Amsterdamned - Television Tropes & Idioms

Somewhere, somewhere in the black night

Shining eyes follow your stride...

— "Amsterdamned" by Lois Lane

Amsterdamned is a Dutch horror thriller movie from 1988 by Dick Maas (The Lift, Flodder).

The film is set in the eponymous (damned!) capital, where a Serial Killer wearing a scuba gear is prowling in the city canals and uses them to get to his victims.

Amsterdam was damned by:

'80s Hair
Absolute Cleavage: Laura's date wear.
Absurdly Spacious Sewer: Eric chases the killer into one.
A Date with Rosie Palms: "He's in the john, I expect that he's masturbating."
Alone with the Psycho
Animal Reaction Shot: From a cat, during the raft attack.
Ankle Drag: Happens to the second environmentalist.
Ate His Gun: The killer, and a harpoon gun at that.
Attempted Rape: A taxi driver tries to force the prostitute he's accompanying to perform oral sex on him. Unfortunately for him, she bites.
Badass: Eric.
Bald of Evil: The killer.
Big Damn Heroes: Eric and Vermeer arriving just as Laura is about to be dragged under by the killer.
Blood Is Squicker In Water
Blood-Splattered Innocents: The prostitute's body is hung from a bridge, and ends up entering a tour boat filled with (among other types) young children and nuns.
Bowties are Cool: Willy.
Bus Full of Innocents: Appear throughout the boat chase.
Butt Monkey: Vermeer.
Carry a Big Stick: When she thinks he's the killer, Laura beats Martin with a boat oar.
Chase Scene: Two; the first one has the police chasing a suspect on a motorcycle, and the second one has Eric chase the actual killer on boats they commandeer.
The Coroner: Sam.
Covers Always Lie: One makes it look kind of like an alien invasion film.
Crazy Homeless People: The bag lady.
Daylight Horror: The raft victim and John's deaths.
Disposable Sex Worker: The first victim.
Disturbed Doves: Or ducks, in this case.
Driven to Suicide: The killer.
The Drunken Sailor: One of the victims.
Epic Fail: The main suspect tries to jump an opening bridge on his motorcycle, and fails rather badly.
Everyone Is A Suspect
Evil Overlooker
Eye Scream: "Her eyes were already fish food." And there's also something wrong with one of the sailor victim's eye.
Facial Horror: When the killer's face is finally revealed, it's pretty fucked up.
Fan Disservice: The prostitute's naked, mutilated body.
Fan Service With A Smile
Fight Scene: An underwater one, between John and the killer.
Friend to Psychos: Martin, though rather unknowingly.
Good Colors, Evil Colors: The killer's gear is black, and he steals a black speedboat, while John's gear is yellow, and Eric chases after the killer's boat with a yellow one.
Good Cop/Bad Cop: Vermeer and Eric, respectively.
Gory Discretion Shot: The killer committing suicide.
Gratuitous English
Grimy Water
Grievous Bottley Harm: The main suspect lost his job when, in a drunken rage, he attacked someone with a broken bottle.
Groin Attack: The taxi driver getting bit, and the raft victim getting knifed.
Hair of Gold: Laura.
Harpoon Gun: Vermeer gets shot in the arm with one, while Eric sustains a shot to the shoulder a bit later. The killer also commits suicide with one.
Hazardous Water
Hope Spot: The second environmentalist swims to shore and flags down a passing truck, but is dragged underwater before help can reach him.
Hostile Weather: It suddenly becomes stormy during the finale.
I Know Karate: "No reason to be afraid, I do judo."
Impending Doom P.O.V.: The opening.
Jerkass: The taxi driver, and the suspect.
Kid Detective: Anneke and Willy.
Knife Nut
Little Miss Snarker: Anneke.
Lock and Load Montage: The killer gets one.
Malevolent Masked Men
Man Bites Man: The first victim deals with the taxi driver trying to force her to perform fellatio on him via biting.
Mirror Scare
Moe Greene Special: Eric manages to shoot the killer right in the diving goggles.
Mr. Exposition: Martin.
Murderer P.O.V.
Nerd Glasses: Willy.
No Name Given: Most of the victims, and the killer.
Obstructive Bureaucrat: The mayor.
Off with His Head!: The first environmentalist's death.
Once is Not Enough: Averted.
One Word Title
Peek-A-Boo Corpse: After his buddy disappears from their boat, the second enviromentalist pulls in the anchor, and discovers his friend's head impaled on it. Later on, John is scared when a dead sailor pops out of a closet while he is exploring a sunken ship.
Perma Stubble: Eric.
Perp Sweating
Pie in the Face: Eric stops a bakery robbery by handcuffing the robber, and slamming his face into a cake. It is evidently delicious.
Pipe Pain: While doing her own little investigation with Willy, Anneke grabs one.
Portmantitle
Ramp Jump: With boats!
Red Herring: The most prominent one being Martin.
Scenery Porn
The Scourge Of God: The Salvationist died after stealing some money.
Scream Discretion Shot: The raft victim getting knifed between the legs.
Seers: Willy claims to be one.
Serrated Blade of Pain: "He used a similar instrument, but the knife was another type. One important difference is it had a serrated edge."
Serial Killer
Shirtless Scene: Eric.
The Shrink: Martin.
Slashed Throat: John's death.
Spiteful Spit: While being interrogated, a suspect spits in Eric's face.
Spooky Seance: Held by Willy.
Stealing From The Till: A Salvationist pockets some of the donations she's collected.
Stranger Behind The Mask: The killer is a random ex-diver pissed off at society because he was disfigured in a toxic waste-related incident.
Stuff Blowing Up: The killer crashes his own boat into another, resulting in a fiery explosion.
Tears of Blood: When the sailor's dead body is found, blood appears to be leaking from one of his eyes.
Ungrateful Bastard: The bakery owner.
"You used excessive force, and you ruined my cake!"
Vader Breath
The Voiceless: The killer.