Amsterdamned (1988)

A hard-boiled police detective sets out to capture a gruesome serial killer terrorizing the canals of Amsterdam.

Director:

Dick Maas

Writer:

Dick Maas (script)

Stars:

Huub Stapel, Monique van de Ven, Serge-Henri Valcke

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Huub Stapel	...	Eric Visser
Monique van de Ven	...	Laura
Serge-Henri Valcke	...	Vermeer
Hidde Maas	...	Martin Ruysdael
Wim Zomer	...	John van Meegeren
Tanneke Hartzuiker	...	Potter
Lou Landré	...	Chef
Tatum Dagelet	...	Anneke Visser
Edwin Bakker	...	Willy
Pieter Lutz	...	Skipper
Barbara Martijn	...	Prostitute
Door van Boeckel	...	Maniac (as Door van Boekel)
Simone Ettekoven	...	Salvation Army Soldier
Koos van der Knaap	...	Environmentalist #1
Pieter Loef	...	Environmentalist #2

Storyline

A mysterious diver hiding in Amsterdam's canal system embarks on a rampage of gruesome murders, terrifying city officials and leaving few clues for the city's best detective, who doesn't suspect that both his new girlfriend and twelve-year-old daughter may be closer than he is to finding the killer.

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Plot Keywords:

detective | murder | canal | diver | serial murder | 

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Taglines:

The city is murder

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

DaaVeeDee - UK Distributor

Country:

Netherlands

Language:

Dutch Spanish Mandarin English

Release Date:

25 November 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Amsterdamned

Filming Locations:

Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands

Company Credits

Production Co:

First Floor Features

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

While most of the speedboat chase was shot in Amsterdam, some scenes were shot in the nearby city of Utrecht. These involve the part where both boats jump onto the quay and plow through the chairs and tables of a terrace. Such low-lying quays can not be found in Amsterdam, only in Utrecht.

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Goofs

When the old man that lives on the barge loads the shotgun, you can see that the primers on the shells have indentation marks in their centers, signifying they have already been fired.

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Quotes

Laura: I got us a reservation for dinner. For three by candlelight at a fish restaurant.
Eric Visser: A fish restaurant?
Laura: You don't like fish?
Eric Visser: Uhh, no. I don't like anything that comes out of the water.
Laura: I came out of the water, Eric.
Eric Visser: Well, you're the one exception. Ahhhhhh!
[purposely puts foot in the water to scare Laura then laughs]
Laura: [smacks Eric in the arm] You clown!

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Alternate Versions

When released in the UK, this title was cut by 6 seconds by the BBFC. A close-up shot of a knife between a woman's parted legs was removed. The cuts were waived for the 2009 Nouveaux release.

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Connections

Referenced in We zijn weer thuis: Schrijven en wrijven (1991)

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Soundtracks

Miserere
(aria from Il Trovatore)
Music by Giuseppe Verdi
Interpreted by Maria Callas and Albert Lance
Published by Memoria / Frequenz 1987 by Salvatore Caruselli / Maria Callas in Paris

User Reviews

Aquatic serial killer in one of Europe's finest cities!

Dutch director Dick Maas clearly has a flair for entertainment. This serial killer film is lifted above the norm by a series of fantastic sequences; from creepy murder scenes to a hilariously over the top speed boat chase through the canals of Amsterdam, Amsterdamned is a delight to watch from start to finish. It goes without saying that this film takes place in Amsterdam, and it would appear that the film is something of a love letter to the great Dutch city. Amsterdam's streets make for an excellent horror location, while the canal shots are what really give the film its originality. Maas also gives us sequences in which the reputation of the city is discussed. Personally, I love the location shots of this film; having visited Amsterdam a couple of times myself, it's nice to recognise where the film is taking place. The plot is basically your run of the mill serial killer yarn, but it's lifted above the norm because of the fact that the murderer himself is water-based. Amsterdam's canals make for his home, as the murderous diver drags anyone who comes too close to the river to their doom. We follow the trail of murders and the police investigation into the crimes.

The film runs at around 105 minutes; a running time that would usually lead to me saying is too long for this sort of film. However, despite the fact that the film plays from what is a very basic plot, it never becomes boring. Dick Maas bombards the audience with stunning location shots, deliriously entertaining sequences and some very sinister moments of horror to ensure that Amsterdamned never becomes trite or dull - and besides, every time there's a danger of the film going downhill, our competent director is on hand with another grisly murder sequence! For a film that runs so freely, it's surprising that it's actually not all that messy. Maas blends several different styles together, but the plot always stays on course. The atmosphere is always foreboding as it is made clear that the murderer could strike at any time. I've got to say that I was a little disappointed by the end, however. After a brilliant 100 minutes, Maas sees fit to tack on an ending that feels very trite and overly used. However, the build up to this let down is fantastic and by the time it comes to the ending, it doesn't really matter how it ends because you've just witnessed what is one of the finest films ever to come out of the Netherlands. Personally, I loved every minute of this great film and really can't recommend it highly enough!