Cheap Dementia 13/Creature From the Haunted Sea (Video) (Roger Corman) Price

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Customer Reviews of Dementia 13/Creature From the Haunted Sea

Luana Anders is nothing short of superb. William Cambell is also excellent, and as 'DVD special features' commentary goes, his is far more entertaining and informative than most.

This would rate as a 5-star if it weren't for the less than spectacular image transfer, and perhaps for the fact that the story itself falls slightly short. But don't let that dissuade you - this movie deserves a place in any film buffs collection for a myriad of other reasons. For example, the underwater shots are sharp and creative - then in the commentary section we learn that due to budget constraints Coppola designed his own underwater camera housed in wood and tar!

Finally, this is still one of the scariest pictures I've ever seen. That alone is reason enough for horror fans to pick this one up. Not for the faint of heart, however.

Solid Horror Entertainment
This early horror effort by famed directed Francis Ford Coppola about an axe murderer stalking an Irish castle contained some pretty meaty violence for its day, but by todays standards, it is obviously very tame. That said, this film is more about atmosphere and style than gore, and if that's what your looking for, then you can't go much wrong with Demetia 13. Shame the killers identity is so easy to predict. A deserved classic of the genre, sadly this DVD doesn't do the film justice: the extras are skimpy and the the image is in full screen. Even worse, during the last 10 minutes, the screen would briefly break up and go all over the place. You thought they would have taken more care transferring a film like this to DVD, considering it's cult following. Even so, highly reccomended.

Coppola's first--a mixed bag
This is not the best horror movies I've ever seen, but one of the best films in terms of *atmosphere*. The frightening parts about it are less in the film itself than what the film suggests--the really psychotic point to which codependency can build, obsession, and a host of other disturbances, none of which involve the supernatural but suggest it. Along with the Vincent Price films he did, this is the best film you'll see that Roger Corman was involved in.

Luana Anders is, ironically, the strongest presence in this film. Thing is, she doesn't last very long, and the viewer isn't all that devastated when she does disappear. A scheming, money hungry witch, she preys on the co-morbidity of an elderly woman to the point of sadism. A young girl dies tragically at a young age. An Irish family living in Nowheresville idealizes her mysterious death to the point of madness. Someone is responsible, and we eventutally find out who. There are a few 'jump out of your seat scenes', one of them being the untimely (and grisly) death of Anders. It's been awhile since I've seen this film, but much of the imagery (dolls, truly 'demented' childhood memories, and the last exclamation by the ultimate culprit: "DON'T TOUCH THAT!") have remained with me. This is an odd blend, Corman and Coppola. A worthwhile old cinematic antique of misery.