Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Grimossfer Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Darin One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

Leofwine_draca THE MYSTERY OF THE MARY CELESTE is one of five films made by the fledgling Hammer Films back in the 1930s before they stopped making movies for over a decade, only returning to full-time film production in 1947. Some of those five films are now lost, but this one remains, albeit in a shortened version in the form of the American print entitled PHANTOM SHIP. It's a story of a seabound mystery in which a number of sailors go missing, one by one, while the captain tries to figure out which of the crew is responsible. Oddly, this is a straightforward murder mystery, eschewing the supernatural solution you might expect from the subject matter. It's a bit dated and creaky overall, but it benefits from a nice performance from Bela Lugosi as the salty old sea dog along for the voyage, and it has a little of the Hammer magic that would come to the fore over twenty years later.

Hitchcoc While this isn't the greatest film in history, the Marie Celeste is a puzzle and it's fun watching her self-destruct. Lugosi showed some real chops in this film. Not long after Dracula, we get to see him play a character who is filled with vengeance and fury. Lugosi makes him a really sympathetic person who has obviously been wronged and has seemingly given up on life. The relationship of the captain and his wife on board this strange ship is a bit strained. Why would he do this? Also, there has to be a reel missing from this film. There are a couple of deaths that simply happen but we aren't privy to them. I've always enjoyed the claustrophobic milieu that is a ship, no escape available for anyone, and this one uses that closed in atmosphere pretty well. Still, it is pretty unsatisfying at times.

Michael_Elliott Phantom Ship (1935) *** (out of 4) The bad reputation of the Mary Celeste means that the ship has a hard time finding a crew. The Captain is finally able to come up with the crew and soon afterwards the ship is discovered with no survivors.The legend of the Mary Celeste is one of the greatest shockers and unsolved crimes in history so it's a little surprising that the story has been told more times than it has. This early film from Hammer isn't the greatest thing ever produced but it's certainly entertaining enough to make it worth watching. As I said, the story of what happened is still a mystery so this film comes up with its own story as to what happened on board.If you're expecting a flat out horror movie then you'll probably be disappointed as there aren't any monsters, ghouls or ghosts here. Instead we're given a more psychological movie with the viewer going into the film already knowing about the mystery so the film lets your mind wonder as to what really happened. I must admit that the film should have came up with a better theory but I don't think what's on display here is too bad.The highlight of the film is certainly the performance by Bela Lugosi who plays a drunk on board the ship. I thought he gave a pretty darn good performance and he certainly kept you entertained with everything going on. The red herring aspect doesn't really work but it's still a fine performance. Arthur Margetson is also good in his role as the Captain.PHANTOM SHIP is certainly a flawed movie but if you're a fan of this period's "old dark house" movies then you should enjoy this as it contains the same sort of atmosphere and look.

Scarecrow-88 A film which takes a stab at providing a story of why the Mary Celeste yielded a vanished crew. Bela Lugosi stars as weary and browbeaten Anton Lorenzen whose mental state has been devoured after having been shanghaied on board the Mary Celeste many years prior to another invite aboard that damned ship. He seeks revenge on the man who roped him and threw him overboard for the sharks, Capt. Benjamen Briggs' assistant Toby Bilson(Edmund Willard)and will change his name joining the crew(he has only one arm which might serve as an example of that ill-fated day). Briggs(Arthur Margetson)has on board his soon-to-be bride Sarah(Shirley Grey)as they sail for another location on the plans of matrimony, but someone on board is killing the crew one by one. Briggs will have to find the madman before there's no one left to guide the Mary Celeste. Clasping the bible into his bosom, Anton seems trustworthy, if a bit off-kilter..he does save Briggs' wife from a near-rape by a member of the captain's crew and seems sorrowful for the taking of a life. But, when someone tries to shoot Briggs, the film really becomes a series of bodies being found until nearly everyone is gone..including several leads who just disappear from the screen. Soon it's down to three people and we get a clear indication who it just might be.We're not far removed from the silent era and that transition truly shows in the poor delivery of dialogue by many of the cast members. It wasn't a quality print that I watched, but it didn't detract too much from the experience. The film never lost my interest thanks to the mind-boggling performance from Lugosi..I can't put his performance into words. Lugosi's all over the map leaping from trustworthy sea-farer to complete loony in a single take. He's always interesting, that's for sure. I'm not sure I'd call him awful, but it's almost hard to describe..certainly a change-of-pace role where he has an opportunity to take his character into depths of sorrow and madness at a moment's notice. I didn't think it was that well directed or acted, I did feel the film should've showed more action than is shown particularly the fates of leads Arthur Margetson and Shirley Grey as the proposed couple to be wed. I'd say this is a film best recommended to Lugosi enthusiasts and the curious in general.