Friday, October 01, 2010

THE GHOST GALLEON (1974)

While Amando de Ossorio’s third Blind Dead film is easily the least of the series (IMHO) it has some good elements that keep it from being a total disaster. The not-good elements do add up over the course of the tale though, with the worst thing you have to overlook being the truly sad shots of the titular Galleon itself. Never believable for a second onscreen Ossorio wasn’t even able to convincingly fake shots of people on the clearly tiny model floating in what looks like a backyard pool. The darkness and fog does not hide the crappiness of the effect at any point and the fact that shots of two watercraft that are supposed to be be right next to each other never match backgrounds causes much eye rolling.


Still- it is a pretty creepy movie if you can forgive it its faults. And if you can keep from shouting Toy Boat every time the damned Ghost Galleon appears.

4 comments:

The Vicar of VHS said...

I had the same reaction to this movie--mostly pretty terrible, but with a couple of great bits that *almost* (but don't quite) redeem it. The scene where the Blind Dead rise and ritualistically carry the terrified bikini girl down into the bowels of the ship was genuinely creepy imo.

I've been meaning to get round to NIGHT OF THE SEAGULLS for ages now, the one Blind Dead film I've yet to watch.

Rod Barnett said...

I seem to like Ghost Galleon a *little* more than you but we're on the same page. Don't fear the fourth film. SEAGULLS is a step back up the quality scale in my opinion and ends the series on a high note.

Dan said...

The ship never bothered me at all. I guess that's why I am such a big Dark Shadows fan. The actors going up and the sets shaking never phased me. I think that when it comes to storytelling either film or theater I am just good at getting into the story and accepting how it is done.
Tomb of the Blind Dead - B+
Return of the Evil Dead - A+
Ghost Galleon - C+
Night of the Seagulls - A-

Rod Barnett said...

Dan - we're pretty close on our scores for the Blind Dead quartet. I would go--
Tomb of the Blind Dead - B+
Return of the Evil Dead - A
Ghost Galleon - C-
Night of the Seagulls - A-