While nothing to rush out and buy, Brian Yuzna's 2005 film "Beneath Still Waters" is not nearly as bad as the negative comments would indicate. It's a decent premise with quality production design, it puts most of its respectable budget on the screen, Charlotte Salt is very easy to look at, and it features the most effeminate looking warlock in cinema history for some needed (although probably unintentional) comedy relief.
The negative reaction mostly comes from an extremely weak ending and a final moronic twist that takes about 10 IQ points off the target audience. But compared to the staggeringly lame low budget garbage going direct to DVD these days "Beneath Still Waters" is a breathe of fresh air.
Things set up nicely with an interesting flashback scene to 1965 when a damn project flooded a valley in Spain and submerged the village of Marinbad. The reason for this is slowly revealed during the first half of the film as it is tied to a supernatural force which has caused several recent deaths in the town and appears to be structurally weakening the damn on the eve of the new village's 40th anniversary celebration.
The last third of the film is like a bad remake of Jaws 3-D (1983), degenerating into a low budget disaster movie. Just substitute a damn, a lake, an effeminate warlock, and a partying hard group of villagers for the Sea World glass tunnels, the ocean, the mean shark, and a bunch of partying park guests.
Salt is the best reason to watch. She has several scenes with her recently deceased grandfather's spirit; which are nicely done and genuinely creepy. The special effects are not overdone and the only genuinely lame character is the village's "Ed Wood" type police captain.
The DVD is closed captioned which is getting to be an indicator of technical quality. And the lack of a commentary feature is good sign that the director is grounded in reality.
Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.
The negative reaction mostly comes from an extremely weak ending and a final moronic twist that takes about 10 IQ points off the target audience. But compared to the staggeringly lame low budget garbage going direct to DVD these days "Beneath Still Waters" is a breathe of fresh air.
Things set up nicely with an interesting flashback scene to 1965 when a damn project flooded a valley in Spain and submerged the village of Marinbad. The reason for this is slowly revealed during the first half of the film as it is tied to a supernatural force which has caused several recent deaths in the town and appears to be structurally weakening the damn on the eve of the new village's 40th anniversary celebration.
The last third of the film is like a bad remake of Jaws 3-D (1983), degenerating into a low budget disaster movie. Just substitute a damn, a lake, an effeminate warlock, and a partying hard group of villagers for the Sea World glass tunnels, the ocean, the mean shark, and a bunch of partying park guests.
Salt is the best reason to watch. She has several scenes with her recently deceased grandfather's spirit; which are nicely done and genuinely creepy. The special effects are not overdone and the only genuinely lame character is the village's "Ed Wood" type police captain.
The DVD is closed captioned which is getting to be an indicator of technical quality. And the lack of a commentary feature is good sign that the director is grounded in reality.
Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.