MovieChat Forums > Blood Beach (1981) Discussion > Excellent Concept Equals Just OK Movie.....

Excellent Concept Equals Just OK Movie..(SPOILERS?)


I actually liked Blood Beach, it had a good concept, location and story. But it was just executed so amateurish that it didn't become the scary or shocking 80s gorefest it should have been.

I liked that there was an unknown sea monster pulling victims down into the sand and devouring them. I loved the whole abandoned amusement park/pier structure where the creature decided to call home. I also liked how some of the attacks were done, some especially the first victim's were done pretty suspensefully. I also liked the opening credits sound effects and music indicating the creature returning to it's lair.

However some of the characters were so poorly visualized especially Marianna Hill and all of the cops (minus the great John Saxon). These characters were boring, dumb and just poorly written.

The creature was also a let down. I liked that it actually looked like something from the sea, but the execution was horrible. It was stiff, you couldn't really see it's body and then they blew it up!! I couldn't figure out how that thing could have killed some of the people in the manner that it did, ie decapitation? Castration? It was so big it should have swallowed these people whole.

This movie really SHOULD be remade. There are plenty of creepy abandoned parks and piers that can be used for the story.

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Good summation of the film and its strengths and weaknesses. "Blood Beach" does a decent job of creating atmosphere, but this story could have been fleshed out (so to speak) so much better.

The man's castration and dog's decapitation were just exploitation and didn't fit with the rest of the deaths, where victims sank into the sand.

This is a mix of very good and very bad acting, but thankfully John Saxon and Burt Young made it worthwhile. I'm always amazed when "respectable" actors get involved in a film like this, but you can't forget the value of a good paycheck, I guess.

It seemed odd that they wouldn't close the beach down once they realized there was something underground, but of course, then there would be no movie. And for all the talk of people being scared away because of the monster, the beach always seemed full during the day.

Even though this film could have been better, I don't think a remake in most director's hands would get it right. Horror films today are in such a sad state of disrepair, with stupid teens and gimmicky CGI replacing plot and character development.

Anyway, despite its flaws, "Blood Beach" was fun while it lasted. 6 stars out of 10.

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Agree with you 100%. It would be fun to see a good director remake this movie as a straight out horror movie and not a PG-13 teen flick.

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Absolutely. What would be best would be if there were some kind of an indie treatment, or a really creative director like David Lynch.

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I absolutely loathe the "remake everything" binge hollywood is on nowadays, BUT you're right. There were a lot of ideas here that just never got fleshed out properly. Lots of room for drama, character development, and suspense that could be done properly in a remake.

What was up with that monster? It's design was absolutely bizarre, ambitious, and great!! yet it was gone in less than a minute!! the spore idea did not get enough time to sink in with the audience... and Burt Young! He was cocky and smarmy, but just sat there with his character... lol! jeez! Oh, and it appeared that the film's locations were entirely on that one half block along the beach!

someone get a decent write/director team and have at it!

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Yes, I agree, the main idea is creepy enough, but as many horror B-movies it is poorly made, written, and acted. Still a decent watch though.
Also, horror movies don't have to be a "gorefest" in order to be good. Just sayin'.

Boycott movies that involve real animal violence! (and their directors too)

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Also, horror movies don't have to be a "gorefest" in order to be good. Just sayin'.



This is true, but they did title their movie, "Blood Beach".

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