Blood Tide continues my deep dive into the Greek Horror I missed out on as a kid. Times like this just keep relaying to me how much has changed in the last 30 years. Thankfully, we have outlets like Arrow Films doing their best to bring these international horror treasures to the masses. So, let’s answer the question on everyone’s mind. Was Blood Tide good?
Arriving in theaters in 1982, this Greek nugget felt like a mix of foreign horror and throwback American exotic scares. Jose Ferrer plays the creepy village elder that warns our American friends of disturbing supernatural monsters that exist beyond their understanding. James Earl Jones is the treasure hunter that unearthed this rubbery underwater beast.
This is a movie of thin narrative, but stunning visuals. So many shots are set up in a way that evokes antiquity by way of classic horror. I dig the overall effect, but I get that some will not dig that. Still, take the time to enjoy such an outing on Blu-ray.
Foreign locale horror is such a staple of cinema. Whether it’s Dracula or Hostel, people love watching others suffer in strange lands. While Blood Tide wears this appeal on its sleeve, that’s about all that is going on in the film. That being said, it has to be the only movie that displays Martin Kove’s beach body.
Nico Mastorakis is a fascinating director/writer. Island of Death was my introduction to the Greek horror master, but something changed with this film. I’m not terribly familiar with Jefferies as a director, but he seemed way more adept at sticking to a straight narrative. It didn’t hurt anything, but it seemed to tone down how crazy the movie could have become.
Arrow Films brings a Blu-ray loaded with a new commentary and interview. While that doesn’t sound like a lot, it helps to provide context for a movie that has been shuffled around gray market sellers and back tables of Horror Conventions for decades. Releases like this are why I dig Arrow and I hope they keep it going in the future.
