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Island of Terror
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray B - United Kingdom - 88 Films Review written by and copyright: Eric Cotenas (26th August 2024). |
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The Film
 Peter's Island off the northern coast of Ireland has been virtually forgotten by the mainland with promises of telephone service long unfulfilled, only one postage and supply boat a week, and the entire island's power supply taxed by the private experiments of top researcher and resident hermit Dr. Phillips (Scream ... and Die!'s Peter Forbes-Robertson). When Constable Harris (Hound of the Baskervilles' Sam Kydd) discovers the corpse of resident Ian Bellows (Liam Gaffney) seemingly lacking all of its bones "like jelly," island physician Dr. Landers (The Mummy's Eddie Byrne) takes the emergency launch and heads to London to consult pathologist Dr. Brian Stanley (Horror Express' Peter Cushing) who in turn consults top bone specialist Dr. David West (First Men in the Moon's Edward Judd) whose latest fling Toni Merill (Curse of the Fly's Carole Gray) offers the use of her father's helicopter so long as she gets to tag along. Attempting to utilize the superior laboratory resources of Dr. Phillips to determine why kind of alien enzyme attacks calcium phosphate – the building blocks of bones – they discover that more boneless corpses and surmise that the deaths are the result of an experiment to create a living organism that attacks cancer cells. Following the trail of human and animal deaths, they discover that the creatures reproduce by cellular division periodically and may soon overwhelm the entire island in a matter of hours. A companion piece to production company Planet Productions' The Night of the Big Heat also helmed by Terence Fisher (Horror of Dracula), Island of Terror plays despite some grisly corpses and a bloody amputation – none of that compares to the truly disgusting site of the cellular division in which the creatures seem to excrete condensed chicken noodle soup – a bit like a more restrained Fiend Without a Face but is the livelier and wittier of the films, possibly because it gives Cushing more to do than sit at the bar. Besides the reuse of some sets and soundstage exteriors, the film's other parallels include an improbable playboy hero, a scream queen with an even flimsier reason to be there, and an island setting under siege that seems empty except for the protagonists and well-populated when necessary with island head Roger Campbell (Night of the Demon's Niall MacGinnis) and some local farmers and business owners seemingly set to complicate matters when out of the loop with the strangers who have arrived on the island but then just corralling the extras for the climactic attack on the village hall. The film's final siege echoes The Night of the Big Heat with a bit more tension as David has to make a decision about sparing his love interest the horror of facing the creatures, but then provides a nice surprise ending that could have resulted in a larger-scale sequel had this British production had some Japanese financing. 
Video
Released in the U.K. by Planet Film Distributors and in the United States by Universal Pictures, Island of Terror has been the most accessible of the Planet productions with three British pre-cert tape releases and subsequent PG-certificate editions as well as a stateside tape from MCA/Universal in the nineties when the studio was finally exploiting catalog horror titles beyond the Golden Age titles. While the film had not DVD release stateside – not even as part of Universal's MOD line – it had been available on the format in the U.K. with a 2004 edition from DD Video featuring a 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer of the U.K. version lacking a graphic view of the axe amputation followed by a 2014 DVD from Odeon uncut and in the correct 1.66:1 aspect ratio along with a concurrent Blu-ray while the states finally had their own Blu-ray in 2007 on Shout! Factory's Scream Factory line. 88 Films' 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.66:1 widescreen Blu-ray comes from the same master, and for the most part it looks superior to the licensor's master of The Night of the Big Heat apart from some fading at the right edge of the frame throughout the first half of the film which is most evident in darker scenes. Opticals look a bit coarser but not on the level of the other film, and the higher resolution of the HD master quaintly reveals the textural differences between location shots and sound stage exteriors, while the chilly atmosphere is almost tactile here in the pallor of the performers and the weaves of their heavy clothing. 
Audio
The LPCM 2.0 mono track sports clear dialogue throughout while the sound design is shot through with grisly sucking and crunching effects as well as smashing glass, gunfire, and explosions, and the scoring of Malcolm Lockyer (Five Golden Dragons) is also more lively than his accompaniment for The Night of the Big Heat. Optional English HoH subtitles are included. 
Extras
While 88 Films has not carried over some of the existing commentary tracks for other Euro London/Screenbound titles, Island of Terror had not previous commentary so the audio commentary by film historian David Flint may make this disc worth an upgrade. Flint discusses the film's strengths and weaknesses – notably the clunky exposition including an opening setup sequence that lacks much tension – as well as noting that although director Fisher had been pegged as a horror director, he directed more science fiction in the period after he had fallen out with Hammer. He also discusses Judd's career and how the would-be star also became associated with the science fiction genre and how his evident disdain for the material was suited to the disposition of the character in this case while also noting the interesting supporting cast, from Cushing – noting that the consummate professional actor could ham it up when he felt films were geared towards children like his turns as Doctor Who – scream queen Grey, as well as Byrne and Kydd whose genre credits are less acknowledged within their prolific filmographies. The disc also includes a stills gallery and the theatrical trailer (2:55). 
Packaging
The disc comes with a reversible sleeve featuring new artwork by Sean Longmore & original poster, while the first pressing includes a double-walled reverse-board gloss O-ring slipcover and a booklet featuring "Beware the Silicates on the Island of Terror!" by Barry Forshaw (not supplied for review). 
Overall
A companion piece to Planet Film Productions' The Night of the Big Heat, Island of Terror is the livelier, grislier, and wittier effort.
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