Unlike many of the folks who have left comments on this movie, I first saw "The Bermuda Depths" (TBD) when I was in my late thirties or early forties. It is a movie that I should have written off as being just another cheesy made-for-TV flick but, instead, I found it to be strangely affecting, if not outright haunting. This feeling, I admit, flies in the face of the bad special effects (the giant turtle, for example), sometimes corny dialog, and a story rife with holes. I don't know if it was the interesting cast (Burl Ives puts in an especially good performance), the intriguing music, the story, or Connie Selleca's breathtaking beauty, but I was hooked. I watched it several more times before putting it on tape. I have since transferred it to a DVD, which I pull out every now and then. Strangely enough, my kids have come to share my love of this film, although they, like their Dad, can't say exactly why. This film is somewhat reminiscent of some fantasy films of the forties and fifties. For example, I can't watch "A Portrait of Jenny" without thinking of TBD. Like TBD and "A Portrait of Jenny," some films rise above their obvious flaws and connect with the viewer's emotions in a very special way. These are special films, indeed, and deserve a different kind of recognition. In summary, if you get a chance to see "The Bermuda Depths" (if it ever airs again or comes out in DVD form), try to watch it with your heart and not your head. If you can, you, too, will be hooked.
Review of The Bermuda Depths
The Bermuda Depths
(1978 TV Movie)
All the elements of a bad flick, but still hauntingly memorable
16 March 2005