The Bermuda Triangle (1978)

The passengers and crew of a boat on a summer cruise in the Caribbean stray near the famed Bermuda Triangle, and mysterious things start happening.

Director:

René Cardona Jr.

Writers:

Charles Berlitz (book), René Cardona Jr. (adapted by)

Stars:

John Huston, Andrés García, Hugo Stiglitz

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Huston	...	Edward
Andrés García	...	Alan
Hugo Stiglitz	...	Capt. Mark Briggs (as Hugo Stiglietz)
Gloria Guida	...	Michelle
Marina Vlady	...	Kim
Claudine Auger	...	Sybil
René Cardona III	...	Dave (as Al Coster)
Carlos East	...	Peter
Gretha	...	Diana
Catherine Piaget
Mario Arévalo	...	Tony, crew member
Jorge Zamora	...	Simon, the cook (as Jorge Zamora 'Zamorita')
Adalberto Arvizu	...	Pilot (as Alberto Arvizu)
Miguel Ángel Fuentes	...	Gordon
Andrés García Jr.	...	Billy

Storyline

The passengers and crew of a boat on a summer cruise in the Caribbean stray near the famed Bermuda Triangle, and mysterious things start happening.

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Plot Keywords:

bikini | bermuda triangle | cruise | bermuda | actual animal killed | 

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Taglines:

What strange forces are at work here ?

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Mystery

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Mexico

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 March 1978 (Mexico)

Also Known As:

Devil's Triangle of Bermuda

Filming Locations:

Galveston, Texas, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Corporación Nacional Cinematográfica (CONACINE), Productora Filmica Real, Nucleo Internazionale

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Several times, particularly during the first half of the movie, some of the "electronic tonalities" from "Forbidden Planet" (1956) are used as part of the musical score.

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Goofs

The U.S. Navy officers seen onscreen are wearing uniforms are very obviously not U.S. Navy uniforms.

User Reviews

Creepy Cardona Mystery

Rene Cardona, Jnr was arguably the most recognisable Latin exploitation film maker in the late seventies through mid eighties, and his brand was easily identifiable through his use of fading American character actors and gory special effects. Disappointingly, that brand is conspicuously absent here, with John Huston in a relatively brief supporting role, the only 'marquee' import, and little to none of the gory special effects usually synonymous with a Cardona picture.

The plot concerns the usual spate of mysterious disappearances converging on the Bermuda Triangle, while research vessel inadvertently sails into a maelstrom of intrigue and bizarre occult activity that seems to centre on a creepy-looking doll that is found floating in the ocean. It soon possesses the youngest child and in turn manages to wreak havoc amongst the rest of the crew, until, mysteriously, just a handful of weary survivors remain.

Perennial Cardona leading-men Stiglitz and Garcia make an amiable cinema coupling, and they continue their reliable presence here, with the once-sultry Marina Vlady and former bombshell Claudine Auger largely wasted in shallow supporting roles. Miguel Fuentes as a chiselled, Neanderthal looking mechanic is unintentionally hilarious at times, as he randomly emerges from the small engine room door to taunt the spooked passengers with doomsday prophecies, before returning to the ship's bowels to inhale more petrol fumes and envisage even more facile tales of terror for his next appearance.

While not totally inept - some unsettling suspense, good sets, colour and sound in particular - the special effects are profoundly amateurish and the dialogue is at times, painfully puerile. The possessed doll on which the story centres however does convey a certain Argento 'esque feel which is plainly scary (watch for those unnerving close-ups of the doll's face - creepy). Not your typical Cardona-style picture, and probably more accessible as a result. Average, but worth a look.