Blood Tide (1982)

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This not-bad horror film was shot on a Greek islands, and features an Oscar-familiar cast.

Neil (Martin Kove) and Sherry (Mary Louise Weller) are newly married. They spend their honeymoon searching for Neil's sister Madeline (Deborah Shelton), who disappeared somewhere in the Greek islands- how romantic! Although they find her, Madeline is not her old self, spacing out and staring at the sea. The group is trapped on the island by evil mayor/sheriff Nereus (Jose Ferrer). Neil and Sherry also find Frye (James Earl Jones), a blustery guy diving on a site filled with ancient coins and a mysterious walled-up cave entrance, and Jones' girlfriend, Barbara (Lydia Cornell, relegated to yet another dumb blonde role). Frye inadvertently releases a mythical creature that the islanders used to sacrifice virgins to, endangering everyone. Lila Kedrova is wasted as Sister Anna, the local nun who does nothing more than cross herself and warn of impending doom. Madeline's reasons for being on the island are fuzzy. She is restoring an art print at the monastery, which reveals the monster/virgin legend, and she apparently brought Frye to the island, but how and why she is there is never cleared up; likewise with Barbara's presence.

For such an isolated island, they sure get a lot of American tourists. There is also an incestuous subplot between Kove and Shelton that is hinted at but thankfully never expanded on. Two B horror movie legends behind the camera, Brian Trenchard-Smith and Nico Mastorakis, are listed in the opening credits in various occupations, and they may have had something to do with many of the film's good moments. There are some suspenseful scenes, and the monster is pretty ugly and a little scary. The gore mostly takes place underwater, possibly a result of the film's low budget.

All in all, I liked "Blood Tide." Where else will you hear Deborah Shelton warble the end credits song that she wrote the lyrics to, or see the stoic James Earl Jones playing a lout in a scuba wet suit? I kinda recommend this one, although it is far from perfect. Also known "Bloodtide."

Stats:
(1982) 82 min. (* * *) out of five stars
-Directed by Richard Jefferies
-Screenplay by Richard Jefferies & Nick Mastorakis
-Cast: James Earl Jones, Martin Kove, Mary Louise Weller, Deborah Shelton, Jose Ferrer, Lydia Cornell, Lila Kedrova, Sophia Seirli, Despina Tomazani, Rania Photiou, Spyros Papafrantzis, Annabel Schofield, Irini Tripkou
(R)- Physical violence, gore, some profanity, some sexual content, adult situations