Pastor Jay reviews the 1977 made-for-TV movie The Bermuda Depths on Blu-ray.
The film is a fantasy sci-horror film produced by Rankin and Bass, known for their animation work.
The movie follows a scientist and his student as they explore the Bermuda depths, encountering a mysterious creature.
The Blu-ray release includes the original full-screen format and the widescreen international release, along with an audio commentary.
Greetings, classic cinema and TV fans. This is Pastor Jay here with you once again and with another Silver Screen Spotlight. On these spotlights, we spotlight classic films and television films and all kinds of good releases from different companies that we are excited about. And today we're talking about one that is a one from the 70s that is not well well known. It's not overly well known and it is a made for TV movie. And we're going to jump into that and surprise you with probably what this is. But first off we want to tell you a little bit of background about this film first. Probably we all know the amazing people that brought us films like Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. This is Rankin Bass, the team behind these great films. These films are actual required viewing at our house. Every single Christmas time, we break these out and watch these every single year. We watch these every year of my life. It's just required viewing. We have to watch them every year. It just is. It's not Christmas unless you watch Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. But Rankin Bass is known for their amazing animation, right? They're known for that amazing stop-motion animation of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and that classic kind of animation brought to us in Frosty the Snowman. But interestingly enough, in 1977, the creative team behind these great classic animation holiday classics brought us something that was really strange. In 1977, they released a made-for-TV movie and it was a fantasy sci horror film Wow The team that brought us Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red Reindeer are dealing in horror Wow this is really interesting Now, in 1977, I wasn't even born yet, so I wasn't able to watch this. And I have to be honest with you, this time around, this viewing is the first time I ever saw this film. And thankfully, Warner Archive, yes, the good folks at Warner Archive decided to release this film from Rankin and Bass, The Bermuda Depths. Can you believe this? The Bermuda Depths on Blu-ray. Unbelievable. Amazing made-for-TV movie. It is so awesome. Great cast here. Unbelievable cast here. First off, we get Burl Ives Who doesn't love Burl Ives? Burl Ives, known for being in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Myr, Reindeer Doing the voice of the snowman, very, very cool But here he is a scientist A guy that is out there discovering things about the sea And he's got a student with him And now this is really cool This student is Carl Weathers Yes, that's right, the iconic Apollo Creed from the Rocky movies So cool But that's not what the story is about These two guys just sailing on the sea That's not what this is about It's about this guy that's along for the ride It's a young man that's just kind of with them, but he's really, really haunted by his past. He remembers a time before his parents perished and all, when he was a child in the Bermuda depths, you know in Bermuda he remembers a young girl and he remembers all these times that they spent together on the shore sides and in and swimming in in the depths in the sea and all and but he can remember who she is what her name is or anything about it and was it all just a dream or is there something more to this and if there is something more to this is it a little more sinister than we expect is it a little more than what we think and uh the the young girl uh grows up and uh you know is played by uh connie Celica, which is very cool. Unbelievable cast. This is just an amazing cast. And I have to tell you, Rankin and Bass, I don't know how this came about, to be honest with you. I'll be honest with I don't know how this came about, that Rankin and Bass got to do a horror film when they're known for doing, you know, animation. I don't know how that worked. But I have to tell you, the amazing you got that amazing Rankin and Bass feel with all the little animation the depths and the things that are I'm trying not to spoil it but the creature let's say that the creature that is swimming through the seas the Bermuda depths is unbelievable I mean, you can see that Rankin and Bass stop-motion animation in that, and it is so cool. Everything that is done in this film is just really, really spectacular. I have to tell you, I was really impressed with this, and Warner Archive did an absolute amazing job with this one. There's just a very, very lightheartedness, but yet a very seriousness to the horror here. It's not slasher by no means. It's more thrilling, and there is just the tiniest little bit of horror to it. Just a little tinge. It's not very much at all. But you still have to call it a horror film. But it's more fantasy than anything else. This release here from Warner Archive is absolutely spectacular. I never saw it originally, so I can't compare it that way. And let's be honest, when a made-for-TV movie is made then it kind of passes off It may go in reruns a couple of times but it doesn stay on television So more or less if you watch it then it gone more or less Well Warner Archive is not letting it just go by the wayside I'm thankful for that. So I get to see it for the first time here, and I'm going to re-watch this several times because it is that good. I have to tell you that what is really cool about this release from Warner Archive is the fact that not only do you get the original made-for-TV release, which is in full-screen format, because that's the way people in the 70s watched television, was on the little box screen. You didn't have widescreen televisions, okay? You had the little box screen, so you had the full-screen format. So they give you that version. But also, this was released internationally in theaters, and so you get the widescreen format of that international release. There's no added features like added movie, but there is a bigger screen, and so you get more on the sides, so that's pretty cool. There's also a pretty entertaining audio commentary, which is really cool. So a really awesome release, and I have to say that this film looks amazing on Blu-ray. I don't know if it looked this amazing on television, In its original run, I kind of have my doubts because we have high-definition televisions and Blu-rays now and all this. But I'm going to tell you, it looks amazing now. Definitely, you can check out our full review of The Bermuda Depths at retroac.blogspot.com. Be sure to check that out. And be sure to pick up a copy of this. If you're a fan of Rankin Bass, if you're a fan of those made-for-TV movies of the 70s, or if you're a fan of that fantasy horror, this is definitely one you're going to want to check out. Check out The Bermuda Depths. And we want to thank Warner Archive for sending this our way so we can share it with you. And be sure to like, share, and subscribe to these videos. And until we see you next time with another Silver Screen Spotlight, this is Pastor Jay wishing you a blessed day, and we will see you next time. Remember, if you want to see a great film, check out a classic. Bye. Thank you.
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