Los Angeles beach has something monstrous living within and it's up to the police(led by John Saxon, as Captain Pearson)to find out what it is. Burt Young is a slovenly, ill-mannered cop, Sergeant Royko(from Chicago, going on and on about how that city does things better than LA) who voices his opinion much to the chagrin of others around him(particularly his contemporaries), not the kind to be apologetic regarding his feelings even if they are more than a bit acidic(and bluntly honest). Otis Young's Lieutenant Piantadosi is often scoffing at Royko's opinions, and shows how the demands of the job take their toll. The LA police are weary and tired, feeling helpless as people continue to vanish(one victim does appear, pulling himself from a man hole)and seemingly unable to stop the creature from sucking down beachcombers. The question..where does the creature go with it's victims? It has to live somewhere. A condemned building's basement might just be the place where it frequents and disposes of it's bodies after each meal. Saxon, as the demanding police Captain, wanting answers, is fun, but the sub-plot involving Harbour Patrol officer Harry Caulder(David Huffman)and visiting San Francisco artist Catherine Hutton(Marianna Hill; HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER) is rather developed and abandoned about midway through, not to mention the monster is laughable and about as scary as Big Bird. BLOOD BEACH is one of those movies I actually consider worthy of a remake..I can just see victims being pulled into the sand, bodies breaking, and all that blood gushing like a geyser. As the 1980 film stands, it's a tame, tame, tame lil movie that has one really notably disturbing scene where a woman narrowly escapes a rapist when his crotch is attacked by the beach monster. This film has the "grand" reveal scene where Hill walks into the basement discovering all the dead bodies as they pop out of their hiding places. Harry and Catherine once had a relationship before she left for San Fran, their sparks reigniting upon her return to find out what happened to her relative, one of the monster's first victims. Lena Pousette is Marie, a stewardess lover of Harry's who chases after her hat which was caught in the wind as it moves across the beach..a big no-no.
"Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water, you can't get to it."
"Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water, you can't get to it."