DVD Corner

Bloodtide Blu-ray Review

“Bloodtide” has its moments.

Directed by Richard Jefferies and written by Nico Mastorakis and Jefferies, the low-budget 1982 horror film “Bloodtide” begins with a prologue of an ancient beast being offered a sacrificial virgin. Obviously, that scene sets the tone for what is to come (not to mention hint at future plotting). The story jumps ahead in time to a couple (Neil and Sherry) arriving at a picturesque but slightly creepy Greek island to find Neil’s missing sister (Madeline). They find Madeline hanging out with a treasure hunter (Frye) and his lover/co-worker (Barbara), but she is acting a bit strange to say the least. To make a long story short, Frye ends up awakening the evil ancient creature in an underwater cave and it begins to wreak havoc on locals. It’s also seeking a new virgin sacrifice…which just might be Madeline. 

Clocking in at 97 minutes, “Bloodtide” is a bit of a slow burn creature feature that is light on the creature aspect. The creature is mostly off screen and, when it is shown, it’s very cheap looking (not to mention far from scary). The story itself is also very basic and in dire need of more development. There’s clearly something to mine with the mythology here, but the writers only scratch the surface. 

With all of that said, “Bloodtide” manages to be quite watchable even if it’s nothing you haven’t seen before. There’s sex appeal aplenty, gorgeous location shooting in Greece, a Lovecraftian vibe, and a talented cast comprised of James Earl Jones, Jose Ferrer, Martin Kove (who is having his own career resurrection with “Cobra Kai”), Deborah Shelton, and Lydia Cornell. 

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.85:1 1080p. How does it look? The film has been restored from a 4K scan of the original camera negative and the results are largely impressive. The many scenes on the island or at sea are particularly stunning. I will say some of the darker scenes appear overly grainy though.

Audio Track: Uncompressed Mono. How does it sound? Expect a nice clean Mono track.

Extras:
* A booklet featuring credits, an essay by film journalist Michael Gringold and photos.
* Original and 2020 trailer
* “Swept By The Tide”- A new 29 minute interview with the personable Nico Mastorakis.
* A Michael Felsher moderated commentary by director and co-writer Richard Jefferies (who is very honest here)

June 28, 2020 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Arrow Video, Bloodtide Blu-ray Review, Horror Film, James Earl Jones, Martin Kove