I saw more movies in theaters during the 1970s then in any other period of my life. This 1977 remake of the 1932 ISLAND OF LOST SOULS (restoring H.G. Wells’ title) was one of the few films that I saw in a cinema on multiple occasions. I was able to talk several of my friends into seeing it and then would watch it again with them. It’s not my favorite film of all time and it certainly isn’t the greatest movie ever made but it was one of the most satisfying movie experiences at the time I saw it.
A shipwrecked sailor (Michael York) discovers that the island he’s stranded on is populated by a number of strange creatures, an exotic young woman (Barbara Carrera) and an enigmatic doctor (Burt Lancaster) who spends most of his time in his laboratory working on secret experiments. He is aided by an alcoholic assistant (Nigel Davenport) who cracks jokes and delights in not telling what he knows. Eventually York discovers what Lancaster is up to and winds up being experimented on himself.
While not denying the superiority of the 1932 version especially when it comes to style, I have always found it to be enjoying its sadistic elements too much. This version replaces actual surgery with DNA manipulation through injection which is chillingly plausible even more so today than it was back in 1977. This version also has better dialogue and much better acting all around. While Richard Basehart is no Bela Lugosi in terms of presence, he is a more sympathetic and pitiable Sayer of the Law.
The film was shot on location in the Virgin Islands by British cinematographer Gerry Fisher. The sequences of Moreau’s “humanimals” in the wild have the feel of a program on Animal Planet. Moreau’s compound was built for the movie so that it could be destroyed at the end. Speaking of the finale, the last shot of Barbara Carrera reverting back to her true origins was scrapped for a happy ending. This Blu-Ray contains the original deleted shot (later added for TV showings) as a Bonus Feature only. Too bad.
While the Blu-Ray release is certainly an upgrade over the old MGM Midnite Movies DVD, it isn’t the difference between night and day that one reviewer claimed. For those without a Blu-Ray player, the original release will more than suffice. Like me you may find yourself watching it more than once. A note to animal lovers…despite the stunts shown, no animals were harmed in the making of the film. Final note…great score by composer Laurence Rosenthal.
The Capsule Critic 