Kennedy plays the embittered Captain Ashland, who is literally three days from retirement, helming an ill-fated cruise ship that runs smack into a ghostly derelict vessel while on a normally boring run. The only survivors from the cruise ship are Ashland's second in command, Marshall (Crenna), his wife Margaret (Sally Ann Howes), their children, an elderly passenger Sylvia (Kate Reid), ship's officer Nick (Nick Mancuso), his latest sexual conquest Lori (Victoria Burgoyne), and the ships entertainer / emcee Jackie (Saul Rubinek).

This motley group is at first overjoyed when they see the drifting derelict ship, and quickly scramble aboard. The trouble starts when they try to haul up the almost catatonic Ashland. The ship seems to want to prevent him from coming aboard, what with failing ladders, and oil spewing out on Marshall and Nick when they try to drag him up by rope. And when they finally get the hefty captain aboard, the ship has just begun with its shenanigans. People quickly start to die, beginning with Jackie, seemingly done in by the sentient ship itself. And soon enough, the ship begins to work on the mind of Ashland, whispering to him in German, pushing him to nefarious deeds, to which he is all too susceptible.

The drifting hulk appears to be deserted, at least after a cursory search, so the castaways sit tight for the moment. The tentative plan seems to be to try to get some of the communications equipment working and signal for a rescue. The ship, however, has other plans. The little group can't seem to stay together, no matter their intentions, though they are preternaturally calm for people trapped in a possessed ship bent on murder, even going so far as bunking in for the night. Of course, things get progressively worse for everyone, what with Ashland growing more and more psychotic, and Lori getting trapped in a blood shower, and whatnot.

Death Ship is essentially a haunted house movie set on the ocean, and has many of the standard tropes for this kind of film in that era: creaking doors, ubiquitous cobwebs, a substantial morsel of gratuitous nudity, the gruesome reveal at the end, and of course self-indulgent slow motion shots for maximum cheesy effect. It's a good example of the genre, though, and works more often than it doesn't. And George Kennedy is surprisingly effective as a villain, with a cold and deadly serious demeanor that is quite convincing.

The kills and violence are realistically, if bombastically, portrayed, and often pretty brutal, with such things as limbs caught in engine gears, a net trap full of half decomposed corpses and frozen bodies hung up in a freezer. There are moments when the apparent budget constraints become obvious, however, such as the shipwreck shots that are clearly in the day, when the accident, and all the surrounding shots, are in the dark of night. And the plot isn't anything spectacularly unique or groundbreaking, or even really coherent. But it is fun, and that's the kind of thing that's important for these semi-ridiculous eighties horror films.

Death Ship isn't making any pretensions to high art, or even deliberately crafted suspense or terror. It's firmly planted in the boisterous exploitation horror sub-genre, and happy to be there. So don't expect to be supremely scared, or think deep thoughts about the complex issues it raises. But do expect to enjoy yourself. Recommended.

The DVD

Video:
Video is 1.78:1 widescreen, and looks good, though it does have the normal lens dirt, scratches, etc. for a lower budget film of this era. The imperfections are not particularly heavy, and don't detract from the viewing experience. However, this review is based on a check disc, so no comment can be made on the quality of the final product.

Sound:
Audio is Dolby digital 2 channel, and works well enough. Dialogue is always audible, and no major problems can be heard. No subtitles or alternate language tracks are included, but an isolated score track is. However, this review is based on a check disc, so no comment can be made on the quality of the final product.

Extras:
There are a number of extras included. They are:

Isolated Music Score
Death Ship does have some moderately cool, moody music, and if that's what you enjoy, you can listen to just that, sans dialogue, sound effects, etc.

Deleted Scenes
A couple of deleted / extended scenes are included, coming in at 4:15. They appear to be cut for time, or because they're too expositive.

Original Trailer
This is a very cool, eighties style trailer.

Featurette: "Learn What the Ship is Saying"
Katarina Leigh Waters, the host of the Nightmare Theater intro bit, happens to be fluent in German, and helpfully translates what the ship whispers insidiously in Ashland's ear. This is a bit goofy, but actually informative.

Play Nightmare Theater
Former professional wrestler Katarina Leigh Waters hosts the campy intro to the film, as she does on a number of others. She is moderately entertaining, and at least easy on the eyes.

Scorpion Trailers
Trailers are included for Silent Scream, Humongous, The Hearse, Don't Answer the Phone and Mortuary.

Please note that this review is based on a check disc, so no comment can be made on the quality or quantity of extras on the final product.

Final Thoughts:
Death Ship isn't a perfect film, but it is an enjoyable one, especially for fans of the somewhat lower tier horror efforts of the late seventies and early eighties. Kennedy and Crenna are great, and don't stint on their performances. Plus, there's a nubile young women covered in blood, for those that value that kind of thing. The cheesiness is unremitting, but the atmosphere is cool, and so are the players.