Blood Tide (1982)

Blood Tide (1982) is a monster movie that seems afraid of actually showing us its monster.  Which is always a bit of a problem, as monster movies stand or fall by their monsters - even if they turn out to be ropey men in bad rubber suits-type creatures, they can at least raise a laugh.  But if you barely see it at all, you can't help but feel cheated.  Blood Tide's aquatic monster is only briefly glimpsed in a couple of scenes - even then, we only see it in its entirety for a few seconds through some very murky underwater photography.  Other than that, we just get quick flashes of teeth and claws.  Most of the 'horror' is evidently meant to come from the aftermath of its visits, in the form of the dismembered and bloody bodies it leaves behind, (there are quite a lot of these - it even slaughters an entire convent full of nuns at one point).  We know what it is meant to look like from a series of paintings art the aforementioned convent, which show something akin to a cross between a dragon and a prehistoric aquatic reptile.  From the glimpses we get of the actual beast, one gets the impression that the producers have tried to translate that into a monster that is part mechanical prop, part man-in-a-suit, which actually, from what be seen, doesn't look that bad.  But the producers obviously got cold feet, fearing that it looked unconvincing, so instead decided to rely upon some mild gore, some attractive women in swimsuits and its pair of heavyweight headliners - James Earle Jones and Jose Ferrer - to sell the film. 

Unfortunately, they just aren't enough.  To be fair, Jones and Ferrer give it their best shots, turning in decent performances, in spite of a weak script, but they just can't save Blood Tide from its utter lack of suspense and atmosphere, let alone the languorous pace of Richard Jeffries' direction.  Despite their top billing, in reality, it is the somewhat less talented Martin Kove (of Karate Kid and Cagney and Lacey fame) who actually fills the most screen time and whose character has to carry the story.  His character, Neil Grice arrives, with his wife, on an isolated Greek island in search of his sister Madelaine.  There they encounter a grizzled and hostile old man (Ferrer) who leaves them in no doubt that this is one of those islands that doesn't like visitors, as it has, you know, secrets.  The old guy also denies that Madelaine has ever been there, although they encounter her immediately afterward, in the company of Shakespeare-quoting diver and treasure hunter Frye (Jones).  While the latter has been exploring some underwater ruins, Madelaine has been working at the convent, uncovering those pictures of the monster.  After several locals and Frye's female friend have been killed and mutilated in the sea, it transpires that the locals believe that the legendary sea creature has returned (possibly awakened by Frye's activities) and that it cannot be assuaged until a virgin has sacrificed herself to it.  Needless to say, that virgin is destined to be Madelaine.  While the scenario is overly familiar, it could still have provided the basis for a decent enough B-movie, it is all handled in such a lacklustre fashion that it never stands a chance.  There is simply no sense of urgency about it all, let alone originality.  Actually, that isn't quite true - there is one neat flourish toward the end, when Ferrer tells Grice and Frye that the prospective virgin sacrifice will know what she must do when the time is right.  We then cut to Madelaine at the convent uncovering a picture of the creature, sporting an erection, menacing a young girl.  We can tell from her expression - she knows. (Maybe that's why they were reluctant to show their monster - his mechanical bonk on wasn't convincing enough).  Still, the Greek scenery is very nicely photographed.