Cutthroat Island (1995)

A female pirate and her companion race against their rivals to find a hidden island that contains a fabulous treasure.

Director:

Renny Harlin

Writers:

Michael Frost Beckner (story), James Gorman (story)

Stars:

Geena Davis, Matthew Modine, Frank Langella

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Geena Davis	...	Morgan Adams
Matthew Modine	...	William Shaw
Frank Langella	...	Dawg Brown
Maury Chaykin	...	John Reed
Patrick Malahide	...	Ainslee
Stan Shaw	...	Mr. Glasspoole
Rex Linn	...	Mr. Blair
Paul Dillon	...	Snelgrave
Christopher Masterson	...	Bowen (as Chris Masterson)
Jimmie F. Skaggs	...	Scully
Harris Yulin	...	Black Harry Adams
Carl Chase	...	Bishop
Peter Geeves	...	Fiddler Pirate
Angus Wright	...	Captain Trotter
Ken Bones	...	Toussant

Storyline

Morgan Adams and her slave, William Shaw, are on a quest to recover the three portions of a treasure map. Unfortunately, the final portion is held by her murderous uncle, Dawg. Her crew is skeptical of her leadership abilities, so she must complete her quest before they mutiny against her. This is made yet more difficult by the efforts of the British crown to end her piratical raids.

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Plot Keywords:

treasure | pirate | treasure map | pirate ship | sword fight | 

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Taglines:

The Course Has Been Set. There Is No Turning Back. Prepare Your Weapons. Summon Your Courage. Discover the Adventure of a Lifetime!

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some strong pirate action/violence and brief sensuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mario Kassar decided to start production by building sets, ships, and other logistical details in Malta before the first revised draft of the script was ready. He also sold the foreign distribution rights before the first revised draft.

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Goofs

When Morgan takes her dagger to shave her fathers head the sound is that of a switchblade.

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Quotes

[repeated line]
William: MORGAN!

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Alternate Versions

The R2 DVD differs from the VHS cut in several ways with some scenes being put back in and yet some still left badly cut...

• Before leaving the room in the opening scene, Morgan tells the man she's just seduced: "I got your balls."
• Morgan pushes the eyepatched guard off a balcony saying "I promised I'd take care of you later", paying off a line earlier that never made sense without both scenes.
• When the chain wraps around Morgan's neck in the tavern she is now pulled off backwards in a bad CGI shot that shows her landing on a table below.
• More fighting scenes, more slashing of bellies.
• When Dawg shoots his own crew member ("We need less mouths") it's obvious this still remains badly cut as the gunshot cuts off abruptly and we don't see the man taking the bullet.

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Connections

Referenced in Cinematic Excrement: Hudson Hawk (2019)

User Reviews

not fair

This film was responsible for the bankruptcy of the company behind it, Carolco. Which is a shame, but the film is not as bad as it is rumoured to be. Far from it. It's above average oldfashioned entertainment.

The soundtrack alone is a standout. Sweeping and powerful, it serves the plotline well and it's a joy to listen to on its own. Although the characters aren't among the most complex and well defined in movie history, they work (with a couple of exceptions, among them Maury Chaykin as John Reed, whose acting just doesn't match the tone of the film). And then there's the beautifully reconstructed pirate ships, well choreographed action sequences and terrific special effects.

In short this is a film that has an unfair rep and it is really worth your time. A great warmup for Pirates of the Caribbean (which hasn't opened yet in this neck of the woods).

Details

Country:

France Italy Germany USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 December 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cutthroat Island

Filming Locations:

Fort Ricasoli, Kalkara, Malta

Box Office

Budget:

$98,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,371,415, 25 December 1995

Gross USA:

$10,017,322

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$10,017,322

Company Credits

Production Co:

Beckner/Gorman Productions, Canal+, Carolco Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1