Customer Reviews

Bay Cove

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Bay Cove" is a 1987 TV film also known as "Bay Coven" and "Eye of the Demon." It stars Pamela Sue Martin and Tim Matheson as a couple that move to an island off the coast of Massachusetts where they run afoul of a coven of witches. Woody Harrelson of "Cheers" is also on hand as a friend of the couple.

The story is very engrossing, mysterious and creepy. The cast is fabulous. The witches all attempt to present themselves as normal neighbors but fail completely -- there's just something NOT RIGHT about them. The island locations are also a highlight.

Pamela Sue Martin is incredibly alluring as the one who slowly unravels the mystery, which is fitting since she used to play mystery-sleuth Nancy Drew.

"Bay Cove" has been called the TV version of "Rosemary's Baby," but -- believe it or not -- although "Bay Cove" is not as good a film on a technical level due to it's low TV budget, it's actually a BETTER film on every other level -- plot, story, cast and locations.

It has also been compared to "The Devil's Rain," but let's just say it wouldn't take much to be better than that piece of crap.

"Bay Cove" is generally available at a low price, so if this sounds like your cup of tea don't miss out. The only reason I rated it 4-Stars instead of 5 is because of the obvious technical weaknesses due to its status as a TV production (e.g. the crappy end credits, etc.); other than that it's a Class-A film all the way.

The dvd box made me thnk it was a new horror flick,but it's really a well-made made-for-tv horror movie from the 80s(dig those hairdo's!)with people like Pamela Sue Martin,Woody Harrelson,and Barbara(Mrs Cleaver)Billingsley as an evil witch!A husband and wife move to an isolated island off the coast of Massachusettes or an easier,calmer life and discover things and people aren't what they seem.With nods to THE SENTINEL and other classic horrors BAY COVE is worth a look.

Amazon seems to have two "Bay Cove"s mixed-up: The dvd cover presented refers to the 1987 TV film with Pamela Sue Martin, Tim Matheson and Woody Harrelson; yet the description refers to the 1993 TV series with Isla Fisher and Christopher Fare.

If you order this, which one will you get?

I don't know, but the 1987 film is well worth catching. Martin and Matheson star as a couple that move to Devlin Island off the coast of Massachusetts and run afoul of a coven of witches. Despite the low-budget this TV film is very well made and engrossing, not to mention extremely creepy. It is actually much BETTER than the similarly-themed feature film "Rosemary's Baby," maybe not on a technical level, but at least as far as story, locations and cast. Pamela Sue Martin (aka Nancy Drew) is incredibly alluring.

The 4-Star rating reflects the fact that this is a low-budget TV production, other than that it's a 5-Star endeavor.

If you want to make sure you get this 1987 film (rather than the 1993 version) Amazon has another page for this film, albeit without the cover image. Check it out.

This felt like a low-budget and poorly aged version of a Lifetime horror flick. I understand this may have been originally aired as a TV show and, if it was, it certainly seems so. I have a hard time relating to horror films from this period, at least anything other than movies clearly established as classics (e.g., Halloween, Friday the 13th 1-2, etc.). There's just something so annoyingly banal about this era - horrible hair, bland story concepts, annoying music, etc - that it must be extra good to be enjoyable. This isn't. The story is completely and painfully predictable, the acting slow, and the film quality awful. Halloween looks far better. Just nothing redeeming about this one. Its not that its terrible, it isnt. Its just not interesting.

Pamela Sue Martin (tv's NANCY DREW and DYNASTY) and Tim Matheson (SOMETIMES THEY COME BACK, IMPULSE, ANIMAL HOUSE) star as a young couple who move to an island located in the title COVE. They find themselves among strange inhabitants like Barbara "June Cleaver" Billingsley. After the family dog and a friend (played by Woody Harrelson from NATURAL BORN KILLERS and ZOMBIELAND) die in "accidents", Martin's character begins questioning the wisdom of moving to the BAY COVE area. This is a decent little made-for-tv movie from the silly 1980s. As such, it delivers minor shivers w/ minimal suspense. Still, it's just (barely) spooky enough to scare those (like me) who found the fashions, hairstyles, and attitudes of the 80s terrifying! Brrrrr...

I bought this DVD on a whim last Halloween, thinking it was a lightweight horror flick to share with company. To my surprise, Bay Cove has turned out to be one of the absolute favorite films in my collection. How can you go wrong when Nancy Drew (Pamela Sue Martin) is being terrorized by the Devil-worshipping June Cleaver (Barbara Billingsley)?

This is (apparently) a made-for-TV movie as good or better than any supernatural suspense film out there. I wonder if Wallace and Theodore actually knew that Mom was cheating on Ward with Satan? I highly recommend adding Bay Cove to your own collection.

PLOT: a young couple, hoping to escape the troubles of everyday life, move into a farmhouse on an isolated island. Soon, however, they discover that their neighbors are members of a Satan-worshipping cult...and they're the next human sacrifices.

MY REVIEW: I picked this up a store for [...], not expecting a whole lot. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that this is actually a really well crafted horror film! the acting was top-notch, there was a sense of creepiness and unease throughout, and there was a lot of suspense. I enjoyed the appearance of Woody Harrelson as the ill-fated Slater. I was also surprised to see Barbara Billingsley as one of the cult members. Who'd a thought that Mrs. Cleaver would turn out to be a murderous devil worhipper? The only complaint I have is that the pace dragged a little at parts, but it wasn't much of a problem. Anyway, if you're looking for a good old fashioned creepy horror movie, definately pick this up.

ACTING: Pamela Sue Martin was believable and likable as Mrs. Lebon. Tim Matheson won me over as Mr. Lebon, he put on a really good show. Barbara Billingsley really creeped me out as Beatrice. Brrrr. Woody Harrelson was a hoot to watch as Slater. He put in a good performance.

GORE: none. this film relies on the atmosphere, which is a good thing in my book.

OVERALL: 4/5

I have no idea why anyone would give this movie more than one star, unless they are a sadist or the director's girlfriend....or both. It's a 1980's made-for-TV loser that is totally devoid of suspense, production quality, or entertainment. Unless you are under 12 years old and/or have never seen a really scary movie in your life, avoid this wretched bomb. In fact, avoid it anyway....it's just awful. The sound quality was atrocious, the acting would be an embarrassment in a high school play, the dialog was silly, and the entire production was so amateurish as to be humorous rather than scary. Not one second was suspenseful or worth watching, unless you enjoy laughing at bad cinema.

The greatest insult, however, was a favorable comparison by at least one reviewer between this movie and Rosemary's Baby. This is utter blasphemy. It's like comparing Hee Haw to Gone with the Wind. Rosemary's Baby is a timeless classic, while this is a classic waste of time. Any comparison is ludicrous, if not libelous.

Bottom line: I naively believed the inflated, delusional ratings and reviews, and suffered for almost two hours. Spare yourself similar misery and leave this bit of amateurish, juvenile nonsense on the shelf.

This is really only good if you like things witchy like I do. Otherwise, the acting is sub par and the characters kind of irritating. Pamela Sue Martin is so plucky you want to slap her, but as I said, alright for those who like witchy.

THis is an older thriller. Classic. It was pretty good in its time. its really not all that bad. I would probably recommend it around Hollween.