La maledizione dell'Olandese Volante

The Flying Dutchman otherwise known as Frozen in fear is a not so thrilling thriller starring Eric Roberts and Rod Steiger.

It tells the story of a mysterious mute painter and his tragic past. Well, I say that but the story is so muddled I'm not sure if it can really be considered as such.

It takes a really special breed of film to a get a 1/10 from me. Such a rating suggests that a film has literally not one single redeeming feature and with this movie that's very accurate.

Dull, outstandingly boring and with a plot that is so cliched and so messy when the credits rolled I reached for the aspirin.

Not "Thrilling" enough to be a thriller, not dramatic enough to be a drama and where the hell they got horror from I cannot figure.

Avoid like watching it will give you herpes.

The Good:

Nothing

The Bad:

Everything

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

All bottles of Absinthe should have a skull on them!

DVDs can be purchased for stupid reasons. Here's one: I saw a documentary about famous producer Robert Evans. In the internet I read that the man was married for eleven days to a woman called Katherine Oxenberg – an intriguing name for people who live in the German speaking world, makes me think instantly of a delicious soup. I did not know the woman (honestly) and thought: hm, let's have a look at her. So, again through the internet, I ordered the none too expensive disc. And now I know her, sort of.

I did not have the patience to watch this movie through to the end, the uninspired, predictable script and the none too good direction are to blame. The locations in Montana are dramatically beautiful, the actors do an OK job and the art on display – an important point in the plot – is kinda interesting. The basic idea for the story combined with the isolated location actually had some potential. It was used badly.

But the most irritating thing about The Flying Dutchman was Mrs. Oxenberg's nose. It just never seemed to settle comfortably in her face and I quickly developed an unhealthy fixation on that apparently man made body part, ever wondering what it would do next. Oh, what a tragedy! It probably looks great on fotos for glamour magazines, but as soon as the carrier is seen moving, it develops a strange, inexplicable and not entirely welcome presence. How bizarre. How sad.

"Frozen in Fear" is recommended for Eric Roberts or Rod Steiger completests only. Neither actor is particularly spectacular, although they try their best with a script that is a severe handicap. The ending is especially contrived, with the usual sequel possibility left uncomfortably dangling. Leading up to this anticlimactic climax, redundant flashbacks vaguely reveal why Eric Roberts character is so screwed up (as if we didn't know). What you get for most of the film is a mute Eric Roberts constantly groping Catherine Oxenberg, lots of machine made fog appearing out of nowhere, and a story so underdeveloped that it screams for an immediate re-write. - MERK

A few years after release but.

The vision behind this was maybe a bit before it's time.

It's always strange when old themes become current.

While predictable, there is a vision and complexity that can be compared to wine.

The Montana scenery and organic local talent - such as Renata Godfrey's performance - make this a film that should have legs with several audiences.

Worse films have become cult favorites based on lesser impressions.

Try to imagine what Rod Steiger and Cat Oxenburg saw in the script. Sure things could have been done different, but sit down and imagine.

Then remember it's just entertainment.

This movie isn't your typical thriller, it is better. Their are plot twists and moments of terror. A real non-stop spooker. A definite adults only movie with traces of Hitchcock and Bradbury. I give this movie two thumbs up. The actors can really act you believe their stories. This is a don't miss.