Satan's Triangle

The seventies was probably the best time for made for TV horror and many of the horror films made for TV during the decade are excellent films; Scream Pretty Peggy, Summer of Fear and Dying Room Only being among the best that I've seen. Satan's Triangle is a spooky little thriller that focuses on one of the world's greatest wonders; that being the Bermuda Triangle. The plot focuses on the only female survivor of a shipwreck and two helicopter pilots who go out to rescue her and find themselves stranded inside the dreaded triangle. The film creates a good atmosphere and this is complimented by the mysterious plot that never really reveals itself until the ending. Director Sutton Roley succeeds in creating suspense throughout and the movie always has enough to keep the viewer interested. Kim Novak is the lead actress and stands out among a small but talented cast. The film is only short, running at just over sixty minutes, and as such; there isn't really time for it to build into anything too spectacular, but Satan's Triangle provides the mystery and suspense for the duration and it's worth seeing if you can get hold of it.

I first saw this movie many years ago when I was about 12 and it scared me silly. I have seen it several times since and it never fails to give me the creeps.

It has a very sinister atmosphere throughout, which is extremely effective in building a very uneasy feeling in the viewer.

The first time you see this film, the ending will knock you out. I have never forgotten my initial reaction - and it still got me on subsequent viewings.

Well worth having a look at.

I'm finding Satan's Triangle a difficult one to summarize without giving too much away. The story involves a botched rescue attempt on a yacht in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle. The sole survivor, Eva (Kim Novak), spends the night relaying the mystery and horror of what happened to her fellow passengers to Coast Guardsman Lt Haig (Doug McClure). Haig believes he has a rational explanation for everything, but is he right or are there evil forces at work?

Man, do I ever love these 70s made-for-TV movies! Satan's Triangle might not be the best of the bunch, but it's a good one. It's one of those movies, though, that you have to stick with. The middle part can get a bit dry. I was half-tempted to turn it off, but decided to stick it out. And what a good choice that was! The payoff at the end is fantastic. The twist in the final few minutes completely caught me off guard and made the whole thing a memorable and rewarding experience. It's a haunting, surprising, and amazing finale that sticks with you long after you've finished watching.

Even though I've described much of Satan's Triangle as "dry", Kim Novak really does a good job in these scenes with what she has to work with. Her somber recollections are chilling. When she says, "there's no way off this damn boat", you believe her. It's just so delightfully creepy. I also very much enjoyed Alehandro Rey as the priest in Eva's story. Rey's acting range throughout the film is impressive.

6/10

I saw this TV movie when I was just a kid still, and remarkably, I still remember the ending to this day. Just goes to show what an impression the twist ending must have made on me...

I'm so happy that I was able to find this again after so many years - thanks to streaming services. (Would have loved to obtain this on DVD or even Blu Ray!). The film sees coast guards Pagnolini (Michael Conrad) and Haig (Doug McClure) responding to a distress call coming from the centre of the Bermuda Triangle - or Devil's Triangle or Satan's Triangle, as it is also known.

Arriving there, they find a yacht, seemingly abandoned and visibly battered from a severe storm. When Haig goes on board, he discovers bodies, and a lone survivor. The film then follows the survivor's telling of what happened. I found it compelling from beginning to end. The film has a simple premise, and is set almost entirely on the yacht.

The performances are good, and Alejandro Rey delivered a creepy performance as Father Peter Martin. Oh, and I absolutely love that twist ending I so fondly remembers!!

Would I watch it again? Yes, for sure.

Forget that this is a TV movie filmed on a small budget, and that it doesn't have a gigantic ocean-liner like "Ghost Ship" or "Lost Voyage". This is definitely the scariest "derelict ship" movie that Hollywood has ever made. (So naturally, you almost NEVER see this movie on TV. But that's another issue, for another time.)

Rescue pilot Doug McClure and his companion, Michael Conrad, are sent to answer an SOS call from a small yacht at sea. Conrad is leery because the location is at the center of the Bermuda Triangle, but McClure dismisses his fears.

However, when McClure gets to the ship, he finds a lone woman survivor, Kim Novak. Malfunctions force Conrad to return to base, leaving McClure and Novak on board the yacht. She tells him of a mysterious force in the triangle that killed everyone else on board. However, McClure's practical nature allows him to look for, and find, plausible explanations for everything that happened.

When Conrad comes back to pick them up the next morning, the movie takes an entirely different turn. I won't tell you what it is, but it's one of the most terrific shockers I've ever seen in a film. What a great ending! It still creeps me out thinking about it.

God bless the late William Read Woodfield, who penned the script. He was one of Hollywood's most prolific -- and QUALITY -- TV writers. Director Sutton Roley was also used to filming Things That Go Bump In The Night, having lensed such shows as "The Sixth Sense", "Lost in Space" and "The Invaders", so he's clearly in his element here. Leonard South's beautiful yet disorienting camera work and Johnny Pate's eerie music add to the atmosphere. The only "bad" part of this movie is the first thirty seconds, which contain a rather cheesy opening title and narrative defining what the Bermuda Triangle is for the audience. After that, the movie generates plenty of creeps and scares.

This movie is extremely hard to find, so if you see it scheduled on TV, CATCH IT. It has a beauty and simplicity that's lacking in the bigger-budget features that followed, and it's got a helluva surprise at the end.