Blood Tide is a 1981 British-Greek film directed by Richard Jefferies (Cold Creek Manor; Living Hell aka Organizm) from a screenplay co-written with Nico Mastrorakis (Island of Death; Blind Date; Grandmother’s House). The film is also known as Bloodtide (in the USA) and Demon Island (American TV title) and is in the public domain. Original pre-release titles were The Red Tide and Red Tide.
Plot teaser:
A couple of newlyweds go to Greek Islands to look for a lost sister. They find her on an island where a monster kills people unless it is given a virgin woman for a sacrifice…
Reviews:
Although lacking in production values, Blood Tide cannot be faulted for its actors, all of whom do their best with the material they are presented. As noted previously, the concepts sketched throughout the film are fascinating and stimulating to the imagination. Sadly, the execution of the film results in a talky, bland, and tensionless movie, one that few will be able to sit through to the lackluster conclusion.” Octavio Ramos, Albuquerque Examiner
Lydia Cornell, Lila Kedrova, Martin Kove, Jose Ferrer
“The main focus of a sea monster movie should be the damn sea monster not a shirtless James Earl Jones. Therefore, the sea monster needs to look fucking amazing. Instead, the team behind this one offered up James Earl Jones, shiny bod and all, instead of giving us a great looking sea monster. The monster is the worst looking creature in cinema history and makes the killer elves in Elves look like a fucking masterpiece.” Horror Society
“A pretty bad, but rather fun, old-fashioned monster movie. The monster itself might be The Return of the Giant Claw, and is, wisely, never seen very clearly (Clearly enough, however, once for camp purposes).” Donald C. Willis, Horror and Science Fiction Films III
“Sundry killings ensue, but little tension or atmosphere is generated. Jones overplays alarmingly, while Ferrer and Kedrova have little to do as furrowed-browed locals, the latter a nun. The monster itself appears only briefly, which is perhaps just as well since it is all too obviously a rubber dummy.” Phil Hardy (editor), The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror
Cast:
- James Earl Jones as Frye
- José Ferrer as Nereus
- Lila Kedrova as Sister Anna
- Mary Louise Weller as Sherry Grice
- Martin Kove as Neil Grice
- Lydia Cornell as Barbara
- Deborah Shelton as Madeline Grice
- Sofia Seirli as Sister Elena
- Despina Tomazani as Lethe’s Mother
- Rania Photiou as Lethe
- Spyros Papafrantzis as Dionysis
- Irini Tripkou as Virgin
- Annabel Schofield as Vikki
