Shock Waves (1977)

Good start, but then it gets ruined

As Good As It Gets

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Directed by Ken Wiederhorn (who directed Meatballs II and Return Of The Living Dead II!) the film relates how a group of people are stranded on an island that gets invaded by dead Nazi super soldiers who have come from a lost ship pulled from the bottom of the sea by.....am not sure what. It sounds good but it isn't exciting. Going for mood rather than tension it should have been more full blooded. The dead Nazis have a habit of emerging out of water in no logical way and doing their worse, which involves little gore if any. The group of people act in the usual stupid way that people do in films like this.The acting is mostly bland apart from genre stalwarts John Carradine as the old salty captain and Peter Cushing as a German officer connected with the super soldiers. Mr Cushing is not his usual elegantly dressed self and has a slightly disfigured face for some unexplained reason but he is the best player in the film.The old hotel location is atmospheric and there are some eerie moments like the first appearance of the soldiers but overall it is ho-hum. Being a gentleman I hesitate to say that Brooke Adams looks very picturesque in a yellow bikini....but she does.

The concept of zombies that are at advantage under water created by the Nazis during World War II was interesting the execution though is much less exciting. It started of well with the boat of 7 people almost hitting a ghost ship only to find out it changed into a wreck the next day. Stranded on an island with only a retired SS officer (Peter Cushing again) and Nazi zombies who are out to kill them. Not for blood or to eat their flesh, they just want to kill. It's the run of the mill body counting stuff and you know who is going to survive since you see her right at the start of the movie trying to remember what happened. Character development is almost non-existing, the most background story was there for the zombies who wore sunglasses because they couldn't stand the light. No suspense and as usual with flicks like these the victims do stupid things making it too easy for the killers. Thank God the final girl regularly gave some bikini shots or this would have put me to sleep long before the end came.

Moody thriller about a yachting party that,after encountering weird weather, and a mysterious derelict ship, finds themselves shipwrecked on an island run by a former Nazi commander(Peter Cushing, fine as always) who realizes that the secret program run during the last days of World War II, that produced super soldiers who ran amok, have now resurfaced, and intend to murder everyone...Despite a low budget, this is a genuinely eerie and atmospheric film, helped immensely by an effective nautical score that creates a memorable aura for this whole dream-like film. Brooke Adams, Luke Halpin, John Carradine, among others round out the cast of unfortunate castaways.Other plus is that the soldiers(basically zombies) are presented in the old-school manner(think Val Lewton).Well worth seeking out, and is on DVD.

... when on a remote island surrounded by an unknown number of enemies.The acting was below low budget, the script may have been a good idea but was poorly implemented... I have seen worse movies but not many... there is just so much WRONG with this film the viewer finds them self scratching their head wondering what in the world the director was thinking...Lessons we learned: When you have an enemy known to be water based, stay away from water When you are only but a few, and get separated, do NOT scream out for each other lest you attract said enemy If you DO find yourself in a body of water and you cant see your feet, don't take off your shoes.... (this is common sense anyhow) The way to kill a supposedly invincible water bound zombie is take off their "sunglasses" Don't stand up in a boat that's in water (duh) I can go on and on of things that were stupid about this movie, which was not frightening in the least and very predictable, but I don't have time to write a novel :). The ONLY redeeming quality about this movie was the "The End" at the end.