The Bermuda Triangle (1978)

The Bermuda Triangle, as it's title boldly implies, is a film that's based around the mystique surrounding the Bermuda Triangle, which in itself sounds fairly compelling... however this movie is mostly about the people on board a yacht known as the Black Whale III. Oh and what a charismatic lot they are! The films primary cast is comprised of about 12 people of various ages (including John Huston and Claudine Auger), but mostly the cast is made from a short list of small-time/no-name actors (if you watch this movie you'll no why their not a known name), whose acting is typically so casual and mundane, that you'd swear that they weren't aware that they were part of a movie. And to make things even worse, all of the child actors dialog is dubbed (and often by people who sound much older then them), which has a way of making them sound unnatural and even ridiculous at times. This is especially true for the little blonde girl, her voice sounds about as natural as that of a talking dolls. And just to mention it, it's always a bad sign when the quarrelings of a dysfunctional middle-aged couple produce the movies most entertaining moments and that's where Claudine Auger comes in. Filmed in 1977, a full 12 years after her famous appearance (as Domino) in Thunderball, she's not looking quite as beautiful here and she's constantly bickering with her boozehound husband (whose hitting the J & B scotch ultra-heavy). Sadly, these scenes between the two of them are, for me at least, the movies liveliest scenes. I find that there's something colorfully compelling about their biting mutual disdain for each other, not to mention all the great free-flowing sarcasm, that these two bitter souls stir up between each other.The purpose of their cruise is to scuba-dive on the site of some ancient underwater ruins that are many miles out to sea (this type of setting can make for some absolutely incredible visuals, but don't worry, nothing remotely interesting, let alone incredible comes of it), so don your wet-suit and get ready to partake in this grand dive of theirs. This lengthy dive sequence was clearly meant to be the movies grand center-piece, but yet it lasts for far too long and is, like the rest of this movie, a total bore - just underwater this time. You'd think that this sequence would supply some temporary reprieve from all the mundane nothingness, that's taking place aboard the decks of the Black Whale III, but that's not the case. This 10 minute underwater foray generates all the thrills and excitement of watching a bowl of jello gelatinate or waiting for cup of pudding to thicken. In more capable hands this sequence could've been a surreal underwater odyssey. But, in the end of it all, it does help quicken the movies pace, when bad luck befalls the loveliest of the ships passengers, when an ancient pillar topples over and crushes her legs, now things get desperate fast, as she needs help ASAP, but the mysterious ways of The Bermuda Triangle (also known as The Devils Triangle) make that impossible and the only doctor on board is a hopeless and bitter drunk. When it's all said and done there is virtually nothing compelling or entertaining about this lame and forgotten movie from the late-70's, it's biggest failure is it's cast and that's clearly reflected through their lack of any real chemistry between each other - not that they had anything interesting to say in the first place and the voice-dubbing only makes this bad movie worse.The Bermuda Triangle seems to do little else, but kick dirt on John Huston's long and storied career - The Maltese Falcon this is not.The verdict is: Very slow, very dull and just plain bad, like the majority of movies from the 70's tend to be.

You have to hand it to Rene Cardona Jr.--maybe his films aren't very good, but he was always able to make them the way he wanted to in Mexico and successfully distribute them internationally (as opposed to today where most Mexican filmmakers manage maybe one acclaimed art film before they're swallowed whole by the Hollywood whale). This film seeks to exploit all the publicity surrounding the Bermuda Triangle at the time. A deep sea diver (John Huston)and his much younger wife and family sail into the Bermuda Triangle to explore some undersea ruins. Along for the ride is his bickering half-brother and sister-in-law and a superstitious crew of Mexican sailors. Strange things begin to happen. They find a creepy doll floating in the sea and give it to the youngest daughter who feeds it raw meat (which, hilariously, no one remarks on)and become possessed by it, accurately predicting the demise of various cast members. There are freak storms, bizarre accidents, and perhaps most creepy they keep hearing distress calls from the ships and planes that have disappeared over the years, including even their own transmissions.This movie is pretty effective and has a surprising amount of character development. The cast is Cardona's usual mixture of washed-up Americans (Huston), Mexican regulars (Hugo Stiglitz and Andres Garcia) and a little delectable bikini-filler imported from Europe (Gloria Guida). Since this was marketed as a low-budget disaster movie, it is fairly family-friendly (although it's probably too violent and scary for little kids), so don't expect the usual sex and nudity from the director of "Tintorera"--in fact, this is the only movie I've seen with Gloria Guida where she does NOT take her clothes off (she spends most of the movie in bed, literally, after a diving accidentally). It is a testament to the effectiveness of this movie though that I really didn't mind. The only real negative here is the atrocious dubbing: the dubbed dialogue of the black cook, in particular, would be offensive if it wasn't so ridiculous--he comes off like a throw-back to Step'n Fetchit.Still I would definitely recommend this. Even if it's not much of a compliment, this is definitely Rene Cardona's Jr.'s best movie.

Reading the other comments I must say that I'm not surprised. I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't recognize one's right to like stinky films. I like some z grades myself, but this movie ain't one of 'em. I spend 15$ on this crap. John Huston is in it, but doesn't do much other that stand around and talk in that voice of his. its almost a relief when his character is eaten by sharks. The only reason I like Rene Cordona Jr.s films is the nudity and luridness: this film has neither, so I hated it. As for the Bermuda Triangle I know nothing new about it after watching this film, and I'm not afraid of it any more than before. To add insult to injury there's a black character that is dubbed in mushmouth. Truly horrible: a disappointment in exploitation and offensive to boot.

Okay, okay, so it may have something to do with the fact that I was about ten years old when I saw this movie, but to me it still remains the most traumatizing piece of cinematographically inflicted horror ever to cross my path.Even now, twenty years later, I still regard realistically shaped dolls with paranoid suspicion...Short summary of the plot: a dozen or so people are making a boat trip through the Bermuda Triangle. Among them a little girl, who to her delight finds a doll floating in the water. At her request the doll is rescued, so to speak, and then doom strikes and innocent ten year old Dutch boys who happen to be watching are scarred for life.A flock of birds attacks the girl, who defends herself by beating them off with the doll. Once they have fled, the crew finds dead birds on the deck, their heads bitten off. The doll has blood around her mouth. And, oh horror, she blinks.A crewman repairing the ship's helix is cut to pieces when the engine mysteriously is turned on.An underwater expedition to a sunken city ends in disaster when the buildings collapse on top of the divers.During a heavy storm, the crew and passengers see a ship passing by in the distance, sending morse signals that reveal it's a ship that has been missing for a hundred years.And so on, and so on.[END SPOILERS]So, maybe if I'd see it again today, it wouldn't hold up anymore to the critical eye of a 21st century adult. Who cares. The impression will last forever.