Are Marie Antoinette’s jewels hidden in the triangle-shaped swamp? Or could the lost Ark of the Covenant be buried beneath Smith’s Cove? Or is something even more incredible concealed some 200 feet below the surface of the infamous Money Pit? Now everyone who has dreamed of searching for buried treasure can take part in the quest to solve the mystery that has taken the lives of six men so far and — as the legend goes — must claim a seventh before the island will reveal its secrets.
Marty and Rick Lagina offer viewers two scientifically oriented treasure hunters scouring the mysterious Oak Island, a one-hundred forty-acre tree-covered and privately owned landmass off Nova Scotia. They fervently search for a so-called money pit alleged to store one or more troves deposited perhaps centuries ago. Rumors of buried booty take the form of gold, coin, artifacts, Shakespearean manuscripts – even the Holy Grail or the Lost Ark of the Covenant, courtesy of the Knights Templar – driving exploration attempts as far back as the early 1800s. Investors of such ventures over the years included Errol Flynn, John Wayne, and Vincent Astor. Even FDR followed the ongoing pursuits for plunder on the island until his death.
Supposed flood tunnel booby traps plagued multiple early efforts to excavate shafts down to pay dirt, all of which History Channel series creator Kevin Burns details during the course of the narrative. So far, six accidental deaths linger over previous expeditions. Legend maintains that the treasure will not see daylight until a seventh man dies. “The Curse of Oak Island” chronicles events in often fascinating detail, telling a complicated story across several years.
The all-encompassing project management constitutes the strongest aspect of this enterprise. Sonic core drilling, extensive metal detecting, heavy digging machines and deep ground penetrating radar comprise just a few examples. Marty and Rick are nothing if not serious. They employ surveyors, drillers, geologists, geochemists, geophysicists, gemologists, lab technicians, astrophysicists, divers, heavy equipment operators, researchers, archaeologists, metal detection experts, structural engineers, blacksmiths, sonar experts, knowledgeable authors and film directors, journalists, stonemasons, curators, and historians, as well as descendants of previous missions – all in a nonstop quest to unearth the hidden cache.
Despite investigative precision worthy of Sherlock Holmes, the undertaking eventually feels a bit like Geraldo Rivera at Al Capone’s vault. Enthusiastically narrated by Robert Clotworthy, six seasons of meager substantive finds, implausible theorizing, and unanswered questions take their toll, making for marginal viewing for all but the most avid aficionados of the Oak Island curse. While presenting a fascinating premise abetted by formidable engineering techniques, the numerous twists and turns ultimately fail to gain enough momentum to carry audiences through the lengthy outing.
Now available on DVD from Lionsgate
