Moviestopped: Night Tide (1961)

Who hasn't been in this situation?  Today's Film is Night Tide, a 1961 Film that has apparently been restored AFTER my Copy was made.  Oops.  In any event, the Story involves a Navy guy meeting a mysterious woman at the Pier and falling for her.  After being kind of creepy (not helped by the fact that he's Dennis Hopper), they fall in love.  However, some weird reveal about the woman may put a damper on the whole thing.  So yes, this is young Dennis Hopper.  Oddly, he's playing the whole thing pretty sedate and subtle.  This must be before all of the drugs that he freely admitted to taking throughout the 60s and 70s.  This one is apparently a pretty rare one, but is it a good one?  To find out, read on...

Hopper here is on Shore Leave from the Navy, so he naturally goes to the Pier to leer.

He finds this lady and constantly makes moves towards her, despite constant rejection.

Naturally, this leads to romance!  When did we invent Anti-Stalking Laws?

It is now time to exposition dump, although they at least make it semi-conversational.

A Cop shows up conveniently to set up the reveal that our Heroine has two missing boyfriend that they think she killed.

Hopper follows this mysterious lady, but it doesn't get resolved.  Since this is 'Arty,' it is not a waste of time...

He finally learns from the guy who runs the Mermaid Show that our Heroine is a part of that she's a Mermaid...for real.  That's heavy man!

In spite of his best efforts, he can't stop her from leaving as the Full Moon approaches to join her friends...

...only for it to (possibly) turn out that she was just CONVINCED that she was on by the old guy.  Either way, she's dead.

In the aftermath, he takes all of the blame for the murders so Hopper is free.  There are unanswered questions still, but...The End.

It is good, but kind of vague.  To be fair, that's what it is going for.  The Film comes on the same Disc with Carnival of Souls, so that should tell you alot.  For those who are keeping track, this Disc means that I now own FIVE copies of Souls!  I'm sure that somebody has me beat, but not many.  In any event. Night Tide has that weird, dreamy thing going for it that mostly works.  If you don't think of this as part of Monsterfest (like the DVD says), it is alot more forgivable.  There are glimpses of something more overt in the Film, but only to tease you.  This Film is more about Hopper and the lady interacting, which does warm on you.  Hopper is super-creepy at first, but tones it down as the Film goes on.  Is anything weird that happens in the Film real?  Was the old man lying?  That's up to you to decide, which is something that definitely isn't done too often these days.  There is a difference between being intentionally-vague and being mysterious.  If you can connect with the Film, you'll probably appreciate it.  As for me, I'll be more interested in who gave the name Chaino to a Black Bongo Player!

Next up, a pair of Films conveniently on one Disc.  Do I go with Carradine or Scheider?  Stay tuned...