Plot Synopsis: Sporting goods magnate Howard Tucker sends two models in a speedboat into the Atlantic for a publicity stunt. Contact with the pair is lost, but not before they report being stuck in a fog & coming into contact with a 16th Century galleon. Along with another model, his modelling agent, a henchman & a scientist, Tucker organizes an expedition to find the missing models. They board the galleon where they encounter the blind zombies of the Knights Templar, who were banished to the sea for devil-worship.
Film Review: The Ghost Galleon (known in some countries as either Ghost Ship of the Blind Dead or Horror of the Zombies) is the third film in Spanish director Amando De Ossorio's Blind Dead saga. The original film, TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD, was one of the finest zombie films that Spain has ever produced, only matched with the relatively recent effort REC.
In keeping with the series' tradition, The Ghost Galleon is less a sequel than an outright remake. As was the case with all the sequels, the rules are changed with each film – here the Knights Templar are devil worshippers who are condemned to sail the seas for eternity.
None of the films in the Blind Dead series particularly stand out in terms of script quality, but the writing for The Ghost Galleon is noticeably shoddy. One may get past the idea of a platoon of zombies roaming the seas in a derelict ship, but the idea of a salesman sending a pair of models in a speedboat into the Atlantic shipping lanes for a publicity stunt is ridiculous to say the least – what is the point of this? The models aren't displaying anything & only have a small boat to stay in. Not to mention the fact that the visual effects shown here are ridiculously unconvincing, with the model galleon shown in wide shots being a toy model, while the coffins being thrown overboard look like small Tic-Tac boxes painted brown & being dropped into a pond.
The characterisations are, for the most part, decidedly mixed. Jack Taylor & the scientist both switch their opinions as soon as they get on board the galleon – the scientist at first dismisses the idea but later displays remarkable knowledge of the subject & has some practical skills at exorcism. Taylor, on the other hand, has a staunch disbelief of the supernatural that becomes more absurd the longer things go on – even being on the ship, he still doesn't believe it.
Despite the poor writing & shonky effects, The Ghost Galleon does manage to entertain, having a modest atmosphere. The shot of the zombies rising from their coffins to the accompaniment of some chanting is undeniably creepy (although the scene might be undermined by the fact that the chanting does tend to sound hysterically funny, especially during the opening credits).
Film Review: The Ghost Galleon (known in some countries as either Ghost Ship of the Blind Dead or Horror of the Zombies) is the third film in Spanish director Amando De Ossorio's Blind Dead saga. The original film, TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD, was one of the finest zombie films that Spain has ever produced, only matched with the relatively recent effort REC.
In keeping with the series' tradition, The Ghost Galleon is less a sequel than an outright remake. As was the case with all the sequels, the rules are changed with each film – here the Knights Templar are devil worshippers who are condemned to sail the seas for eternity.
None of the films in the Blind Dead series particularly stand out in terms of script quality, but the writing for The Ghost Galleon is noticeably shoddy. One may get past the idea of a platoon of zombies roaming the seas in a derelict ship, but the idea of a salesman sending a pair of models in a speedboat into the Atlantic shipping lanes for a publicity stunt is ridiculous to say the least – what is the point of this? The models aren't displaying anything & only have a small boat to stay in. Not to mention the fact that the visual effects shown here are ridiculously unconvincing, with the model galleon shown in wide shots being a toy model, while the coffins being thrown overboard look like small Tic-Tac boxes painted brown & being dropped into a pond.
The characterisations are, for the most part, decidedly mixed. Jack Taylor & the scientist both switch their opinions as soon as they get on board the galleon – the scientist at first dismisses the idea but later displays remarkable knowledge of the subject & has some practical skills at exorcism. Taylor, on the other hand, has a staunch disbelief of the supernatural that becomes more absurd the longer things go on – even being on the ship, he still doesn't believe it.
Despite the poor writing & shonky effects, The Ghost Galleon does manage to entertain, having a modest atmosphere. The shot of the zombies rising from their coffins to the accompaniment of some chanting is undeniably creepy (although the scene might be undermined by the fact that the chanting does tend to sound hysterically funny, especially during the opening credits).