Night Tide

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No ordinary cult film, Night Tide covers a variety of different waterfronts. It's a film from the American underground, it's a horror movie, and it's an early example of independent cinema (before there was such a term). Shot in 1960, it's also a strangely haunting artifact of its time. Night Tide was written and directed by Curtis Harrington, a member of the experimental avant-garde of the '50s who went on to make the atmospheric shocker Games and many an episode of Dynasty. Mounted on the cheap, and shot on authentic locations in Santa Monica and crumbling Venice, California, Night Tide has a loose, lyrical quality not found outside Cassavetes and Godard films of the same era.

Dennis Hopper, whose youthful looks and Method style were still intact at this point, plays an innocent sailor at liberty in a coastal town; he falls for a girl who plays a mermaid at the sideshow. Or is she really a mermaid? Inspired by Val Lewton's horror classic Cat People, Harrington cooks up a supernatural stew with the suggestion that the willowy lass is one of the "Sea People," called back to her ocean home by a weird sea witch (played by a real-life occult celebrity called Cameron). Yet Night Tide only occasionally feels like a horror movie; with its naturalistic exteriors, bongos, and coffeehouse atmosphere, it's more a slice of poetic bohemia. Luana Anders, who should have had a major movie career but later became a B-movie leading lady, is wonderfully fresh as the good girl, and the music score by Hollywood pro David Raksin (Laura) is inventive and offbeat. Shown at the Venice Film Festival in 1961, the film did not secure a U.S. release until 1963, when its New-Wave-ish style probably looked less innovative. Seen today, Night Tide is both a lovely mood piece and a look back at a peculiar moment in American moviemaking, and either way a bit of low-cost enchantment. --Robert Horton

Description

A lonely sailor, Johnny Drake (Dennis Hopper), meets the beautiful, mysterious Mora (Linda Lawson) who performs as a mermaid on the Santa Monica Pier. After they become lovers, Johnny discovers that Mora's past two boyfriends inexplicably disappeared. As his suspicions grow, Mora's doomed and sinister past is slowly revealed. In his first leading role, Hopper is captivating as the naive and eager Johnny. Like Val Lewton's "The Cat People," Curtis Harrington's "Night Tide" is hypnotic and eerie, macabre and haunting.

Customer Reviews:

CLASSIC MERMAID MOVIE!!!.......2006-07-18

This is an odd movie, but a good one none-the-less!!
I recommend this movie to conisieurs of the obscure!
It is one of the best mermaid movies ever made!!
Directed By Curtis Harrington!
Odd and unique! Great Movie!!

Dennis Hopper falls for a sexy mermaid!.......2005-01-06

This underated cult classic is very entertaining, especially considering the fact it was made on a shoe-string budget. That just goes to show that you can make a great movie with little money! If you're considering buying this on dvd, then the Image Entertainment edition is the one you should get.

A very young Dennis Hopper stars as a sailor on leave in California who meets a beautiful young woman who works as a mermaid in the seafront carnival. He knows nothing about her but quickly falls for her (can't blame him for that!). Over time, however, he notices she's got a dark, mysterious side to her that she's hiding.

Hopper confronts the woman's guardian (a step-father, sort of) and tries to learn more, but he's told that she is a real mermaid who's already lured two former boyfriends to their deaths. Only too late does Hopper doscover the truth, but I won't give away the ending.

With memorable music by the legendary composer David Raksin and an independantly-filmed movie script that actually works, this is a movie that will entertain fans of suspenseful classics and especially fans of Dennis Hopper. The picture and sound quality of this dvd are surprisingly good for an independant movie this old. Highly recommended!

Something's happening here...........2004-12-04

A haunting, mysterious and magical movie. Marjorie Cameron adds an element of real life magic. Kenneth Anger also had done this when he used her in `The Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome (1954)'. Marjorie Easton also adds to the spell, and Dennis Hopper is wonderful. The carnival is the perfect background for a a plot about fantasy and reality. Filmed at the Santa Monica Pier, Venice and Ocean Park, California, where Anton LaVey played organ at strip joints in the late 1940's. The name Mora is found in many parts of the world as the death aspect of the `Triple Goddess', or Night Mare, or female vampire.

Beware the Siren's Song........2004-11-24

NIGHT TIDE stars a very young and quite handsome Dennis Hopper as Johnny Drake, a sailor on leave visiting a California beach somewhere not too far from Hollywood. The movie begins when a horny Johnny Drake enters the Blue Grotto looking for someone to share his mojo with. Unfortunately, most of the women in the jazz night club already have partners or don't even acknowledge Johnny's existence. Then, across the crowded room, Johnny catches the eye of a beautiful brunette sitting across the way. He approaches and though she pushes him off, the romantic sparks start to fly. He learns that her name is Mora. Then some strange woman shows up mumbling some wierd words to the girl. Whatever the old lady said makes the girl get up in a hurry. Johnny follows and catches up with her. The persistent little devil walks with her to her apartment and gets her to invite him to breakfast the next day. The relationship begins. Things don't get very far before Johnny learns from the people who run the carousel below Mora's apartment that her last two boyfriends disappeared and have never been seen. Mora also works as a mermaid at the local side show run by her former guardian. The job pays pretty well, but Mora actually believes that she is a mermaid allowed to live on land and that when the moon gets full the sea beckons her back home. By this time Johnny is madly in love with the girl and doesn't know what to do. A full moon is approaching and Mora acts more strange all the time. A fateful diving expedition ends up revealing the truth.

NIGHT TIDE was filmed on a budget of less than $76,000. It was the film that gave Dennis Hopper his first major break. The title of the movie is based upon a poem by Edgar Allen Poe and the film has gained a cult following over the years. The movie reminded me of watching an episode from ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS. With a mood such as that, it's easy to understand the cult following. Nevertheless, though I was impressed at how well the film was made on such a small budget, I found the picture to just be an average movie. Nothing more and nothing less.

Essential viewing for cult movie fans.......2003-09-01

I adore this little film . It was obviously made on a shoe string but it offers more entertainment value than many big budget blockbusters. All the players do a grand job and they've all got interesting characters to work with . The two standouts for me , however , are the woman who plays the fortune teller (haven't got her name on me right now) and Gavin Muir as Captain Samuel Murdock. The fact that much of the action takes place at the Santa Monica pier amusement park adds to the film's surrealistic air of fantasy. If you're looking for an excellent , low budget early 60's movie that's really well crafted stick this one in your trolley and proceed straight to the check out. If you like "Carnival of Souls" you'll like "Night Tide". It certainy goes into my basket of "Desert Island" videos. Essential viewing for cult movie fans.

Average customer rating:

A suggestion for those responsible for this bomb
Fish Tale...
Dennis Hopper meets a mysterious woman with long black hair.
Noir Tide

Night Tide
Starring: Thomas P. Dillon , Marjorie Eaton , Linda Lawson , Gavin Muir , and Ben Roseman
Director: Curtis Harrington
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000087F1L
Release Date: 2003-01-21

Customer Reviews:

A suggestion for those responsible for this bomb.......2007-04-25

If you are going to make a horror movie, here is an idea. How about a monster? Wouldn't that be something? Yes Dennis Hopper is in this and it is probably the only reason anyone would watch this. For those who like old horror movies with hoaky monsters, all you get out of this is a giant rubber octopus that comes in a dream.

Dennis Hopper is a sailer in the Navy spending some time on the Santa Monica boardwalk. He meets and pursues a beautiful woman named Mora. Turns out she works with her guardian in a boardwalk sideshow as a mermaid.

There is a lot in this movie that has nothing or little to do with the plot. If I wanted to see a lonely military service member spending time on leave doing nothing interesting at all, I would just videotape myself.

Dennis is warned that his life is in danger when the full moon arrives. Mora has already had two boyfriends die in mysterious drowning accidents. He pays no attention to his tarot card reading and decides to go scuba diving with Mora. This is where I get lost.

They dive together and Mora takes Dennis' knife and cuts his air hose. He makes it back to the service. Then he sits on the dingy for hours, Mora never comes back up. Then he spends the night by himself in a hotel.

OK, then he goes back to the boardwalk to see Mora as the mermaid. HE goes in to see her and SHE'S dead! How did this happen. Then her guardian the drunk old retired Royal Navy Captain pulls a gun on him.

At the police station the old man admits that Mora was just an ordinary girl and it was he himself that had been killing boyfriends. So the monster in this movie is an old drunk pervert.

I would not watch this again. There is enough pain in my life.

Fish Tale..........2005-08-25

Johnny Drake (Dennis Hopper) is a lonely sailor on liberty. He wanders the santa monica boardwalk, looking for entertainment. After stopping into the Blue Grotto lounge for a beer and some jazz, Johnny is instantly smitten by a beautiful girl named Mora (Linda Lawson), who is also sitting alone. A strange old woman comes in and speaks to Mora, causing her to leave in a hurry. Johnny follows her, drawn to her. This begins an odd relationship between the young sailor and the mysterious Mora. Soon, Johnny finds out that Mora is a mermaid in a sideshow. Her boss, captain Sam Murdock (Gavin Muir) tells Johnny an unbelievable story about Mora, a tale of ancient myths and their basis in facts. He tells Johnny that Mora is an actual siren! A mermaid! Murdock warns him that she could even be dangerous. Also, Johnny is told by a local gal named Ella (Luana "Dementia 13" Anders) that Mora's last two boyfriends met with untimely deaths! If that's not enough, a tarot-card reader (Marjorie Eaton) shows Johnny a perplexing future! Does Johnny heed any of these warnings / signs? Nah, he's in love! He stays with Mora to the end, and what an end it is! I like this movie. It keeps Mora's true identity / species a secret. I'm still not sure if she's human! Check it out...

Dennis Hopper meets a mysterious woman with long black hair........2003-10-01

This is one of those little-known films I watched during late night television in the 1980's. I was so intrigued, I never forgot it. Now I finally own the DVD copy of it. This film is interesting to watch and really has that weird 1960's feel to it. Set during the month of August. This film offers the most relaxed performance I've ever seen Dennis Hopper play in any film and he was the age of 24 at the time. This isn't your normal beach movie and it's in black & white. Dennis Hopper plays a sailor on shore leave. He roams around Santa Monica pier and comes across the Blue Grotto, a nice jazz place. There he meets a woman with long black hair, "Mora" (Linda Lawson). A mysterious old woman comes out and tells "Mora" she must leave quickly. John the sailor is so drawn to her that he follows her into the night on the beach. She lives in a apartment above the Merry Go-Round. The sailor asks her to see her again tomorrow for breakfast. A friendship begins. Mora's job is a pier attraction. She is the mermaid. But there is another side of Mora so mysterious that Johnny doesn't know. Memorable good scenes are those when Johnny follows the old women to Venice and who can forget Marjorie Eaton as the Fortune Teller. Also in the cast is Luana Anders, Tom Dillon and Gavin Muir.
Linda Lawson appeared in "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" tv series, episode: "I Can Take Care Of Myself", May 15, 1960.
Most recently, Linda Lawson appeared in the "ER" tv series, episode "You Are Here", May 5, 2005.
Some of the locations in this film can also be seen in The NBC Mystery Movie: Columbo--Make Me A Perfect Murder (1978-TV).

Noir Tide.......2003-08-04

This otherwise typical low-budgeter probably has its fans for two reasons. One, obviously, is the intriguing presence of young Dennis Hopper. The other--maybe not so obviously--is that the feature is a not-bad little noir, replete with brooding atmosphere, smokey chiaroscuro, and an everyman enthralled with an exotic, enigmatic woman. The movie's main problem is poor pacing, exacerbated by a tinny, monotonous score. There are also plot lapses that have nothing to do with the leading lady's origins. Though reminiscent of Cat People, the film merely flirts with horror, though it smacks enough of the supernatural to pose lingering, disquieting questions. Is she or isn't she--the ultimate femme fatale--a Siren....

Average customer rating:

Night Tide / Mad Dog Morgan
Starring: Dennis Hopper
Director: Multi
Manufacturer: Miracle Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Average customer rating:

Night Tide
Starring: Dennis Hopper; Linda Larson
Director: Curtis Harrington
Manufacturer: Miracle Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Product Description

On leave in a shore-side town, Johnny(Hopper) becomes interested in a young dark-haired woman. They meet and he learns that she plays a mermaid in a local carnival. After a few strange occurrences, Johnny begins to believe she may actually be a real mermaid that habitually kills during the cycle of the full moon.

Average customer rating:

Night Tide
Starring: Dennis Hopper
Manufacturer: Braun Media
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000GAKQGM
Release Date: 2006-02-14

{8 Movie Set} the Big Show / Springtime in the Rockies / the Wackiest Wagon Train in the West / Terror of Tiny Town / Night Tide / Mad Dog Morgan / Santa Fe Trail / This Is the Army

Average customer rating:

{8 Movie Set} the Big Show / Springtime in the Rockies / the Wackiest Wagon Train in the West / Terror of Tiny Town / Night Tide / Mad Dog Morgan / Santa Fe Trail / This Is the Army

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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SCENE SELECTION / INTERACTIVE MENUS

TALES OF HORROR: Little Shop of Horrors, Night Tide, The Terror, Slave of the Cannibal God

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TALES OF HORROR: Little Shop of Horrors, Night Tide, The Terror, Slave of the Cannibal God

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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4 MOVIES FOR THE PRICE OF 1
Little Shop of Horrors
Night Tide
The Terror
Slave of the Cannibal God

ASIN: B000RWJ5O8

Average customer rating:

Carnival of Souls/Night Tide
Starring: TV Guide Horror Classics
Manufacturer: Genius Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000A7DVT0
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Description

Carnival of Souls(1962, B & W, 83 MINs.)Starring Candace Hilligoss A creepy cult film about a woman who manages to survive a car accident. She runs away to Utah and becomes a church organist. She is then drawn to a ruined pavilion and is haunted by visions of thedancing dead — the eerie reasons eventually become clear. Night Tide(1961, B & W, 84 MINs.)Starring Dennis Hopper A suspenseful chiller about a sailor (Dennis Hopper) on leave in California who loves an orphan girlworking as a mermaid in a seafront sideshow. His love falters when she believes she is descended from sea creatures that must kill when the moon is full.

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