments "they pretty much stay to it". TV gives us 1 second following this of a head shot. The VHS cuts this out 8. After Eric shoots the turtle with the harpoon and they show the shot of the turtle swimming towards the TV screen (so speak), you get a very slight extended scene showing Magnus fully putting the boat in drive. This scene IS NOT on the TV print (tv just shows his hand on it when it is already driving) and appears only on the VHS edition 9. When Jennie confronts Magnus on the boat "hold me close", most of the kissing and dialogue are missing from the VHS version 10. After Eric screams for Magnus (upon seeing the helicopter explode) we get a few extra seconds of Eric running through the boat trying to find Magnus. VHS cuts some of this out. 11. after the boat is sunk, we get extended footage showing Magnus climb into the life raft. Vhs cuts this and he is already in the raft.
    • Connections
      Referenced in Elysaviews: WINEning About Movies: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (Steven Spielberg, 1981) (2020)
    • Soundtracks
      Jennie
      Music by Maury Laws

      Lyrics by Jules Bass

      Sung by Claude Carmichael

    User reviews106

    Review
    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    A minor cult classic of doomed romance
    SPOILER: 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.
    helpful•38
    2
    • TVholic
    • Jul 16, 2000

    FAQ1

    • What is the piece of classical music used several times in the movie?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 27, 1978 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • Japan
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Los abismos de las Bermudas
    • Filming locations
      • Bermuda
    • Production companies
      • Rankin/Bass Productions
      • Tsuburaya Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 38 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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