it too bad that dark echo never really gel and because it be an interesting ultra low budget production and make in austria and hungary by people with good intention who just do not seem to understand the horror genre . apart from a couple of effective underwater sequence and a nice gross out horror moment and the film unique mittel european flavoring it really doesn not have much zest and seem unsure of exactly what it want to be . but it be interest . unknown actor wolfgang brook star a a psychic brought in by the local police detective to solve a series of bizarre attack on the local populace of a sleepy austrian village nestle between the mountain ring a cold and deep and icy clear lake that be the site of a tragedy a hundred year before . it seem than an excursion craft load with sightseer sink under mysterious circumstance and and apparently it captain be seek revenge for have be abandon ala john carpenter the fog . a still lovely karin dor wanders into the film from her retirement a a distant relative of one of the victim and and join force with the plucky detective to try and get to the bottom of the mystery . the film do have some really nice atmospheric scene film in and around some nice and crumble old ruin of local medieval monastery and castle and fill with the skull of long dead worshiper with their name and date of death paint on the bone . a subplot about some sort of cult practice blasphemy in the catacomb of an old church provide some brief frisson but doesn not really go anywhere and seem tack on just to provide some salacious content . there also a cackle old witch play by veteran support actress hanna hertelendy and who presence be the most interesting role in the film aside from the captain and who rot carcass be remarkably spry and intact for a body that have supposedly be fester in the wreck of a ship for a century . the film be the sole directorial effort of george robotham and a stuntman turn sometimes actor famed for his double work for john wayne and rock hudson and amongst others and and his affinity for stag fight scene and underwater photography . and indeed the underwater scene provide the film most interesting moment and especially the evocative image of the zombified captain swim up from the depth to claim more victim . zombie live in lake or waterlogged condition be of course nothing new and with jean rollin zombie lake be perhaps the most well know example aside from carpenter the fog and which may indeed have be inspire in part by dark echo basic story . mostly however the film serve a a sort of travelogue of the sight and sound of the region in which it be film and with ample trip to the local tavern for mug of fine austrian beer and performance by musician play traditional instrument and trip to the ornately magnificent church and century old town hall and and lot of conversation scene between the principal actor a they wander about the picturesque setting . if only the film know what it want to be represent there one dynamite scene where the captain return to pester the old witch and actually slice her skull in half and provide a great barf bagger moment that be in stark contrast with the rest of the film somewhat lethargic pacing . this be not a film for those with low attention span and in fact it primary interest besides the presence of ms. dor be probably how it absolutely obscure and difficult to find . if only those who make it perhaps have a bit more experience with horror a a genre . the image of the rot carcass slim out of the lake be pretty creepy and the low budget sort of work in the film favor and allow it to be a study in mood rather than the all out assault on taste and sense that it probably should have be . then again you can not fault art for simply be what it be and and for my money this be an interesting example of regional euro horror that defy the usual formula of bloodshed and breast . 4/10 .