Blood Beach (1980)

User Rating:

3.7/10   

Director:

Jeffrey Bloom

Writers:

Jeffrey Bloom (screenplay)
Jeffrey Bloom (story)

Release Date:

28 January 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery

Tagline:

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water - you can't get to it.

Plot:

Something or someone is attacking people one by one on the beach. Some of them are mutilated, but most of them are sucked into the sand...

Plot Keywords:

Beach | Sand | Death | Investigation | Woman Taking Off Pants

Cast

David Huffman	...	Harry Caulder
Marianna Hill	...	Catherine Hutton
Burt Young	...	Sergeant Royko
Otis Young	...	Lieutenant Piantadosi
Lena Pousette	...	Marie
John Saxon	...	Captain Pearson
Darrell Fetty	...	Hoagy
Stefan Gierasch	...	Dr. Dimitrios
Eleanor Zee	...	Mrs. Selden
Pamela McMyler	...	Mrs. Hench
Harriet Medin	...	Ruth Hutton
Mickey Fox	...	Moose
Laura Burkett	...	Girl in Sand
Marleta Giles	...	Girlfriend
Jacqueline Randall	...	2nd Girl

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:R (Manitoba) | Finland:K-18 | Norway:15 (video rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | UK:15 | USA:R | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Santa Monica, California, USA

Company:

Compass International Pictures

Quotes:

Pearson: Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, you can't get to it.

Movie Connections:

Edited into 42nd Street Forever, Volume 3: Exploitation Explosion (2008) (V)

Textbook B-grade horror, sometimes slow, but has its moments.

'Blood Beach' is a fairly typical example of a B-grade horror film. The acting is just competent enough to keep the plot going, but no-one would scratch their heads wondering why these artistes aren't better known. There's the stoic male lead doing his best to look moody despite the early 80s low lighting. There's the predictable love interest, the sceptic, the comic relief, and the wise all-knowing scientist who no-one listens to. All the boxes have been checked here. The plot is straightforward and threadbare, and the budget would be equal to what Spielberg spends on a typical lunch.

However, I really enjoyed this thing as a kid, and watching it again recently reminded me why. For one thing, the film-makers know their financial limits, and the menace threatening the sleepy Southern Californian beach is wisely kept out of sight until the very end, and even then, you don't get a truly good look at it. This is a wise approach even when you do have money to play with, as it builds suspense, and avoids disappointment. Additionally, 'Blood Beach' is mostly filmed on-location, so there are few desperately cheap-looking sets. Finally, the film ends the way all good horror films do, though I just wish it hadn't been made so obvious earlier on.

I think the main reason 'Blood Beach' gets a low score is probably that it gets a little slow in places. This isn't helped by the two-dimensional characterisation, that if developed in a better script, could probably have alleviated the problem.

Nonetheless, it has its redeeming features as mentioned, and it's a good bit of late-night disposable viewing if you like horror and there's nothing better on.