A young man returns to Bermuda hoping to discover why his father died 13 years earlier and becomes entranced by a mysterious young woman who turns out to be the childhood friend who disappeared into the sea that same day. Somehow, she is connected to his father's strange fate, but the answers lie out there, in the Devil's Triangle.I first saw 'The Bermuda Depths' many years ago and while the plot had faded from memory long since, there was something about it that remained with me. A recent reviewing went some way toward explaining this, although it also suggested that my tastes were probably less demanding back then. What I see now is a film that has not aged well, unraveled in its designs by bad acting, dreadful special effects and a premise that proves effective only while under the influence of Valium. The nonsense of the Bermuda Triangle too was perhaps more alluring in 1978, but seems painfully artificial now, perhaps because the coast guards of the region have been trying to get it through to people that nowhere near as many ships disappear in the area as pop culture would maintain, and those that have did so with a far more mundane explanation than some want to believe.Others may suggest I'm missing the point of course, and 'The Bermuda Depths' rides high on the wave of piffle the previous decades have built up surrounding this supposedly supernatural island chain. Throw in an emotionally-damaged young man, a family tragedy, an attractive siren in a black swimsuit and legends of archelonian leviathans, and herein is the tale intended to ensnare us from the distractions of logic. Well-done, these elements should come together to form an intriguing mystery and a haunting story of star-crossed love, but the delivery is off both before and behind the camera.The central character of Magnus Dens, for example, is potentially the most intriguing. Dens, we learn, is an aimless drifter, orphaned by the tragic loss of his parents and direction-less as a result. Upon returning to Bermuda, he finds himself entranced by a woman invisible to everyone but the local 'wise woman' who places her existence within the framework of a centuries-old curse. Rejecting the madness of the one person who believes him, Dens is treated with pitied sympathy by his friends, certain his crumbling psychological state is torturing him with the hallucinations of an imaginary friend. This, to me, demonstrates wonderful scope on the part of the lead that should lend true anguish and drama to the conflict. Unfortunately, actor Leigh McClosky brings this complex character to life with all the energy of a deflating balloon, his languid stares and lethargic movement interrupted at times by over-the-top aggression meant to signal an unleashing of his inner turmoil, but coming across as two-dimensional over-excitement. While I have no problem with the supporting cast, their efforts cannot make up for McClosky's inability to act. Even the lovely Connie Sellecca's superior performance as the almost spectral seductress Jennie – a subtle miasma of innocence and eternal regret – can only do so much when this is whom she must play against, although it's likely no coincidence that it is with her that McClosky gives his best performances, Sellecca seemingly bringing out in him capabilities elsewhere hidden from view.That said, William Overgard's script clearly isn't interested in being the character study it ought to in favour of a shallow pastiche of 'Moby Dick' vying for time with the elements of unrequited love. There's no reason we can't have both, but efforts to champion one direction come at the cost of another, perhaps in a desire to provide spectacle. This unfortunately is where the film's low budget really becomes evident, with some very cheap and unconvincing model shots, special effects and atrocious day-for-night shooting , which admittedly I don't recall being such glaring problems 20 years ago. 'The Bermuda Depths' is one of those films that holds together far better not simply in the distant past when it was made, but in that hazy distance of memory, which over time smooths out the inconsistencies. It's a little like being reunited with your first love and finding that much of what you recall about it has been rose-tinted in the years since.The soundtrack too is an odd mish-mash of styles reflecting the shifting, unevenness of the plot. A haunting period theme song suggests temptation and seduction, giving way to a recurring (and indeed familiar) classical guitar motif, both of which must coexist with a strange retro thriller score that reminded me at times of orchestrations Malcolm Lockyer was creating in 60s sci-fi matinées. The final element of what one today might call 'muzak' fills out the dramatic downtime. The overall lack of coherence suggests the differing perspectives behind the scenes and a loss of clarity.One thing that has not suffered from the passage of time, however, is the location itself. All exterior scenes were shot in Bermuda and its sleepy urban landscape, powder-white beaches flanked by picturesque rocky outcrops and azure sea go a long way toward compensating for other deficiencies. The local government, credited for assisting in the making of the film, would doubtless have seen it as an enticing travel promotion and deservedly so – it certainly worked on me. The natural landscape lends itself perfectly to the storyline and ultimately, it is only the artificial enhancements of post-production, weak plotting and character development that don't stand up to scrutiny – especially to a modern audience.Ultimately, these are the dangers of revisiting the past and the way it is often defeated by the ravages of time and the changes we undergo as a result. Ironically, this mirrors 'The Bermuda Depths' rather well. The film itself is the beckoning siren, luring the rose-tinted memories of an ageing audience toward potential heartbreak, and like the ancient mariners, I failed to lash myself to the mast in time.

My old grandfather always used to say "boy, don't go chasing mermaids…". I just thought he was senile and never had a clue what he meant, but now after seeing this movie I do! My pop must have experienced something similar like the protagonist in "The Bermuda Depths". I guess the expression means: never trust a girl you meet on the beach, because she might turn out a minion of the devil who sold her soul in exchange for eternal life and terrorizes the Bermuda area on a ridiculously over-sized turtle… Makes sense, right? "The Bermuda Depths" is quite a bizarre film. I was getting worried and upset from the very first seconds already. I thought I had purchased a sea-monster movie/Bermuda Triangle mystery, and yet the film opens with a love balled sung by Claude Carmichael and elegant underwater photography. That can't be good. Then, to make things even worse, we're exposed to an overlong flashback depicting a youthful romance that predates "The Blue Lagoon" with two years and comes across as even smarmier. A boy and a girl meet on the beach and carve their initials in a turtle's harness (sadist kids!), but then suddenly she disappears into the ocean and he loses his father in a weird accident. Twenty years and numerous foster homes later, the boy returns to the beach area and joins his father old work buddies. They try to solve the Bermuda Triangle mystery and are convinced there's some kind of undiscovered animal species living in the depths at the ocean. The boy also meets his childhood crush again, but there's something very suspicious and hallucinated about her. You know, this movie is something fairly unique: one of the only amalgamations between dreamy fairy-tale romance and cheesy monster action! The impossible love-affair as well as Jenny's heartbreaking folklore legend is very likely to enchant, while Carl Weathers' obsessive hunt at least keeps the film somewhat intriguing. The first hour is pretty dull, but the last twenty minutes compensate for a lot! There are delightfully cheesy images of a mega- turtle (eat your heart out, Gammara!) and also miniature ships and fake helicopter explosions. The climax is very anti-American and thus very unexpected! I love it when that happens. Practically all my fellow reviewers have fond memories of this movie, as they apparently all watched it on TV during their childhood. Sadly I can't share the nostalgia. Neither can I share the sentiment that "The Bermuda Depths" is a great movie. It's weird and random, I'll give it that.

Like many of the rest of you, I thought this movie may have been a dream while I was a child. I saw it only once on TV and then never again. It was the best movie, thank god i remembered Carl Weathers or I'd never have known how to search it. All I could remember was the beach and the bubble which ended up bearing the turtle and the initials in his shell which i used to think were written in chalk! And of course Jenny's flowing dress in shreds with the giant harpoon hole in her side. this was a mystical movie that just brought kids into a completely different world and there were very few of these in the 70s and perhaps that is why it meant so much to so many. Please release this onto DVD. We should lobby whatever network this was broadcast on and beg to have it mass produced.

I am absolutely shocked at how may kids of the 70's this movie has stuck with after all these years! Like everyone else, I was 7 or 8 and never forgot this movie. I've mentioned it in passing several times and always got a crazy look. A movie about sea turtles? I thought I was the only one who remembered the giant sea turtle movie, or maybe I dreamed up the whole thing. Should I ever have the opportunity to see this horribly wonderful movie again, I'm sure I'll ask myself what the amazement with the movie was about in the first place. I'd LOVE to see it again - along with Lucan the wolf boy. Make sure you sign the petition at the website listed in a previous comment!