Netherlands, 1988
105m, 114m (Australia; USA)35mm film, colour
Dolby, Dutch
A Dutch horror film directed by Dick Maas.
Plot Summary
An underwater serial killer is stalking the canals of Amsterdam. The police are baffled but Detective Eric Visser is about to get a break – though it's going to involve his new girlfriend and 12-year-old daughter…
Credits
Crew
Director: Dick Maas
Laurens Geels and Dick Maas present a film by Dick Maas. Concorde Films, First Floor Features
Executive Producer: Laurens Geels
Producers: Laurens Geels, Dick Maas
Script: Dick Maas
Director of Photography: Marc Felperlaan
Electrician/Best Boy Electric: Erwin Roodhart
Best Boy: Erik Van Wouden
Editor: Hans van Dongen
Assistant Editor: Genevieve Saifi
Music: Dick Maas
Song Performed by: Lois Lane
Special Effects: Hans Voors
Production Design: Dick Schillemans
Locations: Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands; Utrecht, Netherlands
Stunt Coordinator: Dickey Beer
Assistant Stunt Coordinator: Linda Beer
Stunts: Vic Armstrong, Tracy Essen, Sean McCabe
Motorcycle Stunts: Stuart Stark
Cast
Huub Stapel (Eric Visser)
Monique van de Ven (Laura)
Wim Zomer (John)
Serge-Henri Valcke (Vermeer)
Hidde Maas (Ruysdael)
Tanneke Hartzuiker (Potter)
Lou Landré (Chef)
Tatum Dagelet (Anneke)
Edwin Bakker (Willy)
Door van Boeckel (Breitner)
Barbara Martijn (prostitute)
Pieter Lutz (Skipper)
Simone Ettekoven (salvationist)
Koos van der Knaap, Pieter Loef (environmentalists)
Paul van Soest (manager)
Jules Croiset (mayor)
Helmert Woudenberg (Chief Commissioner)
Lettie Oosthoek (bag lady)
Bert Haanstra (conductor)
Simon van Collem (man on waterbike)
Alternative Titles
Amsterdamin piru – Finnish title
Amsterdamné – French Canadian video title
Amsterdamned: Misterio en los canales – Spanish title
Verfluchtes Amsterdam – German title
Press
1989
New Musical Express 15 July 1989 p.23
Director Dick Maas handles this daft thriller with a cool sense of humour although he often treads the border between parody and cliché. Generic boundaries are crossed and re-crossed with reckless pleasure, leaving a melting pot of styles. Hardcore slasher fanatics may be a little disappointed: in spite of the odd graphic dismemberment, the night time stalking scenes lack the shock value of Friday the 13th or Halloween. Slick editing disperse the tension. Maas adds to the gore bits of grainy spit-and-snot police realism, along with Dirty Harry‘s license for casual, unlikely crime prevention. There's an amusing string of one-liners […] and with Visser's inept assistant […] Mass [sic] shows some sure touches in comic observation. The chase sequences, not entirely original, are nevertheless entertaining. – from an illustrated review by Micky Hodge
References
Periodicals
Fantasynopsis no.4 p.40 – review
Is It Uncut? no.3 p.31 – illustrated review
New Musical Express 15 July 1989 p.23 – illustrated review (by Micky Hodge)
Première June 1988 p.26 – review (by Jean-Paul Chaillet)
Samhain no.15 pp.4 – 6 – article
Samhain no.19 pp.33 – 34 – review
Shock Xpress vol.3 no.1 (Summer 1989) p.42 – review
Sight & Sound December 1991 p.60 – review
Studio June 1988 p.16 – review (by Denis Parent)
Video World December 1989 p.32 – review
Books
Elliot's Guide to Films on Video by John Elliot p.26 – credits
Serial Killer Cinema: An Analytical Filmography by Robert Cettl pp.37-38 – credits, review
Virgin Film Yearbook Volume 8 by James Park p.18 – credits, review
