Bloodtide

BLOODTIDE:
Horror fans know all about managing expectations.  It's what makes for pleasant surprises like Bloodtide (1982), an above-average foreign-produced creature feature that began its life saddled with the inauspicious moniker of Man-Shark.  But writer-director Richard Jefferies did more than class up the title, he took the B-movie concept handed to him by producer Nico Mastorakis and added a name cast (James Earl Jones, Jose Ferrer, Martin Kove and Deborah Shelton), stunning location photography and a script that avoids the most common exploitation pitfalls.

Honeymooner's Neil and Sherry arrive on an isolated Greek isle in search of Neil's sister, Madeline, who has become obsessed with the local legend about an aquatic monster that demands a virgin sacrifice.  So when a Shakespearean-spouting treasure hunter (Jones) releases said creature from its underwater lair, legend becomes reality as swimmers fall victim to an ancient mythological evil that demands its tribute of flesh...one way or another!

Bloodtide follows the Jaws formula by keeping its animatronic monster hidden for almost the entire running time.   And full disclosure, when it comes, the big reveal certainly isn't a selling point.  The film is more successful at creating a mood of impending doom, transplanting the village-with-a-secret scenario from your typical English countryside to the dusty, labyrinthine streets of the Mediterranean.  Jeffries understated visual approach adds a touch of class, but not as much as the presence of James Earl Jones (looking remarkably fit), who enjoyably overacts but never embarrasses himself.  For all its faults, Bloodtide feels like a genre treasure found on a lonely stretch of beach that only a select few will ever discover.

Arrow Video's Blu-ray might just change all that, though.   The transfer from a new 4K scan is remarkable and bound to increase your viewing pleasure 100%.  Extras are well balanced with a 30-minute self-promotional interview from Mastorakis offset by a superb commentary track from Jefferies.  The first pressing includes a collector's booklet with new writing on the film by Mike Gingold.  


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