(1980)
1
Donald Guarisco
Canada turned out plenty of limp horror flicks in the early '80s but few are as dull or dreary as Death Ship. The premise of a haunted ship is workable enough, but the humdrum script settles for a handful of poorly crafted shocks interspersed with lots of dull padding. Alvin Rakoff's clumsy direction doesn't help things; he often bungles simple scares and lacks the flair necessary to give the film any kind of atmosphere or pace. He also tends to rely on stock footage and obnoxious fast-cut editing to pull off the film's few kinetic moments. On the good side, the ship is an effectively creepy (if poorly lit) location and the solid cast acquits itself nicely, particularly Richard Crenna and George Kennedy. However, these few good elements are not enough to counteract the film's overwhelming sense of boredom. To sum up, Death Ship is a voyage that most viewers will want to pass up.
Death Ship on AllMovie
Death Ship (1980)
