Blood Tide (1982)
GREECE --- horror
Dir: Richard Jefferies
Yeah, here we have a film that looks like a rich movie producer was vacationing in the Greek islands and found some other actors and actresses also vacationing there in a hotel and decided to put something together. There are a lot of films done like that, that in Hollywood are called “in-between projects” from major stars that have some time and money want to keep their skills up. The really sad part is, the idea of the story is pretty straight forward and actually would be better in better director’s hands, like say Steven Speilberg. Let’s face it, it’s a Jaws rip-off, right along with a slew of films at the time like Orca, and Piranha.
GREECE --- horror
Dir: Richard Jefferies
Yeah, here we have a film that looks like a rich movie producer was vacationing in the Greek islands and found some other actors and actresses also vacationing there in a hotel and decided to put something together. There are a lot of films done like that, that in Hollywood are called “in-between projects” from major stars that have some time and money want to keep their skills up. The really sad part is, the idea of the story is pretty straight forward and actually would be better in better director’s hands, like say Steven Speilberg. Let’s face it, it’s a Jaws rip-off, right along with a slew of films at the time like Orca, and Piranha.
The story involves Neil Grice (played by a post Last House on the Left Martin Kove and pre Kobra Kai sensei John Kreese from the Karate Kid) and his newlywed wife visiting Greece to search for his wayward sister Madeline. They come to an island wary of strangers, and an older villager (played by venerable Jose Ferrer) reluctant to help the couple, but only advise them to leave and search other islands. They by chance find Madeline with a selfish boozy expatriate American treasure hunter named Frye (portrayed by James Earl Jones) and his sun-kissed flighty blonde girlfriend Barbara. Madeline has taken refuge at the local monastery where she paints, makes archeological discoveries, and appears to be somewhat mentally distant.
When Frye goes diving one night, he accidentally unearths a centuries old fathomable beast and as you can guess, the villagers know all too well about it. They begin to ritualistically sacrifice young virgin girls into the sea for the creature. When Barbara comes up missing on a swim, and is soon found later in pieces along the beach shore by Frye and some children, the gang attempt to figure out what’s going on. Little do they know, it is Madeline who has a connection with the dark secret of this islands legendary monster.
This is one of those movies I used to enjoy wasting time on a sleepy summer afternoon, or on USA’s Up All Night block. It is mindless entertainment, though the entertainment value of Blood Tide is few and far between.
