I saw this movie on television years ago when I was a kid under the title "The Island of Living Horror". It seemed as wacky then as it does now. Even then I realized how goofy the special effects were, but I definitely got into the cheap spirit of the whole thing. The bizarre aspect is that the whole movie seems like it was designed to spook young kids, and yet the film in its uncut form also contains some gratuitous nudity and gore.
The plot concerns a group of dummies who venture to "Blood Island", a place where nobody in their right mind would dare to visit. Surely the sailors who ferry our protagonists to Blood Island are aware that it's bad news, but they leave the fools there anyhow. We have a scientist, his nympho wife, a 'studly' adventurer, and some miscellaneous others who are aboard to be menaced, and boy are they ever. It seems some stray radiation from A-bomb testing has done strange things to the local flora and fauna. A butterfly bites someone on the hand. The trees have animated roots and make shrill vibrating sounds while trying to grab ahold of passersby...to what purpose I'm not sure, since they don't seem to have mouths with which to bite anybody. The most troublesome mutation on the island is the appearance of a lumbering, mouth-breathing, humanoid monster with a desire for human sacrifices of the young female type. Could this be the radioactive alter-ego of the wealthy proprietor of the luxurious island hacienda, the one who has summoned our heroes there, the very one under whose roof they've taken shelter?
The atmosphere of the flick is very "mondo exotica", with lots of faux-island music and groovy tropical scenery. There's a strong sense of sexuality running through the picture too, and not only because of the female nudity. Check out the scene where the doctor's horny wife finds that her sleeping husband isn't interested in sex and instead walks through the dark house until she finds monster-man's bedroom. She sneaks into his room to find him lying on his back on the bed, presumably nude and barely covered with a strategically-placed sheet, writhing orgasmically in what could be interpreted as either pain or pleasure, apparently in the grip of a sexual dream as she watches. Of course we know he's on the verge of transformation, but the scene can be read two different ways. She climbs eagerly into bed with him and reaches out to touch his body, only she is apprehended by the master's brutish manservant, who reacts more like a jealous lover and rebuffs her, sending her away. This whole scene is rife with sexual dynamics. Additionally, the pervasive voice of the creature, which filters all over the island while the natives huddle fearfully indoors, certainly sounds more like a man in the throes of a never-ending orgasm.
These adult moments are what make this otherwise kiddie-style film a very strange thing indeed. Despite the juvenile nature of the plot, it's really an early sex-and-violence exploitation film. As I already mentioned, the special effects are rather un-special, and the main monster is one of the goofiest you will ever see. It looks like a tiki mug come to life. Once the tiki-monster problem on the island is solved, the surviving cast members relax by joining the natives as witnesses to a mating-ritual dance, conducted by some islanders with very poor rhythm. I don't know about you, but this part reminded me of that one vacation that the Brady Bunch took to Hawaii.
The plot concerns a group of dummies who venture to "Blood Island", a place where nobody in their right mind would dare to visit. Surely the sailors who ferry our protagonists to Blood Island are aware that it's bad news, but they leave the fools there anyhow. We have a scientist, his nympho wife, a 'studly' adventurer, and some miscellaneous others who are aboard to be menaced, and boy are they ever. It seems some stray radiation from A-bomb testing has done strange things to the local flora and fauna. A butterfly bites someone on the hand. The trees have animated roots and make shrill vibrating sounds while trying to grab ahold of passersby...to what purpose I'm not sure, since they don't seem to have mouths with which to bite anybody. The most troublesome mutation on the island is the appearance of a lumbering, mouth-breathing, humanoid monster with a desire for human sacrifices of the young female type. Could this be the radioactive alter-ego of the wealthy proprietor of the luxurious island hacienda, the one who has summoned our heroes there, the very one under whose roof they've taken shelter?
The atmosphere of the flick is very "mondo exotica", with lots of faux-island music and groovy tropical scenery. There's a strong sense of sexuality running through the picture too, and not only because of the female nudity. Check out the scene where the doctor's horny wife finds that her sleeping husband isn't interested in sex and instead walks through the dark house until she finds monster-man's bedroom. She sneaks into his room to find him lying on his back on the bed, presumably nude and barely covered with a strategically-placed sheet, writhing orgasmically in what could be interpreted as either pain or pleasure, apparently in the grip of a sexual dream as she watches. Of course we know he's on the verge of transformation, but the scene can be read two different ways. She climbs eagerly into bed with him and reaches out to touch his body, only she is apprehended by the master's brutish manservant, who reacts more like a jealous lover and rebuffs her, sending her away. This whole scene is rife with sexual dynamics. Additionally, the pervasive voice of the creature, which filters all over the island while the natives huddle fearfully indoors, certainly sounds more like a man in the throes of a never-ending orgasm.
These adult moments are what make this otherwise kiddie-style film a very strange thing indeed. Despite the juvenile nature of the plot, it's really an early sex-and-violence exploitation film. As I already mentioned, the special effects are rather un-special, and the main monster is one of the goofiest you will ever see. It looks like a tiki mug come to life. Once the tiki-monster problem on the island is solved, the surviving cast members relax by joining the natives as witnesses to a mating-ritual dance, conducted by some islanders with very poor rhythm. I don't know about you, but this part reminded me of that one vacation that the Brady Bunch took to Hawaii.