Secrets of the Bermuda Triangle

As a completist of movies about the Bermuda Triangle, I used to think Satan's Triangle was the worst one, until I tried to watch Secrets of the Bermuda Triangle. Someone unfavorably compared Richard Friedenberg's THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE (1978) to the drek known as SECRETS OF THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE. They also compared the cinematography of the two. I'd agree that the cinematography of this picture is quite good, but that's the best thing about this picture that seems to go on, and on, and on, seemingly forever. In fact, it's the only thing on display that makes SECRETS worth trying to stay awake for. On the other hand, Friedenberg's picture actually maintains interest throughout it's run time. It covers some of the same events as this picture, only does a much better job, and shows us a photo of the U. S. S. Cyclops, a ship, featured in both films. Friedenberg's film also uses clever, and impressive for the low-budget visual effects to help depict the events described, as well as to liven things up for the audience. The only thing to be found in SECRETS are lots of bad actors, obviously between dinner theater jobs, hamming it up in "dramatizations" where they chew the scenery mercilessly. The run time of THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE is actually eight minutes longer than SECRETS OF THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE, but THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE still seems much shorter than SECRETS OF THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE, if only because it actually keeps you awake an interested. Canadian director, Donald Brittain might have been a highly decorated documentary filmmaker, but it didn't stop him from making the dullest, cheapest, most visually unimaginative film ever made on the subject. Thankfully, Richard Friedenberg made THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE with suspense, action, visual effects, highly competent, if not standout cinematography by Henning Schellerup, who also shot 39 other films as well as directed a few, in his distinguished career. SECRETS OF THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE is an unwatchable waste of time and film, that only serves to increase the weight of your eyelids as long as it goes on (and on). SECRETS OF THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE could have only benefitted from being directed by an American hack, who would have at least delivered a film that audiences would have enjoyed sitting through. I'm only giving the film two stars because of the music score over the end credits. Otherwise, it deserves one or zero.

i was going to give this film an eight, but i decided to up my rating to a nine. Brianne Murphy's cinematography tipped me over the edge. she is best known as the first woman to serve as the director of photography on a major studio project ("Fatso," released in 1980). but she was more than just a "token" within the context of film industry history. she was a very talented working cinematographer. compare her work on this film with Henning Schellerup's work on Richard Friedenberg's picture "The Bermuda Triangle." this is a good comparison because many of the events dramatized in the Friedenberg film are also recounted in Donald Brittain's picture. Schellerup's photography is "good," maybe even "very good," but Murphy's cinematography is just that little bit better. the compositions are a bit more artistic, the lighting a little more evocative. maybe the old adage is true. perhaps in certain fields a woman actually has to be BETTER than the boys in order to keep working........ apart from Brianne's contribution, "Secrets of the Bermuda Triangle" is a solid, evocative commercial documentary. Donald Brittain was Canada's premier documentary filmmaker and he brings a bit of an "international" flair to the proceedings, as well as decades of experience in the field. perhaps it was the idea of bringing in a sophisticated "outsider" (as opposed to a credulous American hack) that made all the difference........

.... And not objective enough in other places .

This docu-drama concerning the Bermuda triangle can`t make up its mind if it`s trying to be sceptical or not . Take the case of Flight 19 for example. It tells us flight leader Lt Charles Taylor was experienced but not how experienced . It also tells us he had a strange premonition of something terrible was going to happen that day . He flies off and despite having navigational equipment FT 19 got lost and after losing radio contact with base were never seen again . A Martin Mariner involved in the search also disappeared that day and was believed to have exploded in mid flight . That make of plane had a bad reputation and was described by crews as " A flying gas tank "

Much of what the documentary mentioned concerning Flight 19 is myth embellished by writers like Charles Berlitz who seem to have twisted facts or made up their own facts . There`s no evidence that Lt Taylor had any forboding that day but witnesses said he appeared to be suffering from a bad hang over . Likewise it`s also infactual to say all the planes had navigational equipment as lots of stuff from the planes would be taken and used in the black market . This was very common in those days . Strangely despite repeating myths the docu-drama doesn`t mention the greatest myth ( Well it`s more of a lie than a myth ) that Lt Taylor`s last words were " Don`t come after us , they look like they`re from outer space " and it`s correctly stated that the Martin Mariner exploded in mid flight almost certainly down to a fuel leak so there`s no mystery as to its fate.

I don`t know if the producers were aware of this in 1978 ( It`s not mentioned here ) but the theory now about many of the disappearances of ships and aircraft is down to ocean flatulance in the area ie methane gas escapes from the sea bed and this causes sea water to lose its bouyancy causing ships to quickly sink . It`s also very explosive which could explain planes disappearing . The documentary does state that there`s very strange localised weather patterns and strange electro magnetic fields that have an effect on navigational equipment , so if you`re a sceptic like me you won`t like it much for repeating myths while non sceptics will dislike for not repeating them

At last a feature-length film documentary concerning Bermuda Triangle, all facts were dramatized in smallest details by the producers, the Cyclops where strange events took place as the weird behavior of the Captain, the famous case at cemetery where the leaden coffin had moved inside the sepulture, minus a wooden coffin, has a magnet field that explain such mystery, the famous Flight 19 that disappears without a single trace, hosted by an expert and historical writer as Peter Tompkins who introduces all episodes, a reliable studious indeed, he had collected a vast of info from several range of sources, eye-witness, files from US's air force, files from nearby countries, also brings new events that occurs on recent years, one the most odd is about from a radio broadcasting around 1975 where the radio announcer received by phone an strange message from a unknown voice, explained that all missing people were safe hold on time dimension and this spot was a unique channel to connect to Earth, a sort of a parallel world , this recording was sent to an expert that confirm his veracity, seeing just a low ratings at 5.3, I'm very sad and try out figure out such mismatch which I'd realized that might it was made at distant past and already forgotten due it didn't has these special effects nowadays!!

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First watch: 2007 / How many: 2 / Source: DVD-R / Rating: 7.5