Neither the Sea Nor the Sand: Tigon Collection – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: UK, 1972
Director: Fred Burnley
Writers: Gordon Honeycombe, Rosemary Davies
Cast: Susan Hampshire, Frank Finlay, Michael Petrovitch, Michael Craze, Jack Lambert, Betty Duncan, David Garth, Anthony Booth, Marcia Fox

Release Date: August 4th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 95 Minutes 50 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £17.00 (UK)

"When troubled Anna (Susan Hampshire) comes to Jersey in an attempt to bring some meaning to her life, she finds herself falling in love with a man called Hugh, much to his brother’s repugnance. The pair flee to Scotland but when Hugh suddenly dies, Anna is left distraught. However, things get more complicated when Hugh appears to return from the grave..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation in original 1.85:1 aspect ratio."

Neither the Sea Nor the Sand comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.5 GB

Feature: 26.1 GB

Though there are some very minor instances of debris and a noticeable source blemish around the 82-minute mark that lasts for a few seconds, the bulk of the source looks excellent. Flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity and compression are solid, black levels are strong, and the image looks organic.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one option, a LPCM mono mix in English with removable English SDH. The audio is in great shape; it's clean, free of any distortion or hiss, dialogue comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery with music from the film playing in the background (16 images—stills/posters/home video art), an interview with actress Susan Hampshire titled Both the Sea and the Sand (8 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with editor Norman Wanstall titled Jersey Journey (11 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with standby propertyman Brian Lofthouse titled Where Credit is Due (7 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with author Stephen Thrower titled Slight Return (34 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with John Hamilton and Jasper Sharp, an audio commentary with Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw, reversible cover art, a glossy O-ring (limited to the first pressing), and a 20-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with an essay titled Love Beyond Death: Neither the Sea Nor the Sand written by Barry Forshaw and an essay titled Neither the Sea Nor the Sand written by Andrew Graves.

Summary:

Unsure if she still loves her husband, a woman goes on a vacation to clear her mind of her troubled marriage. While on vacation she meets and falls in love with a young man who works as a lighthouse keeper. They quickly forge an inseparable bond. Her newfound happiness is short-lived when he suddenly dies under mysterious circumstances. Her grieving of her lost lover is short-lived when his corpse shows up the next morning.

Neither the Sea Nor the Sand is one of the more unusual love story/horror hybrids that I have had the pleasure to come across. From its opening moments when the two lovers at the core of this story meet until its haunting coda, this film firmly establishes its objectives. The phrase “Till Death Do Us Part,” from the wedding ceremony in the Book of Common Prayer, is the easiest way to sum up the plot.

To say that the opening setup is pedestrian would not be an understatement; this section is dialogue-heavy moments getting to know the two main characters. Around the 35-minute mark, the tone shifts dramatically, coinciding with one of the characters having a transformation. That said, the opening setup, which is firmly entrenched in melodrama, tends to drag, while things pick up considerably when supernatural elements come to the forefront.

There are really only two of note: Susan Hampshire (Malpertuis), who portrays Anna Robinson, a woman in an unhappy marriage, and Michael Petrovitch (Turkey Shoot) in the role of George Dabernon, the man Anna falls in love with. Of these two performances Susan Hampshire does all of the heavy lifting; it is her character's words and emotions that drive the narrative.

The most surprising aspect of Neither the Sea Nor the Sand is the visuals, which are overflowing with atmosphere, and they take full advantage of the scenic seaside landscapes. Neither the Sea Nor the Sand was directed by Fred Burnley, who began his career as an editor before making the shift into directing. His direction is solid; it is a shame that Neither the Sea Nor the Sand was the only feature film he directed. Three years later he would die tragically at the age of 42.

Neither the Sea Nor the Sand's most glaring shortcoming is its languid pacing, while its greatest strength is its fresh take on familiar genre elements. That said, just how much one will enjoy Neither the Sea Nor the Sand depends solely on those who don’t give up on it because of the aforementioned opening setup. Ultimately, despite its shortcomings, Neither the Sea Nor the Sand's positives outweigh any of its negatives.

Neither the Sea Nor the Sand gets a solid release from 88 Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and informative extras; recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer