Horror

Fantasy

TV Movie

Mermaid Chronicles Part 1: She Creature

Columbia TriStar

Creature Features Productions LLC

United States of America

English

Rufus Sewell

Carla Gugino

Jim Piddock

Reno Wilson

Mark Aiken

Fintan McKeown

Aubrey Morris

Gil Bellows

Rya Kihlstedt

Hannah Sim

Jon Sklaroff

David Nott

Dan Hildebrand

Preston Maybank

Brian Sieve

Matthew Roseman

Isabella Gutierrez

Gabriel Gutierrez

Lou Arkoff

Samuel Z. Arkoff

Dan J. Birnbaum

Colleen Camp

Steve Ecclesine

Buddy Epstein

Joanna Shelmidine

Sebastian Gutierrez

Stan Winston

Jerry Fleming

Daniel T. Cahn

Thomas L. Callaway

David Reynolds

Peter Borck

Betty Berberian

Julia Schklair

Myke Michaels

Barbara Cantu

Richard Wetzel

Stephanie Coffey

Christina Ann Wilson

Wayne Springfield

Steven P. Duchscherer

Lance DeSpain

James M. McCann

Tim Tuchrello

Pamela Kahn

Mark Larry

Jonathan Golodner

Bob Arons

Kami Asgar

Mark 'Crash' McCreery

Shane Mahan

Andy Schoneberg

Dan Schmit

Amy C. Halpern

Darryl Wilson

Mary Funsten

Bruce Swift

Gary Katsuya Ushino

D.R. Curtis

Chuck Zlotnick

Sheila Jaffe

Ed Mitchell

Bruce H. Newberg

Georgianne Walken

Shari Steinberg

Mandi Line

Hayley Stuppel

Mark Hartzell

Chad Mochrie

Robert Gluck

Lynn M. van Kuilenburg

Dino A. Moriana

Michael McDuffee

Samantha C. Kirkeby

Casey Ellison

_**This ain't no "Little Mermaid"**_

Released to TV and video in 2001, "Sea Creature" is about a couple of carnies (Rufus Sewell & Carla Gugino) in the early 20th century who come across a real mermaid in Ireland (Rya Kihlstedt), which they apprehend and intend to transport to America as a freakshow attraction. Horror ensues. Reno Wilson and Gil Bellows are also on hand.

Originally called simply "Sea Creature" the movie was unnecessarily burdened with the overlong title of "Mermaid Chronicles Part 1: She Creature," which doesn't make sense since there's no "Part 2," although the ending leaves room for that possibility.

The movie plays like a modern-day Hammer flick with elements of "Bram Stoker's Dracula," "Species" and "Alien/Aliens." While it lacks the budget of those three films, the production is comparable to those Hammer horror movies that take place during the Victorian era. "Sea Creature" also shares similarities to 1961's haunting "Night Tide" with Dennis Hopper, which also was about a (possible) mermaid.

There are three basic settings in the movie: The opening carnival sequence that segues into a (sorta) castle sequence and, lastly, the long ship sequence that takes up the bulk of the story. The last one reveals the greatest weakness of the movie in that sailing on a ship is a limited setting, which makes for a little dullness here and there, but the flick makes up for it with an over-the-top horrific last act. The renowned Stan Winston was on hand as producer and you can tell with the excellent F/X of something revealed at the end, which is on par with the Aliens, Predator, and Pumpkinhead movies. No kidding.

While a TV movie, "Sea Creature" is adult-oriented in that the mermaid is top-nude the entire movie (the horror, the horror!) and there's at least one overt simulated sex scene. Keep in mind, however, that the movie was shooting for realism and not raunch; not to mention that redemption and comeuppance factor into the equation.

BOTTOM LINE: Despite a couple of dull or dubious scenes, "Sea Creature" delivers the goods for those who appreciate Hammer's haunting Victorian-era films, as well as movies like "Bram Stoker's Dracula," albeit understandably no where near as lavish as Coppola's film. Carla shines in both beauty and acting chops, as does Rya (who's been married to Bellows since 1994); and Sewell plays a superlative protagonist. "Sea Creature" shows that a quality product can be made on a TV budget.

The film runs 91 minutes and was shot in California.

GRADE: B+

She Creature Trailer

Best Movies

Mermaid Chronicles Part 1: She Creature

Cast & Crew

Videos

Cast

Rufus Sewell

Carla Gugino

Jim Piddock

Reno Wilson

Mark Aiken

Fintan McKeown

Aubrey Morris

Gil Bellows

Rya Kihlstedt

Hannah Sim

Box office

More Like This

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Bedazzled

The Vanishing

Godzilla

The Grudge

The Grudge 2

Splash

The Fly