I have been obsessed with this movie for quite some time. It's setting in Venice Beach and the Santa Monica Pier in the early 1960's, captures an eerie, desolate, seediness that is disappearing faster than mold in the sunlight as our urban landscape becomes more homogeneous and bland. I love so many details of this movie such as the jazz combo in the Blue Grotto, the name "Blue Grotto", the carousel, the apartment over the carousel looking out over the water, the tacky carnival atmosphere, the beatnik bongo players on the beach, the mysterious incredible Cameron as the sea witch in flowing black veils, the strange, haunting score, Captian Murdock's home filled with oddities from his travels, the gloomy lighting and crumbling buildings with beautiful baroque detailing and a low, howling wind whistling though the canals. It all melds together in to a gem of a movie that I never get tired of watching. As for the acting, I found Dennis Hopper to be quite convincing and appealing as a nice lonely boy, so refreshingly different from his later roles. The result is a movie that is mysterious, haunting and beautiful which captures the sublime essence of a magical dream falling into decay.
Review of Night Tide
