Blood Beach (1980) watch online HD

Blood Beach rocks, it has everything a Saturday night movies needs from a giant phallic monster to a scene where every few moments the mic drops into shot. A popcorn monster flick giving a unique angle on the Jaws theme. Some good gore FX and a good few jumpy moments elevate this one above the usual rubber monster crowd and the sand FX are actually deeply scary.

I have been keeping an eye out for this one for a while but have as yet not found a copy. It could keep you away from the seaside forever, Jaws will keep you out of the water but Blood Beach will put you back in the car and send you home.

After several people mysteriously vanish from a South Californian beach, authorities begin the search for whoever or whatever is responsible. Believing some kind of ravenous subterranean creature to be the cause of the disappearances, harbour patrolman Harry (David Huffman) and ex-girlfriend Catherine (Marianna Hill) begin looking for the beast's lair.

The cleverest thing about this predictable early 80s monster movie is surely it's amusing, Jaws-inspired tag-line 'Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water - you can't get to it.'; but even though Blood Beach displays very little else in the way of originality, rarely rising above routine B-movie fodder, there's just about enough fun to be had with it to still make it worth your while.

Huffman and Hill are forgettably bland, but the presence of seasoned character actors John Saxon and Burt Young more than compensate for the lacklustre leads, both guys giving enjoyable performances, Young as an uncouth copper from Chicago with zero tact, and Saxon as his tough but fair superior. Also worthy of mention is the lovely Lena Pousette, who shines as Marie, Harry's sexy blond air-hostess 'friend with benefits'.

The film also features several well executed deaths scenes, victims swallowed up by the sand in convincing fashion, and there's some fun to be had with the gore, including a would-be rapist having his junk chewed off by the monster and a cascade of dismembered body parts tumbling onto the unfortunate Catherine. Blood Beach's jump scares are about as clichéd as they can get (eg. a screeching cat leaping into frame) but they are still effective. Sadly, the monster is only revealed in the film's closing moments, and isn't all that impressive, looking like a giant papier-mâché plant (quite how that thing burrows underground, I'll never know!).

In an ending typical of 70s/80s monster movies, the creature is blown to pieces, but as the closing credits roll, new activity under the sand suggests that the horror isn't over yet (although a sequel has yet to surface).

5.5 out of 10, rounded up to 6 for IMDb.

On a popular California beach line, passers-bys and beach-goers are suddenly being sucked into the sand without much of a trace. What is it? Maybe a serial killer or it could be some sort of a monster feeding on unexpected victims. So now everyone is looking at the local police force to figure this one out and find a solution quick to prevent more people disappearing from this beach. But along the way, David and Mariana who have got together to find out what caused the death of David's friend and Mariana's mother help them out.

No matter how bad this film is, I actually found to be a marginally amusing failure. Hmm, but I can say that it doesn't live up to its title though. It must have looked great on paper and the movie poster is quite striking, but this neat idea doesn't translate to the big screen with flying colours. This incredibly, low-budget b-grade schlock goes for that 50s style type of monster feature and don't forget an obvious influence from "Jaws". With those things in mind it's not as fun and charming like it should be, and even the cheese element feels half-baked by being very clammy and blunt in its direction and overall handling. What really pumped up the film's slack energy was a couple of delightful support performances from the always-reliable John Saxon and very cynical Burt Young, who both played officers investigating the case of the ominous beach killer. Even though the script is dreadfully static with a lot of ponderous wallow, but amongst those stretches are sprinkles of poignantly dark, witty humour that's actually quite humorous. But what really hurts the film is that it's quite unspectacular, the main leads; David Huffman and Marianna Hill are truly bland and the pacing limps along with only a few pockets of thrills until it reaches its all-to-easy, anti-climatic showdown.

The creaky plot is pure, junky nonsense by providing the usual run-of-the-mill avenues and with some redundant scenes that just tread water for far too long. The origin of this monster lurking under the sand is never mentioned and the material doesn't blossom by skipping on many plot details. Some sharper editing could have made this a far better effort than it's overall drawn-out feel. Although, I quite liked the concept behind this flick and while it slowly grinds away with many repetitive shots and loose suspense. It didn't bother me too much, but I just couldn't stop thinking - only, what if the director entwines some verve and blood to the attacks. That's right it does skim out on the gore, although there's one attack mid-way through which showed some promise, but other than that - they are quickly done within a matter of seconds with very little in the way of any build up and blood. Most of the deaths are just people getting sucked under the sand. Which, is fine by me because the opening attack sets the mood quite well, but you couldn't help but think there could have been some more creative juices flowing within those moments, as it just falls into the same trap and pattern. As usual tacked onto the film is an open-ended conclusion that's surprisingly effective and maybe who knows, a sequel, which could have brought to the table the things that, this film was lacking. Across the broad is a forceful synthesizer score that just has that moody, but more so mechanical feel about it and the monster effects are immensely tacky when we 'finally' see a glimpse of it in the final 10 minutes. It's something cross between a large plant and clam.. Well, that's what I think. But with the lighting it's quite hard to see clearly in the dark sequences and that's when our monster friend makes it's appearance. The photography is pretty much the norm with the traditional killer's POV shot.

This obscure picture is a pretty limited and rather bungled production and it simply shows in the final product. But if you're in an undemanding frame of mind for some mindless 80s gruel, you might get something out of it to make it worthwhile. I found it to be mildly tolerable for what it was.

It may not be great but, it's got John Saxon in it, it's got a bit of blood and hell, it's not any worse than all the rest of the flicks that had Blood in the title from this period. And it must have been at least a pain in the ass to do those "sinking in the sand" effects!

Maybe if they release this thing on DVD (why are most of the Vestron flicks still not out?), may be then it'll get at least the same attention and cult like favor that My Bloody Valentine and other such crap gets.

All in all, a drive-in classic. After all that's what it was made for!

See it and judge for yourself!

This movie has an interesting story and you're not likely to predict what it is that is taking the lives of the characters in the film. The story takes place on a beach and when people begin to disappear it haves you wondering what it is. It will, however, keep you interested and the ending is not half bad either. To say that this is the best SCARY movie would be incorrect, however to say that it is the most unique is quite true. I really enjoyed this movie and I can honestly say that it had it's own unique style. See it if you haven't and if you can find it. It is a rare one and they don't make horror films like this anymore!!! This was a suspenseful film that caught me off guard on a few occasions and I hope I never have to experience that kind of terror. Released in 1980 to movie theatres and to video in 1982, this movie had a strange story, but a good story as well!!!

Those darn film producers of the 1980's were at it again! They were trying to scare us from going back into the water again! First Steven Spielberg got us with "JAWS" followed by the infamous inferior sequels, then we were treated to a double-dosage of "TENTACLES" paired with "ORCA", then there was the hilarious "PIRANHA" and its sequel that featured mutated Piranhas with wings(!!!) and then there was 1981's "BLOOD BEACH" - Hollywood's answer to all those endless 'monster-in-the-water' movies that were swamping our mega-plexes. Someone must have come up with the bright idea, "Instead of putting our monster in the water... how about we put it in the sand!", hence the catchy tag-line to this cinematic gem, "Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water - you can't get to it", which is about the only smart thing connected to this movie.

The premise to "BLOOD BEACH" is typical of the 80's horror-film movement. Unthinkable monster + a cute little dog becoming hapless victim of said monster + helpless girls and women either disappearing or being attacked by said monster + one male to solve the mystery and destroy said monster + questionable ending. The funny thing is, I haven't seen this movie on television for many years and it is pretty much obsolete from most video stores. Whenever I happen to see a copy floating around, I get a nostalgic feeling about the times when it was fun to see movies like this.

"BLOOD BEACH" opens with those 'all-too-familiar-scenes' - a young woman jogs along the beach at that time of early morning when there never seems to be anyone around... the sand begins to suck her in as she screams helplessly (reminiscent to the brilliant artwork featured on the poster of this movie) and while the viewer never actually gets to see the monster at this point, we're left to wonder about what it might actually look like.

Police detective Harry Caulder, (portrayed by David Huffman) is assigned to investigate this particular case. The only evidence left on the sand is an eyeball, possibly belonging to that of the victim. The next victim happens to be an old lady who ALSO happens to be the mother of his ex-flame, Marianna. Accordingly, the strange happenings and Caulder's investigation will bring these two characters together to try and solve what it is that is munching on these helpless victims and also give them time to rekindle that old flame as they become a modern day 'McMILLAN AND WIFE' detective team. A further 80's cliche' here would be the scene involving a night-time 'beach party', complete with frat boys and slutty girls and the obligatory couple who wander off to 'make out' but instead meet a grisly demise.

It isn't until the last 5 minutes of "BLOOD BEACH" that you actually get to see the monster. It's this huge papier-mache 'sea cucumber'-like creature that lets out a roar similar to that of a tiger and an elephant combined. Where did it come from? We don't know. Why is it there? We don't know. All we do know is that our hero and heroine manage to blow it up and leave the scene thinking that the terror of this creature will reign no more.

Wrong. Enter cliche number 158 when the film draws to a close. The beach that remained deserted due to the frequent 'disappearing acts' is now flooded with tourists and beach-bums. A mother turns her back on her young child who is playing with the sand. The next moment when she turns around to check on him, he is gone. If "BLOOD BEACH" was a box-office smash hit, perhaps they could have green-lighted "BLOOD BEACH: THE OFFSPRING", but alas, it was not a hit and ended up being a guilty pleasure to those us who like to watch bad 80's horror films on video, complete with the grainy imagery and 'worn out' sound-track.

There is something still very appealing about "BLOOD BEACH". Perhaps it is the appearance of Burt Young as a police sergeant (better known as Paulie from the Sylvester Stallone "ROCKY" movies). Or perhaps it is the value of the genre itself. 80's horror movies will always be regarded as cinematic treasure. Good or bad, we needed those movies - and in today's politically correct climate, "BLOOD BEACH" is the perfect anecdote for a Saturday night viewing with all the lights in the house turned off. Just prepare yourself for the unintentional laughter!

My rating - 6 out of 10!

This one had been on my wish-list ever since I saw a few fragments of it when I was a little kid. But being a sober guy, I wasn't expecting much of it. And that was a good thing . Basically where "Jaws" made the water an unsafe place, "Blood Beach" tries to do this for the beach. But "Blood Beach" is very much inferior to Spielberg's classic. Mainly because "Blood Beach" is rather slow and boring. "Jaws", at times, also wasn't all that about action & horror, more about the characters really, but it had a fine plot structure, good dialogues and decent acting to keep things going. But I shall not just dismiss "Blood Beach" as a bad B-monster movie (though it certainly isn't a good one). The main attraction amongst the cast is John Saxon, who is the best actor of the lot, injects a nice amount of sarcasm in his role and simply has the best lines of the movie. Then there's Burt Young, who's just great as Sergeant Royko, bragging about Chicago all the time, eating various sort of junk-food in almost every scene and referring to someone's brain as "vegetable soup". The music was pretty memorable too, with a dark cello theme and some jazzy saxophones. And the beach-monster was just too weird. It looked like a giant, dusty, plastic flower. But unfortunately it's only shown in a few shots when it emerges from the sand near the end. The shots over the end credits leave room for a sequel ("Blood Beach 2: The Offspring", would have been a very appropriate title, I believe), but that never happened. "Blood Beach" could have been a cult classic, but unfortunately the movie feels just a bit too mainstream (and too uneventful also) for it to be one.

Sure, BLOOD BEACH sounded like a cool title to sell some tickets, but what are you expecting? It's more of a joke to consider this a horror movie because there is meaninglessness to why people sink in the sand. Is this my imagination or is it the film's fault? The true effects of horrifying chills and shivers are absent, making this cheesy beyond belief. Interesting about this one is the mystery behind what lies underneath the sandy beach, and until you finally discover WHAT the thing really is, you may be asking to yourself, "WHAT IS THAT THING CALLED?". Bloody scenes are fairly gruesome, but there's too little of them. Noteworthy is Jerry Gross, who distributed B-movie films, including the gross-out X-rated horror flick I DRINK YOUR BLOOD. Maybe things aren't so bloody here after all. Blecchh!!!

For me, Blood Beach is one of those early 80's horror's that I can watch repeatedly and not get bored and It's one of the rare unintentional horror comedies as this is so poorly filmed and acted with almost no plausible special effects, that the seriousness in which this is shot comes off as hilarious.

Basically someone or something is making beach goers disappear. Initially the police either assume that they've either drowned or are the victims of a serial killer, however when a search of the beach turns up nothing, police are puzzled. More and more people go missing, but the attention of the police is renewed when a young girl is buried in the sand by her friends and is attacked in full view of everyone. She is pulled from the sand with bloodied legs. That coupled with a potential rapist getting castrated right in front of his would-be victim, has police realising that they are after something other than human.

A further search uncovers the beasts lair along with various dead bodies and body parts and they decide to set an explosive trap for it to blow it up. The monster is captured on camera and once it is in the right spot the charges are set off and the beast is killed. However as people start to return to the beach, sinkholes start appearing in different parts of the beach indicating that the beast either spawned or that blowing up a large carnivorous plant is not the best idea, but that's where the movie ends.

As said earlier the movie is very silly but it's a lot of fun. It's supposed to be a serious outing but it's almost as if the film-makers were deliberately poking fun at themselves. The monster itself looks like some kind of rubbery mutated man-eating cactus. The only actors I recognise in this is Burt Young from Rocky and John Saxon who seems to love being overly serious and angry in every B-grade movie there ever was.

Blood Beach is an 80's gem that is actually begging to be re-made by someone who will give it a proper budget and updated special effects as the original film is very grainy, it at least deserves to be touched up and re-released. Not many people know of this movie and those who do don't give it much consideration which is kinda sad as it's a great horror story. If you manage to track down a copy of this then grab hold of it.

'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.

This movie has an interesting story and you're not likely to predict what it is that is taking the lives of the characters in the film. The story takes place on a beach and when people begin to disappear it haves you wondering what it is. It will, however, keep you interested and the ending is not half bad either. To say that this is the best SCARY movie would be incorrect, however to say that it is the most unique is quite true. I really enjoyed this movie and I can honestly say that it had it's own unique style. See it if you haven't and if you can find it. It is a rare one and they don't make horror films like this anymore!!! This was a suspenseful film that caught me off guard on a few occasions and I hope I never have to experience that kind of terror. Released in 1980 to movie theatres and to video in 1982, this movie had a strange story, but a good story as well!!!

ya its kind of cheesy ya its kind of dumb but its better than today's pg 13 horror movie like boogieman and its not a slasher movie so its not a ripoff to halloween so what i liked it it does sound like a slasher movie and ya the monster is never explained why its there or where it came from who cares its a movie let it be a mystery its never on cable and on DVD well probably not compared to all these wussy pg13 horror movies blood beach is a classic and it does not deserve to get picked on and it has some decent gore not like todays horror movies so leave it alone if it is on DVD i would not pay 60 dollars for it but 15 i would

Blood Beach certainly isn't a good film, but it stands for nicely cheap and cheesy horror fun. It's an early 80's horror flick, so you pretty much know what to expect. A plot line that somewhat rips off an earlier made classic horror movie (in this case: Jaws), lots of screaming girls, tension few to none and bad-taste jokes. Blood Beach is about a little seaside town that lives of its tourism. All of a sudden, something evil seems to lurk in the sand…attacking people and sucking them into the sand, not to be found back. So, like it was the case in `Jaws', the tourists stay away and the local police department is under a lot of pressure to catch whatever horror lives underneath the sand. Blood Beach isn't that gory, actually. Since most victims are just sucked into the sand, no bloody messes overwhelm this film. The good old clichés are present as well, like for example the bizarre and lonely ladyfreak of the town… Or the return of a long-lost lover! The music is okay, but a bit too obviously influenced by Jaws and the film has got a very atmospheric open ending. I've got to admit that! The acting goes from bad to atrocious, but there's one exception! John Saxon…this amazingly cool dude stars as the stressed police captain who motivates his men with a great dose of sarcasm and charisma. John Saxon is a great actor and it's always nice to see him show up in little horror fun stuff, like this Blood Beach! Check it out when you have the chance! There are worse things to waste your life on, for sure

I saw this movie when I was ten years old and for growing up watching all sorts of horror flicks I can be safe to say I am use to anything. This movie has bad acting but there was something creepy about it. Every death was the same, someone gets sucked underneath the beach. But I pictured myself in that situation being eaten alive. There was only really one scene that got to me. Some old lady is walking by herself and sits up on this porch or something. Then following her is a cop, (If I can remember correctly) then he tells her to come with him and she looks at him like she knows whats gonna happen. Then he begins to sink in to the sand. He begins to scream and she just looks at him like nothing is happening. And he is sucked under slowly but surely. I have no idea why but for some reason everytime I watch that part it sends chills down my spine.

This is a rare horror flick, it's like "Tremors" (1990) but not as bloody, but if you ever see this movie rent it for the hell of it.

OK blood beach, a lot of people and critics hated it,i loved it.i liked the cast,the plot,the acting,the monster needed a little work.the soundtrack music i especially liked.Burt young plays a good sleaze ball in this making Paulie from rocky look like a saint.i originally seen this at a drive in movie with a date,so i didn't remember a lot till i seen it on cable years later.the ending screams sequel,but i guess it was'not in the cards.wish they would release this on DVD soon.Marianna hill was the greatest b-movie actress of the 70s and 80s.this being her best,well after her role as frados drunken girlfriend in godfather(72). john Saxon as the police chief with that memorable line;just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water,you cant get to it.classic b-movie schlock.blood beach is the bomb.6 out of 10

Typically it's the ocean that brings potential danger, but in "Blood Beach," it's the sandy shores of Venice Beach that is claiming victims; or, rather, a creature lying beneath in wait.

It's no surprise that "Blood Beach" is unabashedly ridiculous, but the reviews on IMDb show that it is a film with an affectionate following, and it's understandable why. The acting is subpar at best, though John Saxon is always a welcome presence as far as I'm concerned; the plot is "out there" to say the least, and the dialogue and cinematography are all mediocre.

What good, you might ask? Well, it's simply fun-silly fun, but fun no less. The premise itself is a clear riff on the popularity of "Jaws," and, as some have pointed out, the film predates "Tremors" and is very possibly an inspiration.

The bottom line is that the audience "Blood Beach" was made for knows who they are. Many people today will find this film utterly silly and possibly unenjoyable, but for genre fans who love films from this period, it is a weird, wacky, and thoroughly entertaining (if not well-made) film. 6/10.

Routinely panned though it might be, "Blood Beach" isn't a bad little thriller at all. Something of a hybrid of "Day of the Triffids" meets "Jaws", Huffman plays the lifeguard of a popular beach-front community where strange disappearances have the locals worried. The mother (Medin) of his estranged wife (Hill, in one of her last movies to date) embarks on a regular morning walk along the beach, never to return. Pretty soon, his girlfriend (Pousette) and other random victims have disappeared. With each disappearance, the plot thickens and without a suspect or motive, nonchalant detectives (Burt Young and Otis Young, no relation) continue to run into investigative cul-de-sacs. Does the strange bag lady residing at the disused amusement park know the identity and whereabouts of the killer? Huffman seems to be the only one capable of locating the clues to this baffling mystery.

Tense, humorous and well paced little suspense thriller includes a strong cast of veterans and some sharp, witty dialogue. Burt Young's character is a great detective parody and Saxon, who appears toward the latter part of the film, plays a character not unlike that in "Black Christmas". High body count and a genuinely unsettling mood builds hysteria and the suspense is palpable when the police cordon off a section of beach-front with assistance from biological scientist (Gierasch) who believes he's detected a foreign presence. The climax that ensues is a cracker and the post script that runs into the end credits is both fitting, yet unexpected.

Short, sharp with a great cast and some genuine thrills, and, chronically underrated.

This was quite entertaining for a B-grade film (and I'm aware it has a cult following). It was a little drawn out at times but if you can override that hindsight it's a neat little film. At least the premise was different for a change; - a Californian beach has an uninvited guest that dwells beneath the sand and devours it's victims by sucking them under. With people disappearing one by one, and the body count ever growing - the police are desperate to solve the case. Finally the showdown comes when they locate the creature's lair….which gives rise to a possible sequel (though I don't think they made one). There were a few well known actors in the cast; Marianna Hill and David Huffman have both done a lot of TV work, sadly though Huffman was murdered in 1985, Burt Young (Rocky & sequels) and John Saxon (numerous TV roles and feature films).

Just when they thought it was safe to go back in the water, they can't get to it as people sink into the sand without a trace at a beach in southern California, and the police can't get a clue. Who or what is responsible for these disappearances? A decent cast fails to save this low-grade "Jaws" spoof that's slow, boring and un-scary. The appearance of the sand creature is almost laughable. Skip it. My evaluation: * out of ****.

this move is excellent as it build tension slowly and the at the end we witness a truly horrific creature. while watching this movie i enjoyed the fact that the creatures appearance is left to the imagination . when i did finally see the creature and its the best scene in the film as it roars and shrieks its disgust and anger at the humans who have found its resting place under the dark piers .the opening music score is very menacing as u hear the creatures shrieks in the back .As i watched it screaming at the humans watching it i felt very sad for the victims being chewed by this horrible creature , its screams sound like a thousand trucks screeching . this film reminds me of another film called q the winged serpent . again the police either don,t care or don,t pay attention to the huge creature flying around killing people .its a shame this classic film has not been released on d.v.d in the u.k , i for one would buy it

Believe it or not, Blood Beach actually surpassed my expectations. Of course, I didn't go into the film expecting a masterpiece; but I decided if it was half as fun as the other beach related John Saxon film that I've seen (Umberto's Lenzi's Nightmare Beach), then I'd be happy. Despite being a schlocky eighties mess of a movie, Blood Beach is a lot of fun to watch and the idea of monsters living underneath the sand of a local tourist beach is fairly original. The film takes more than its fair share of influence from the classic film Jaws, and I was actually surprised that it wasn't produced in Italy - given how adept the Italians are at making Jaws rip-offs. As mentioned, the plot focuses on a tourist beach, except this time the danger isn't in the water but in the sand. After several people disappear into the sand, it is up to the local law enforcement to keep people off the beach. There's also a rather superfluous sub-plot about a couple of long-lost lovers bumping into each other and rekindling their relationship...but you've got to expect a bit of filler with a plot this thin!

The film's main asset is undoubtedly the fact that it features a performance from prolific cult actor John Saxon. Unfortunately, Saxon isn't the star of the show, but he makes his presence felt in every scene he's in. The main roles go to David Huffman and Marianna Hill, and while neither impresses; their performances at least fit with the film. The main reason why this film fails as a 'good' horror film is down to the plotting - it's never really all that interesting, and it seems obvious that writer-director Jeffrey Bloom knows this as he continually throws in yet another sand death scene every time things are getting boring. Unlike a lot of eighties horror; this one is practically bloodless, and while I'm not a big fan of that fan of that fact; I have to respect the film somewhat for not throwing in a bucket of gore, which wouldn't have fit with the tone and theme of the movie. The ending doesn't really resolve much, and while the conclusion is typical of this sort of film; it does at least work fairly well. Overall, Blood Beach is hardly a must see film - but it's certainly worth seeing if you manage to get your hands on a copy.

How's this for a novel premise: a foul, carnivorous, subterranean monster whose exact origin is never properly disclosed feasts upon sundry teenagers, pretty young honeys, cops, bums and little old ladies who are all unfortunate enough to be treading on the beach when the sucker is on the prowl, thereby puzzling the local clueless and ineffectual authorities and whipping up a heretofore sleepy California coastal community into a frenzied tizzy. Boy, does that ever sound fairly similar to "Jaws," now doesn't it?

Although the threadbare story ain't much, this surprisingly fun cheapo fright flick somehow manages to be quite entertaining. Veteran B-movie flatfoot John ("Black Christmas," "Welcome to Spring Break") Saxon as the dour, irascible police chief who's disgusted with the whole bloody mess and the ever-coarse Burt Young (Paulie in the "Rocky" films) as the boorish, jocund homicide detective investigating the baffling murders both delightfully grouch it up while longtime favorite unsung character actor Stefan ("Blue Sunshine," "Spellbinder") Gierasch gleefully commits thespic grand larceny as a pompous, pipe-smoking coroner with a ludicrously protracted drawl (Gierasch talks as if he graduated with top honors from the William Shatner Academy of Studiously Affected and Mannered Overdone Hammy Elocution). Despite several glaring flaws -- writer/director Jeffrey Bloom's hopelessly all-thumbs cinematic technique, sometimes excruciatingly sluggish pacing, drab performances by David Huffman and Marianna ("The Baby," "Messiah of Evil") Hill as a pair of middle-aged seaside lovers who make a belated attempt at rekindling their extinguished relationship, Gill ("A Cold Night's Death," "The Ultimate Warrior") Melle's rather inappropriate, but still funky moody jazz score, Steve ("Dead and Buried," "Donnie Darko") Poster's peculiarly fuzzy photography, and the lamest, phoniest, most pitifully unscary beast this side of the killer walking carpet in "The Creeping Terror" -- "Blood Beach" nonetheless still rates as a weirdly winning low-rent creature feature, mainly because a certain sweetly misguided, but very palpable and thus engaging enthusiasm permeates every single fabulously fumbling frame. It's this unusual synthesis of earnestness and ineptitude which ultimately makes this baby so endearing. And any picture which boasts a scene where a nasty would-be rapist gets gruesomely castrated by the rampaging monster will always get my vote.

Great b-movie with a good cast and typical jaws scenario. i saw it years ago on uk sat tv and stumbled about it on a cable channel this evening. if you like the classic killerfish story, then watch this - also, or because the monster is not in the water! the mood in this movie is, as you know it from A movies water & beach flicks. recommend it to everyone who, like myself enjoys such films.

Sure, Jaws was frightening. But now, "just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water...you can't get to it!" A woman walks her dog along the beach before she is pulled under the sand by an unseen creature. Her screams alert Harry Caluder, a harbor patrol office who is swimming in the ocean. He reports her disappearance to LAPD detectives Royko (Burt Young, Amityville II: The Possession) and Pianadosi, who can do nothing without a body.

The woman's estranged daughter, Catherine (Marianna Hill, Messiah of Evil) calls Henry about her mother. Even after she finds a dog with a severed head, no one can figure out what has happened. The cops believe that a serial killer is at large, but much like the aforementioned Jaws, the powers that be want them to keep a lid on it after the media starts using the term "Blood Beach."

Aftar another attack on a teenage girl, Captain Pearson (John Saxon, making every movie better just by his presense) begins digging up the beach to discover the killer.

Meanwhile, Hoagy (no, not Michael Caine, but a co-worker of Henry) is closing the harbor patrol when a man attacks his girlfriend. She knocks the rapist to the ground and the creature castrates the man. And then the beach devours Marie, the French stewardess who lives with Henry, leaving only her hat and an eyeball.

Oh yeah -- Harry and Catherine used to be lovers and now try to reconcile.

Finally, someone survives an attack, a man who was using a metal detector on the beach. However, he's in shock and unable to explain what happened. And when Hoagy tries to warn Mrs. Selden, who has watched the murders throughout the film, he's pulled under while she simply looks on.

Catherine decides to investigate the access tunnel to the beach where they found the survivor. She discovers the remains of every victim as Captain Pearson installs motion detectors, cameras and explosives all over the beach. Soon, a giant worm emerges and the cops blow it up real good.

That said -- Dr. Dimitrios believes that because its a worm, it can regenerate. With small sinkholes showing up all over the beach, he just might be right.

Blood Beach does what we expect from Jaws but inverts the danger. There's some fine character work by Burt Ward, Marianna Hill is as lovely as ever and there are plenty of monster attacks to keep everyone in suspense. It's not the finest in horror, but it'll do once a few beers have started to work themselves into your brain.

I have a bit of a soft spot for this daft little B-movie because I saw it as a kid and the idea of the story really grabbed me and captured my young imagination. And now, while frankly as a movie it doesn't hold uptoo much for me at all, it is an amusing romp and I enjoy it in a harmless campy way and it makes for a very colourful and distinctive addition to the awesome creature feature movies of the time. It's very cute and has its good points, like the music score which helps to set a good sense of lurking menace and tension, and the concept of the hidden 'slayer in the sands' is very intriguing and keeps you hanging on, wondering what the creature really is, the idea of something monstrous hiding under a bright sunny beach that can swallow people alive unexpectedly is creepy...but that is all about this flick has going for it, as it is an extremely low-quality picture all around. You don't get to see the monster until the final half-minute or so, and what you do see is a big 'ol letdown and an incredibly weak climax after an admirable buildup. This movie has an awesome horror concept that's let down by a clearly low budget, poor acting, a washed-out picture, weird camera angles, the sound is really sh*tty, the story is full of holes both plot and monster-related, but the main thing that's wrong with it is that it is boring as hell! It plays out like a bad TV movie and there's no real flow to it at all, it's just one scene after another of dull police investigating, the idiotic main guy and his ex-wife reconciling their love while saxophones play, he was seriously one of the weakest male leads I've ever seen, and of course the poor saps getting sucked into the sand! They approach this silly story about a huge monster flytrap sea cucumber that's eating up sunbathers so seriously, and it could've been a lot more fun and entertaining than it is. There's some sh*t that goes on in it that would have played a lot better if the actors had tried to act it a little more schlocky, but all of the actors are so dry and dead serious that it mostly just doesn't work very well and isn't very interesting to watch.. There's this one scene where a lady describes in great detail to Burt Young what her husband was wearing at the time of his disappearance that's almost unbelievable! That scene is some hilariously sloppy writing. It does seem like the director was going for something like a Larry Cohen type of a vibe but didn't quite have the talent or money to pull it off. Cohen would have been able to gear this beach turkey into a classic. A lot of the more endearing cheaply-done horror flicks have the benefit of likeable and interesting characters to balance out the monster stuff, this film does not. They really should have done it as more of a comedy with John Saxon and Burt Young as the leads instead of just having them as minor characters. One character I do enjoy is the old quack who correctly predicts the disaster that will follow should the creature be blown to bits, as you see in the effectively eerie closing sequence where one sea flytrap has indeed become too many to handle all thanks to Burt Young being an impulsive dumbass! The monster that you do briefly see doesn't quite add up with the events of the movie and it made me wonder if at different points in the production they has planned to have it turn out to be something completely different, because there's no way that the ridiculous overgrown flower thing with no appendages or obvious intelligence whatsoever would be capable of tieing up human bodies and heads with rope or do anything as meticulous as rip out a guy's tongue, a girl's eyes, or indeed bite off a would-be-rapist's dick! It's horrible to begin with but it really falls apart with that half-assed monster reveal, the ending is the real low blow! It's not a film that I hate at all, I'm not angry whilst watching it, I'm just...disappointed because it's a waste of a good concept that could have been done much better. It's craaaap!! But I think my enjoyment of it might be on a so-bad-it's-good level! Beautifully terrible. X