Lei, la creatura

Nothing special about this movie in itself - but worth watching for the remarkably talented Carla Giugino! As an Englishman, I have to say that Ms Gugino manages to pull off the incredibly difficult task (for any American) of acting throughout the film with the most impeccably correct English accent I've heard from any non-native actor, ever. If you thought Meryl Streep's accent was good in The French Lieutenant's Woman, or Gwynneth Paltrow's in any of her 'brit flicks', then take a listen to Carla Gugino in She Creature. Not only is her accent flawless, but it's also the most varied and wide-ranging in expression and tone I've ever heard from an American. While Streep and Paltrow are good, their accents can tend to sound a little one-note at times, as if they are simply repeating a few key sounds to get the effect; Ms Gugino, on the other hand, sounds every bit the native English lady - with so many lights and shadows in her vocal performance that, as an Englishman born and bred, I was reaching for the IMDb trying to figure out where she might have picked up such a varied accent. Prep School? Born in the UK? No, doesn't seem like it. Oh, and by the way, she looks fantastic in this movie too.

I would recommend any English person to check out this movie just for Carla Gugino's English accent. If you can find even a hint of Sarasota anywhere I'll be amazed.

I liked this movie. That's saying alot since I hate most of the modern horror films. I thought this one was very well done. The Mermaid was believable and the period costumes and settings were very good. It's definitely one of the better new horror films. I'd recommend it.

This movie is one of 5 "Creature Features" made by HBO in 2001. The idea was to take a cheesy 1950s movie and remake it with better special effects. Stan Winston, the famous effects master, was one of the producers of this show. Not having seen the original, I don't know how this does as a remake, but it's a lot of fun on its own. A husband-wife team running a fake mermaid show at a carnival in Ireland are approached by a customer who seems crazy. He's very disappointed that the mermaid isn't real. They take him home to discover that he has in a tank in his house a real mermaid. The husband hatches a plot to steal the mermaid and take her to America to earn a fortune. The mermaid is convincing and beautiful, not to mention topless. The camera-work aboard ship is masterful. It evokes the claustrophobic closeness of a sailing ship below decks with close shots, tight framing and proximity of actors. There is also a subtle camera movement throughout these scenes evoking the sense of sea swells. I know this is an old trick, but I've rarely seen it done so well. There were long passages when I forgot it was happening, yet it contributed to the underlying reality of the movie space throughout. There are only a couple of surprises in the movie and both of them are homages to earlier great horror movies. I don't want to ruin it by giving them away, but you'll recognize them when you see them. There's not a lot of gore, by today's standards, but what there is is quite convincing. I don't think you'd want to let a sensitive 12-year-old see this movie. Also the mermaids are not portrayed as kindly creatures as they are in most movies.

A carnival sideshow frontman named Angus (Rufus Sewell) and his star performer / girlfriend, Lily (Carla Gugino) stumble upon what appears to be the opportunity of a lifetime. A real mermaid! Angus simply must have this hypnotically beautiful creature at any cost. This leads to criminal activity and death. Angus and Lily secure a ship, and head to America to hit the big time with their new attraction. Once at sea, the horror begins.

If you enjoy a really good monster movie, then you should love SHE CREATURE. It's not just a showcase for Stan Winston's special effects, as glorious as they are. There's a solid story to hold it all together. This is an excellent example of a terror tale spun right. Angus and Lily are more than just 1-2 dimensional characters. They're flawed human beings with both good and bad motivations. The title creature (Rya Kihlstedt) herself is far more than she seems to be. She displays so much in her dark, beguiling eyes! The ferocious finale is very satisfying indeed...

With the cheesy title and the horrible DVD cover I was expecting some kind of "Species" clone, but this is an underappreciated mini-classic. A throwback to the Weird-Tales school of horror-stories from the 50s and 60s. This is a moody, atmospheric film with a good cast. Rufus Sewell, in particular, gives a great performance here. The mermaid effects are really good (no knees) and the mermaid girl is beautiful as well as creepy. The film has a polished, classic-cinema look that is extraordinary, considering the whole thing was shot in something like 20 days. My only complaint is that the sound on the DVD is EXTREMELY bad, the mix is such that you have to turn it wayyyy up to even hear the dialogue. Other than that minor caveat, this is a little gem of a movie.