Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

The Bermuda Depths Blu-ray Movie Review

Turtle power!

Reviewed by Randy Miller III March 23, 2021

A fitfully engaging TV movie from a decade full of 'em, Tsugunobu Kotani's The Bermuda Depths (1978) was written by Arthur Rankin Jr. and produced by Rankin/Bass -- yep, that Rankin/Bass -- and first aired on ABC before earning a short Japanese theatrical run. Hypnotic and hazy, it's the kind of film that's easy to get lost in and, if you managed to catch it back then, The Bermuda Depths has likely lingered deep in your brain as a vague, unformed memory. Not because it's especially great, mind you, but the film's odd combination of dream-like drama and campy, low-budget thrills at least helps it stand out from the crowd. And if that's not enough for you, Apollo Creed wears a crop top.

The story goes like this: Magnus Dens (Leigh McCloskey, Inferno) has returned to the beautiful beachside community of his youth, looking for answers about the death of his parents a few years earlier... not to mention the whereabouts of childhood sweetheart Jennie Haniver, who made him a shell necklace that he still wears faithfully. Magnus' reunion with old buddy Eric (Carl Weathers, Predator) leads to an impromptu boat ride, as Eric now works for Dr. Paulis (Burl Ives, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) while studying for a Master's Degree in marine biology. The good doctor has been researching teratology, just like Magnus' father before his untimely death, which includes gigantism in local sea creatures including a huge turtle that supposedly roams local waters near the Bermuda Triangle. But also roaming the waters is a beautiful, mysterious young woman (Connie Selleca, The Greatest American Hero) that strongly resembles the Jennie of Magnus' youth and rescues him from drowning that very same night. Yet according to the esteemed Dr. Paulis, "Jennie Haniver" is nothing more than the name given to a sea creature that's part of the town's folklore.

So, Magnus might be in love with a turtle? Hey, it happens.

To its credit, The Bermuda Depths delivers plenty of intrigue almost effortlessly, letting its dreamlike atmosphere and deliberate pace do most of the heavy lifting. In short, it's a mystery you actually want to see get solved. Where it runs into trouble, however, is the dialogue and supporting performances, which aren't anything special -- some of these lines and interactions are B-move grade at best, with the worst of them stopping the film's hypnotism dead in its tracks. Yet The Bermuda Depths comes awfully close to "more than a TV movie" at times if only for its admirable execution, which injects a decent amount of style and substance into what might otherwise be a linear, vaguely compelling small-town mystery. The bittersweet final act also maintains a certain degree of mystery while refusing to answer questions that other films might have tied into a too-neat bow. Don't get me wrong: as a whole The Bermuda Depths is rarely more than "pretty good" and its dated effects (which include miniature work done by the team behind Ultraman) squash the illusion of a few third-act scenes, but these era-specific charms kinda-sorta work in its favor.

The Bermuda Depths was the second of three shared collaborations between Rankin/Bass and Tsuburaya Productions (the others being The Last Dinosar and The Ivory Ape), and the first to reach Blu-ray courtesy of Warner Archives. It absolutely shines from a visual standpoint, as this 1080p transfer comes from a sparkling new 4K scan of the original camera negative... and in addition to two different visual presentations of the film (the open-matte version seen on TV, plus a 1.85:1 version only shown in Japanese theaters), we also get an audio commentary. This is absolutely terrific treatment of a title that, appropriately enough, might otherwise be nothing more than a distant memory.

The Bermuda Depths Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Not many vaguely remembered made-for-TV movies get the full 4K restoration treatment, and for that reason The Bermuda Depths stands head-and-shoulders above most productions from this era. Warner Archive's 1080p transfer features a flat-out beautiful image that showcases the terrific outdoor footage shot on location in Bermuda, giving it an appearance that likewise stands out in a crowd.. Color depth and image detail are fantastic with no shortage of screenshot-worthy compositions, from the impossibly blue skies to crystal-clear waters, beautiful close-ups of Connie Sellecca as adult Jennie Haniver, her secret cove, and of course Carl Weathers' denim cutoffs and Speedo. Barely a minute goes by without a freeze- frame-worthy moment as this Blu-ray handles the disc compression perfectly -- even with two different aspect ratios on one disc, it runs at an extremely high bitrate and rarely showcase anything but a perfect image. A few effects-related shot exhibit noticeable softness and focus issues, but I appreciate that Warner Archive, as usual, has chosen to preserve their original appearance rather than attempt artificial sharpening or other processing tricks. Film grain is fine throughout, along with light but not distracting noise during the darkest indoor scenes. Overall, it's more top-tier work from the studio and easily the best this film has ever looked.

Warner Archive also recently uploaded a few videos showing off their new transfer, including the four-minute opening sequence in both 1.33:1 and 1.85:1 aspect ratios, plus an Oscar-worthy performance by Carl Weathers.

The Bermuda Depths Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Bermuda Depths' basic but capable soundtrack is well-represented on Warner Archive's solid DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix, which balances sound effects and the terrific original score with ease. Dialogue is mostly clean and clear, even when the boat's motor rattles and churns away during on-board conversations. A few dodgy moments of ADR are present and mixed well with audio captured on location, resulting in a clean and satisfactory presentation that likely sounds way better than it did coming through your console TV speakers more than four decades ago.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are offering during both the 1.33:1 and 1.85:1 versions of the film.

The Bermuda Depths Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray ships in a standard keepcase with original one-sheet poster art and two bonus features.

• Audio Commentary - This feature-length track pairs up author/film historian Amanda Reyes and Kindertrauma co-founder Lance Vaughan, who sounds like he's coming through a speakerphone. The duo serves up a good mixture of nostalgic trivia and technical details; topics include their first exposure to the film, other memorable TV movies of the era, Rankin and Bass' "heavy issues", Adam and Even parallels, unreliable narratives, shifting family dynamics, a short biography of Tsugunobu Kotani (translated from Japanese), Ultraman, Carl Weathers' amazing fashion sense, special effects and miniature work, Bermuda Triangle lore, the open-ended conclusion, and much more. It's a surprisingly solid track and one that thankfully doesn't veer too much into "fan" territory, as Reyes does most of the talking and keeps things organized from start to finish. Here's a clip.

• 1.85:1 Version - This matted version preserves the aspect ratio of The Bermuda Depths' Japanese theatrical run and was obviously sourced from the same great new 4K restoration. Typical for this type of matting, it crops a fair amount of information from the top and bottom but opens up the sides ever-so-slightly. This is a decent framing option that looks much different than the 1.33:1 version at times and nothing of real importance is lost, although since it's technically "zoomed in" the image detail isn't as razor-sharp. I still prefer the original aspect ratio but I wouldn't blame anyone for choosing this option -- it still looks great. While I didn't include any direct comparisons between the two, Warner Archive has provided separate videos of the film's opening sequence in both aspect ratios, linked above. Screenshots #21-25 are sourced from this version of the film.

The Bermuda Depths Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Tsugunobu Kotani's The Bermuda Depths is a dated but very memorable made-for-TV production from the late 1970s that likely scared or at least bewitched young audiences hoping to catch a glimpse of its attractive leads. The film's hazy atmosphere and leisurely pace manage to create a potent backdrop even when the script can't quite keep up, and its charmingly low-budget effects are just icing on the cake. Even so, it's not for everyone... but even newcomers that are halfway interested will probably have a good time. They'll also be charmed by Warner Archive's ridiculously great Blu-ray package, which serves up an absolutely outstanding 4K-sourced restoration, two different aspect ratios, and even a brand-new audio commentary. This one's easily recommended, especially to established fans.