Hunters of the Reef (TV Movie 1978) Poster

(1978 TV Movie)

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6/10
Nice simple movie...
shanakin22 August 2010
Warning: Spoilers
First off I have not seen this movie since it was aired in rerun probably in the late 80's on TBS superstation or one of those cable stations that still showed the old TV movies of the week. It seems that all these simple movies of the week now are gone and if one comes around it's pretty rare. It took over 20 years of searching to find a copy of this movie and I was lucky enough to finally see it again.

There's no complicated movie here just straight storytelling. All the actors are familiar enough and they do an adequate job. It's the same old story of the underdog going against the rich. When I sat down tonight to watch it I had forgotten how bad of an opening song that it has and I thought OH GOD this is going to be nothing like I remember. But as I settled back and just watched the movie for what it is I really got into it. The movie has a nice laid back feeling to it. The only actor or actress in this case that really sticks out is Mary Louise Weller she was a beautiful woman. All the other actors are good here there's no bad acting. But there's nothing new here that you haven't seen before. Michael Parks plays a ship captain slash salvager of ships and it's a race to find a ship that can be salvaged and of course there are sharks all around. This movie was made a couple of years after another shark movie you may of heard of it, it's called Jaws. Some how I bet you know the movie. Also Peter Benchley's name was used here as far as his involvement in this movie I have no idea. I'm sure they used it to try and generate interest in the movie since it was used as a pilot for an intended series that didn't materialize. The one thing that I was lucky about was the copy that I purchased was quite good considering that this movie is quite rare.

I wrote about another made for TV movie quite some time back that's it's nice to know that some of the simple movies that were put out in the 70's are not lost even if they were put out on TV. I feel that same way here that even though it's no great movie it sure put me in a good mood. I enjoy these simple old Movies of the week they remind of growing up in the 70's when time seemed simpler.
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7/10
A Blast from the Past
hmgcpa5211 March 2015
I first saw this made for TV movie in May, 1978. The other reviews did a fine job of plot detail. I enjoyed the movie because I had moved back to CT from FL in late 1977, and it brought back nice memories of Key West. The pace was very relaxed, as the characters were developed. Nothing heavy, just a nice pace.

I don't remember much about the movie, except William Windom was sort of a butler, pal of the main character. He was smoking his pipe while sipping a cognac. Very nice blend of Island living with a touch of romance, and a touch of deep sea danger! Certainly not Oscar quality, but a decent couple of hours spent relaxing watching a decent movie!
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8/10
Parks, Weller, Water
cultfilmfreaksdotcom31 March 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Michael Parks, the character actor that Quentin Tarnatino's used in FROM DUSK TILL DAWN and KILL BILL, stars in this 1977 made for television movie created by JAWS author PETER BENCHLEY, what was supposed to be a pilot for a series centering on various sea adventures. While that show never got off the ground, this is a nice little film on its own. Parks plays Jim Spanner, a maverick fisherman who, along with ex-rummy counterpart Panama (William Windom, straight from a Hemingway novel), has found a sunken boat with an abundance of treasure.

All is well until a gorgeous shark researcher arrives – Mary Louise Weller as Tracey Russell. The only way for anything to happen is if she puts her engine in his old boat, which means her own particular research comes first.

Through Russell we see some terrific underwater shots of the sharks roaming their habitat, although unlike Benchley's JAWS and this film's rather misleading title, the killer fish don't provide much of a suspenseful element. A smug pirate in preppie clothes, Le Salle, who wants to find that treasure before Spanner, is the antagonist here. And his eleven-year-old daughter Kris, played by child actress Katy Kurtzman, takes an interest to Spanner's long lost little brother Mike (Moosie Drier), an adventurous kid who also loves the sea.

Although not loaded with thrills, it's a neat little adventure with amazing shots and nice chemistry between the actors: especially Mary Louise Weller, best known as Mandy Pepperidge from ANIMAL HOUSE, who has three important scenes with each male character. So if you can find it, this never released on video treasure is worth watching.

For More Reviews: www.cultfilmfreaks.com
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