Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!

SanEat A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

Cooktopi The acting in this movie is really good.

Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

arfdawg-1 The Plot. On leave in a shore side town, Johnny becomes interested in a young dark haired woman. They meet and he learns that she plays a mermaid in the local carnival. After strange occurrences, Johnny begins to believe that she may actually be a real mermaid that habitually kills during the cycle of the full moon. First off, I've never been a big fan of Hopper. I think he's an overrated actor who is rather whinny. And I think this is one of his worst roles.Next, this is a very cheaply done movie. The subject matter is sort of interesting but it's directed like Carnival of Souls without the chutzpah.It's an OK period piece, documenting the change in the way movies would be made, but you are sure to get bored before the end comes. Because this is a Roger Corman production, I think it gets a lot more hype than it deserves.

Red-Barracuda This is a real unheralded minor gem. It has a similar tone and atmosphere to Carnival of Souls (1962) yet is much less well known than that cult classic. Both films stories are based around carnivals, in Carnival of Souls it was an abandoned one whereas Night Tide is set in an off-season seaside resort. The melancholic, lonely ambiance given off by this setting is one of the chief strengths of the film. A sailor falls in love with a carnival girl who believes herself to be a mermaid, an underwater race who kill by the full moon. She says she has been responsible for the deaths of her previous two lovers.In keeping with the haunting and dreamy atmosphere, the mermaid is portrayed as a doomed creature who takes no joy in her situation. The film displays the influence of the Val Lewton/Jacques Tourneur films of the 40's and 50's in the way that it presents its chilling story in a highly subtle, sophisticated manner. I was especially brought to mind of Cat People (1942) with is cursed central female character. It also shares another detail from that film, with its mysterious woman in the periphery of events who interacts occasionally and appears to also be one of the mythical race. This latter aspect is very well integrated into the story and adds a nice bit of ambiguity to events. The haunting jazz score also perfectly captures the right ambiance of the events. Lastly, there is Dennis Hopper who has one of his early starring roles here, unusually he plays a gentle soul and he does it very convincingly; although, in fairness, the cast in general all put in fine performances. This low budget flick is one that remains very emotive and interesting. It takes a less obvious approach to its material and this pays off with a haunting, tragic tale that makes quite an impact.

lifesoboring As another reviewer stated, one of the great things here is the locations, the apartments, merry-go-round, club, pier; the film would not be the same if filmed elsewhere. The fortune teller, merry-go- round operator and mermaid girl and her ex-seafaring surrogate father are out-of-the-mainstream people who make the off- beatness of the film. Hopper himself seems an unusual character for a young U.S. Navy guy--'cause he's poking around in this rather strange environnment and is open to meeting these unusual people. He wanders into a basement jazz club at the beginning (by himself, not with a navy buddy) sees the intriuging mermaid girl and after a persisitent effort befriends her and she agrees to meet him next day--at her apartment over the merry-go-round place where she makes him breakfast! (fresh mackrel). Hopper is fantastic. Soft-spoken, bright, very natural, kind of innocent yet mature. He is someone who is open to new experiences. He speaks his mind in a very human way, and his responses to whatever is happening are all intelligent. He comes off as very mellow, friendly and likable. His girlfriend is good-looking, with nice eyes, originally from an island in Greece, she's interesting and very natural in her speech as well. Hearing the dialog between them is very sweet.I love her dancing in the nighttime beach party scene. In parts there is an ominous air of mystery which is important to the overall mood (Having to do with the "Sea People" legend and the possible murders of the mermaid girl's previous two boyfriends). The girl is almost like a supernatural being. I'd say that it's a nice love story,rather than it being about loneliness as other reviewers say. Yes, Night Tide is a gem that I was glad to have found.

mcannady1 Spoiler near the end -NIGHT TIDE is an intriguing film that seems to contain various subplots. The compelling ending is difficult to perceive, but a certain clue may point to a resolution of the tale.Johnny Drake,(HOPPER) a sailor on leave, falls for a lovely girl (MORA) (LAWSON) who works on the Santa Monica pier in a side-show attraction as a mermaid in a tank that appears to be filled with water.Not long after Johnny meets Mora, a strange woman speaks to her angrily in a foreign language, and Mora flees from her in terror. He tries to find out who the woman is and why she is harassing Mora, but the girl claims not to know her.Johnny walks Mora home to her apartment and finds she is reluctant when he tries to befriend her. However, she does invite him to breakfast for the following morning in her apartment which is located over a quaint old carousel.The following morning on his way to meet Mora for breakfast, Johnny becomes acquainted with the carousel owner and his friendly daughter (Ellen) (ANDERS), who soon warn him of the danger of being too friendly with Mora. It seems that two young men she had befriended were found dead. A friendly nearby fortune-teller defends Mora, saying that the case was never solved and the killer was never found.Johnny and Mora fall in love, but she warns him that she is concerned for his safety. She is obsessed with the sea and says she is one of the sea people. She appears to be conflicted about her innocence in the murders of the two young men. Though Johnny tells her the sea people are only a myth, Mora greatly fears them and now admits that the strange woman who approached her on the night they met is one of the sea people warning her that she must join them soon.Johnny meets Mora's stepfather Captain Murdoch, who also warns him about Mora. He invites Johnny to his home which contains some intriguing and frightening sea-faring curios. He had adopted the four year old orphan whom he discovered on a Greek island in his travels and did not know she would grow up to become a monster. He does not want Johnny to be the next victim.Despite the warnings, Johnny goes diving with Mora and is astounded and greatly dismayed when she tries to drown him. After a dangerous fight for his life, he waits for her in the boat but cannot find her.May contain Spoiler, but could be important in figuring out the end -Early the next morning Johnny heads for the side-show on the pier, intending to have it out with Mora. When he finds her dead in the tank, Captain Murdoch appears and starts shooting at him. He says Johnny is responsible and implies that she committed suicide as she does not know what to do about their relationship.Later Captain Murdoch claims to be the guilty party in the murders and admits to fabricating the yarn about the Sea People. His motive was a fear of one day losing the ward he had grown to love. He denies knowing the strange woman who harassed Mora, though Johnny spotted her near the captain's home just before arriving.. Turning the corner, Johnny finds she had disappeared all too quickly.Key Point - When Johnny approaches the mermaid concession, a distinct scream from Mora can be heard. However, it is simultaneously drowned out by the loud sounds emanating from a nearby ride that was just set in motion. I have not seen this clue in any of the other reviews and wonder if the end of the film can be explained that way.Night Tide is an interesting and compelling film which has you sympathizing with not only Mora and Johnny, but the pathetic Captain Murdoch, a literary old gentleman who is very lonely. Also, I am intrigued by the mysterious woman in black who threatens Mora. All in all, it is an intriguing film with some horrific undertones. The location on the pier is very realistic and charming (invoking a glimpse of its former appearance in the early 60's).