Search - Dead Waters on DVD

Great horror movie

CLINT BRONSON | 02/05/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This movie is an excellent movie. The suspense is great. It has a decent amount of gore, and the atmosphere is perfect. However, the sound definitely wasn't the best. But, considering what the people making this film had to go through, it's amazing that this film was completed at all. Horror fans should definitely check this movie out."

Brooding, "Lovecraftian" Nightmare

Jerome Y. Hebert | Québec | 01/25/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"From the previous reviews, it seems that one either really likes this film or really detests it. After a bit of reflection, I'll have to count myself in the first camp.



"Dark Waters" is definitely not a usual off-the-shelf, paint-by-numbers horror film. Its appeal (from my viewpoint) is more subtle and mature by far than the hack-'til-you-drop gore-fare that some use to define "horror" today. For me, the dread and horror in "Dark Waters" developed gradually as the film slowly brought the viewer to the point of realizing that he (or she) is inexorably entangled in the tentacles of an inescapable living nightmare. I found myself thinking that if H.P. Lovecraft had nightmares, and if a film crew could enter into them and capture their essence visually and psychologically, the result would not be unlike "Dark Waters."



The film certainly isn't for every taste. If you like lots of violent action, tons of gore and quick gratification, "Dark Waters" will be unsatisfying. But if you enjoy being slowly drawn into a vortex of nightmarish hopelessness in a setting very reminiscent to haunted Innsmouth (with truly crazed nuns perhaps standing in for the depraved Cult of Dagon), then I think you might give "Dark Waters" a viewing."

What are your choices?

IKCWMBFD | 01/21/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Keeping in mind that this obscurity was made on the cheap in Russia in the early 90s, there are a lot of positives here. The director tried to make a straightforward atmospheric ode to Lovecraft in a style influenced by the Italian greats, no ironic postmodern jokey humor here to dilute things. There are too few horror films of recent vintage with that kind of lofty ambition and so I give the movie an extra star for that. Some of the other reviewers have complained that the movie is way too derivative: there's really no question that Suspiria, Inferno, and Phenomena in particular influenced the makers of this movie and there are a few obvious/deliberate visual swipes/hommages here and there, but I don't see that as a problem myself. I'd rather see work by a filmmaker perhaps overly influenced by great work than one by someone who's imitating a bunch of crap.



Several of the sequences have nicely done and memorable imagery, are well lit and shot, and overall the movie looks pretty darn good for the low budget. The look of it (lots of rain in an old remote seacoastal town populated by sinister natives) sort of made me think of Stuart Gordon's later Dagon, though the two have a very different approach in tone. The acting is surprisingly not bad: the lead, Louise Salter is pretty and talented and it's a shame that this seems to be really her only movie (and the director's as well). The problems? Well, there are many awkward transitions and moments of poor plot/factual exposition which gives the film a somewhat random cobbled together feel (although the same charge can be said of Argento or Bava or other Italian greats to be fair); some scenes particularly in the middle drag quite a bit; the whole thing should probably have been quite a bit bloodier honestly; the low budget is a problem in a few key places; and unfortunately, the director cannot resist the temptation to include some creature effects toward the end that wind up bringing the whole thing down rather than doing anything positive (Didn't anyone learn from Curse of the Demon? Many other films of course make this same mistake: see Carpenter's Mouth of Madness for another Lovecraftian style narrative from this time period that also blows it badly by showing more than it should).



Bottom line, if you are a fan of serious 70s/80s euro-horror (particularly of a supernatural bent), you should probably give this a shot and watch it (perhaps rent first then decide on a purchase). After all, despite the shortcomings, there haven't been that many films made for those with these tastes in recent years, so it's not like there's a ton of other choices waiting."

DARK, HAUNTING, 'UNDER THE RADAR' FANTASY HORROR

Darth J | Somewhere In Time | 11/03/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Do You like the supernatural stories of H.P. Lovecraft?

Do you like the colorful, atmospheric look of Dario Argento films?

If you said yes then you absolutly MUST see Dark Waters!

The story is about a young English woman named Elizabeth, who has recently inherited a fortune after the death of her father. She has traveled to the place of her birth, a small island in the Black Sea to investigate why her father had a large sum of money donated annually to the convent located on the island. Over the coarse of her stay, she discovers that there is some kind of creature worship going on, as well as forgotten parts of her past. As the movie progresses, Elizabeth realizes that her life is in danger, and she may be a 'key' in the whole situation.

Dark Waters was directed by Mariano Baino who co-wrote it with editor Andy Bark, and is a great tribute to Lovecraft, as well as the movies of Dario Argento.

The story is solid, imagine Argento directing 'The Sentinel' and putting his trademark lavish color into it. However, it is kind of thin in places, and you might find yourself asking a few questions, but it makes up for it with visual appeal. The tension has a slow, buildup effect. You won't realize how the movie is building up tension until specific 'disturbing' events take place.

The look of this movie is phenomenal!! It was shot on location in the Ukraine, and makes great use of the Odessa Tunnels, as well as having an 'old world' look to it. The lighting is what gives it the edge. This movie has a lavish red-orange hue to it, which works really well with the sunsets, and the torch-lit caves. In the dark scenes, there is subtle blue, and purple to add a supernatural vibe

The Editing could have been a little tighter in some places, but overall great. Some scenes I drifted a little, but wound up missing something. The movie flows seemlessly into dream sequences, and you will not know until something weird happens.

The music and score is great. There is a dark, ambient, gothic classical score that creates an 'evil' dream-like atmosphere that compliments the camera shots. There's alot of subtle sound effect also. Things like a baby crying in the background helps to create an uncomfortable mood.

The acting and dialoge are great. As a matter of fact, there really isn't all that much dialoge in the movie, it was slim. Many of the scenes involve specific camera shots, emotional reactions by the actors, and the score to convey what's going on. Louise Salter(Elizabeth) does a good job at acting with emotion and body language, again because the dialoge is slim.

Dark Waters is a low budjet gem that was made in the Ukraine in 1994, and has gone 'under the radar'. One of the first things I noticed about this film is that it looks as if Argento made this in 1979. It has a gritty camera look to it, but the colored lighting balances it out. There's alot of symbolic camera shots, when you see certain shots, you'll ask yourself, 'what's that about'? There is alot to this movie, but it isn't conveyed thru dialoge, so it might leave you thinking in places.



Oh, I forgot to mention the satanic nuns... Yup, that's right, SATANIC NUNS!!



Again, if you like fantacy horror, Lovecraft, and Argento, Dark Waters is right up your ally. If you're a collector of these type of films, Dark Waters belongs on your shelf!!! 4 out of 5, on a good day 4.5 out 5!



P.S. I want to thank my Amazon bro Clint Bronson for his review and sparking my interest in this film, this is why I love Amazon!"