While researching a possible cure for cancer on an island off the coast of Ireland, the renowned scientist in charge of the project accidentally creates a living organism that feeds off of all other living creatures. Since the island isn't very big, three doctors named "Brian Stanley" (Peter Cushing), "David West" (Edward Judd) and "Reginald Landers" (Eddie Byrne) desperately look for a way to kill these organisms before it's too late. Helping them is David West's girlfriend, "Toni Merrill" (Carole Gray). Anyway, filmed in the mid-60's, this movie has good suspense and keeps the tension going pretty much from start to finish. The acting was okay but I imagine most people will find the special effects to be quite primitive compared to the computer enhanced graphics used today. Even so, the movie managed to maintain my interest and I believe most people will find it relatively enjoyable all the same. Slightly above average.
102 Reviews
Island of Terror: Passable 60's cheesefest
Platypuschow4 November 2018
Starring horror legend Peter Cushing Island of Terror tells the story of the discovery of a messy boneless corpse on a secluded British island.
When an investigation is done they discover that the island is becoming infested with horrible creatures that put the towns population at threat!
Created by many of the same people who brought us the original Hammer Horror classics this looks great for its age and even the rubber monsters are better than you'd imagine.
Sure it's goofy, cheesy and even Cushing isn't exactly on form here but it's entertaining enough stuff for fans of the genre.
If you can get past the silliness of it all and stomach the sight of Peter Cushing trying to get into a threesome then there is entertainment value to be had.
The Good:
Interesting beasties
Ahead of its time
The Bad:
Leading lady poorly used
Seven different types of cheese
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
Solitaire was Peter Cushings second choice
Working lighters weren't in the budget
When an investigation is done they discover that the island is becoming infested with horrible creatures that put the towns population at threat!
Created by many of the same people who brought us the original Hammer Horror classics this looks great for its age and even the rubber monsters are better than you'd imagine.
Sure it's goofy, cheesy and even Cushing isn't exactly on form here but it's entertaining enough stuff for fans of the genre.
If you can get past the silliness of it all and stomach the sight of Peter Cushing trying to get into a threesome then there is entertainment value to be had.
The Good:
Interesting beasties
Ahead of its time
The Bad:
Leading lady poorly used
Seven different types of cheese
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
Solitaire was Peter Cushings second choice
Working lighters weren't in the budget
Generally Enjoyable Sci-Fi Horror
Muldwych2 March 2010
A reclusive scientist working on a cancer cure inadvertently unleashes deadly creatures onto the local population, turning it into an...Island Of Terror!
'Island Of Terror' is an interesting midpoint between 50s sci-fi and 60s Hammer horror - too light for what Hammer and Amicus usually produced, but their gravitational pull is evident. There's something very Quatermass about science unleashing havoc, yet science also providing the solution. There's a nice element of mystery to set the scene, with people being brutally murdered off-screen and their corpses being discovered sans bones, but at the same time, you are left in no doubt that there must be some connection with the scientist up in the manor house and his secretive experiments. Soon enough, the horror he unleashes becomes apparent, and it's up to the three 'responsible' scientists, played by Edward Judd, Peter Cushing, and Eddie Byrne, for whom the film goes to great pains to show how responsible they are as they wisely spend a lot of time studying notes before taking action and applying science methodically, while the uneducated locals must wait patiently because science takes time and there's a process to things. Yes, there are monsters coming over the hill, but there's a procedure to everything and it has to be followed. One can't really disagree with any of this, but the way in which the film portrays the scientific method if anything, shows how long ago it was held in such high regard - it's just hard to imagine a film doing this today. The nature and form of the monsters themselves instantly brings to mind the classic Star Trek episode 'Devil In The Dark', although their appearance and design is more classic Doctor Who. Which is quite fitting, given that Quatermass inspired early Doctor Who, lead Peter Cushing had been playing him on the big screen for the last two years, and both 'Dr Who & The Daleks' and 'Island Of Terror' were scored by Malcolm Lockyer.
Cushing, I have to say, is wonderful in this film. A far cry from the sombre puritans or mad scientists he would soon become well-known for, here, he is dashing, rounded, and somehow far more natural in his performance. This is more of the Peter Cushing the world used to see before horror films took over his life and it's great to see within the part of his filmography I'm more interested in. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast are extremely theatrical by comparison, with Edward Judd getting very declarative by the end - he reminds me of the way Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes would practically give speeches on the proper order of things before the closing credits. I'm almost expecting him to turn to the quivering frequently-Carole Gray and say 'Don't worry, my dear - science will save you!' Nonetheless, Judd is the archetypal square-jawed hero and fits the part.
Director Terence Fisher was a firmly-established horror veteran by this point, with the Dracula series and one of my favorites, 'The Gorgon' his recent successes. Having seen the latter again fairly recently, I noticed the same approach to mood lighting, although this time around, the 'big reveal' happens earlier, and Fisher leaves the design team to breathe life into the antagonists of the piece. I think he would have gotten away with it for the most part, but for aspects of the design (read: appendages) that require puppetmasters more skilled than those on offer for them to stand a snowflake's chance in hell of convincing the viewer. They work fine when they're hovering menacingly around a door frame, but not so much when the dreaded miscreation they're attached to shuffles into view. The only reason it even half-works is because the cast face their foes with the same conviction the Doctor Who stars were so frequently seen to give down on the sound stages of Lime Grove.
Less defensible, unfortunately, is Malcolm Lockyer's frequently light and fluffy score. His trademark cues and melodies worked wonders in 1965's 'Dr Who & The Daleks', where the words 'kids matinée' were practically stamped into Roy Castle's forehead, but it's hard to feel a sense of creeping foreboding in 'Island Of Terror' when the camera is panning through the eerie, deserted scientist's mansion accompanied by xylophone motifs. This is a film where the production values need every other department on board to help project a convincingly menacing atmosphere - not have the composer imagining cartoon bees dancing on toadstools. Again, this underscores for me how the film sits between two genres and no-one's fully made up their minds which way it should go.
Putting all these elements together, I find myself giving 'Island Of Terror' a 6 out of 10. I'm frequently drawn to Peter Cushing like a magnet, and he's in fine form here. I love the idea behind the monsters of the piece, and the respect given to science as it triumphs over all when used properly. Alas, the creatures' design needed a slight revision on the drawing board under the title 'Let's be realistic about what we're able to do here', while James Bernard should have been placed in the conductor's chair. A pleasing effort, and worth a look especially if sci-fi of the period appeals.
'Island Of Terror' is an interesting midpoint between 50s sci-fi and 60s Hammer horror - too light for what Hammer and Amicus usually produced, but their gravitational pull is evident. There's something very Quatermass about science unleashing havoc, yet science also providing the solution. There's a nice element of mystery to set the scene, with people being brutally murdered off-screen and their corpses being discovered sans bones, but at the same time, you are left in no doubt that there must be some connection with the scientist up in the manor house and his secretive experiments. Soon enough, the horror he unleashes becomes apparent, and it's up to the three 'responsible' scientists, played by Edward Judd, Peter Cushing, and Eddie Byrne, for whom the film goes to great pains to show how responsible they are as they wisely spend a lot of time studying notes before taking action and applying science methodically, while the uneducated locals must wait patiently because science takes time and there's a process to things. Yes, there are monsters coming over the hill, but there's a procedure to everything and it has to be followed. One can't really disagree with any of this, but the way in which the film portrays the scientific method if anything, shows how long ago it was held in such high regard - it's just hard to imagine a film doing this today. The nature and form of the monsters themselves instantly brings to mind the classic Star Trek episode 'Devil In The Dark', although their appearance and design is more classic Doctor Who. Which is quite fitting, given that Quatermass inspired early Doctor Who, lead Peter Cushing had been playing him on the big screen for the last two years, and both 'Dr Who & The Daleks' and 'Island Of Terror' were scored by Malcolm Lockyer.
Cushing, I have to say, is wonderful in this film. A far cry from the sombre puritans or mad scientists he would soon become well-known for, here, he is dashing, rounded, and somehow far more natural in his performance. This is more of the Peter Cushing the world used to see before horror films took over his life and it's great to see within the part of his filmography I'm more interested in. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast are extremely theatrical by comparison, with Edward Judd getting very declarative by the end - he reminds me of the way Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes would practically give speeches on the proper order of things before the closing credits. I'm almost expecting him to turn to the quivering frequently-Carole Gray and say 'Don't worry, my dear - science will save you!' Nonetheless, Judd is the archetypal square-jawed hero and fits the part.
Director Terence Fisher was a firmly-established horror veteran by this point, with the Dracula series and one of my favorites, 'The Gorgon' his recent successes. Having seen the latter again fairly recently, I noticed the same approach to mood lighting, although this time around, the 'big reveal' happens earlier, and Fisher leaves the design team to breathe life into the antagonists of the piece. I think he would have gotten away with it for the most part, but for aspects of the design (read: appendages) that require puppetmasters more skilled than those on offer for them to stand a snowflake's chance in hell of convincing the viewer. They work fine when they're hovering menacingly around a door frame, but not so much when the dreaded miscreation they're attached to shuffles into view. The only reason it even half-works is because the cast face their foes with the same conviction the Doctor Who stars were so frequently seen to give down on the sound stages of Lime Grove.
Less defensible, unfortunately, is Malcolm Lockyer's frequently light and fluffy score. His trademark cues and melodies worked wonders in 1965's 'Dr Who & The Daleks', where the words 'kids matinée' were practically stamped into Roy Castle's forehead, but it's hard to feel a sense of creeping foreboding in 'Island Of Terror' when the camera is panning through the eerie, deserted scientist's mansion accompanied by xylophone motifs. This is a film where the production values need every other department on board to help project a convincingly menacing atmosphere - not have the composer imagining cartoon bees dancing on toadstools. Again, this underscores for me how the film sits between two genres and no-one's fully made up their minds which way it should go.
Putting all these elements together, I find myself giving 'Island Of Terror' a 6 out of 10. I'm frequently drawn to Peter Cushing like a magnet, and he's in fine form here. I love the idea behind the monsters of the piece, and the respect given to science as it triumphs over all when used properly. Alas, the creatures' design needed a slight revision on the drawing board under the title 'Let's be realistic about what we're able to do here', while James Bernard should have been placed in the conductor's chair. A pleasing effort, and worth a look especially if sci-fi of the period appeals.
The only horror movie that scared me when I was a teen.
bradkingsley20 July 2003
It was the early 70's when I first saw Island of Terror on a Saturday late night horror show called Shock Theatre. I've always been a fan of Peter Cushing and his films so when I read that he was in it that made it a must see. We were hearing more and more about cancer research so this movie had relevence to the times. Growing up as a youngster in a rural area surrounded by livestock, the opening scene with the dead horse spooked me. At the time I first saw the film, the idea of Cancer research going haywire was a possiblilty and having your bones sucked out of your body while you were alive sent chills through my body. As the creatures were shown more and more, took more victims in varying fashions, more and more lights were turned on in my living room where I was watching the movie. The ending put the icing on the cake and I slept with the lights on for about a week. I had seen many horror movies including The Blob, but this was the only one to really get me sacred and keep me scared. I strongly recommend this movie to everyone. It's got suspence, surprises, a bit of humor, some horror, is just an enjoyable movie to watch and is one of my favorites. It's been many years since I've seen the movie so I just ordered a copy to enjoy again and again. Definately a classic for anyone's movie library.
I've noticed some reviews talking about how cheap the special effects were and the weak story/plot line, but these are all comparing the film to the standards of todays filmaking. As a child I didn't notice any of the effects simplistics. I was looking for some entertainment and a good late night scare, and Island of Terror delivered.
I've noticed some reviews talking about how cheap the special effects were and the weak story/plot line, but these are all comparing the film to the standards of todays filmaking. As a child I didn't notice any of the effects simplistics. I was looking for some entertainment and a good late night scare, and Island of Terror delivered.
Terence Fisher's Monster movie in which bizarre creatures threaten an isolated remote community at an Irish island
ma-cortes9 August 2020
Science-fiction thriller with monster movie elements, set in Petrie's island off the east coast of Ireland, there happens strange deaths of villagers and scientists. As the island is overrun by weird shell-like creatures that suck the bones out their living preys. These fantastic monsters assault and attack citizens, and subsequently threatening to consume the world. Then, three doctors : Peter Cushing, Eddye Byrne, Edward Judd, go into action to investigate and discover the rare origin of the tentacled silicates which liquefy and digest tissue and bones . From an experiment in life..came a devastating death!.
Moving picture contains good interpretations, chills, thrills, and astonishing attacks by amazing creatures. As well as a strong denounce about risks of science and the hazardous experiments. Here Peter Cushing and Edward Judd carry the flick, giving first-rate performances. Along with enjoyable secondaries as the beautiful Carolyn Gray, Eddye Byrne and the prestigious support actor Nial MacGinnis. The premise is the following : How can three scientific stop the devouring death that live by sucking in living human bones. "This Island of terror" bears certain resemblance to "Island of the burning doomed" 1967 also directed by Terence Fisher and stars Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, though here deals with a brute heat wave accompanied by invading aliens.
It contains a stirring musical score by Malcolm Lockyer, adding electronic soundtrack as the fantastic beings appear. As well as colorful and glimmering cinematography by Reg Wyer. Shot on location in Wexham, St. Huberts, Buckinghamshire and Pinewood studios, as usual. This British-made outing was competently directed by Hammer maestro Terence Fisher. This fine director made a lot of films for Hammer productions, usually terror genre. Outstanding his Dracula saga : The horror of Dracula, The Brides of Dracula, Dracula prince of darkness . About Frankenstein : The curse of Frankenstein, The revenge of Frankenstein, Frankenstein created woman , Frankenstein must be destroyed, Frankenstein monster from hell. Furthermore, other terror films as The Gorgon, The mummy, The devil rides out, The two faces of Dr Jekyll, The curse of the werewolf. And other movies as Sherlock Holmes and the deadly necklace, Hound of The Baskervilles, Black glove, Robin Hood, Sword of Sherwood forest, Island of the burning doomed and Island of terror . Rating : 6/10, acceptable and passable. Interesting, thrilling scenes and suspenseful twists make for prickes up the spine.
Moving picture contains good interpretations, chills, thrills, and astonishing attacks by amazing creatures. As well as a strong denounce about risks of science and the hazardous experiments. Here Peter Cushing and Edward Judd carry the flick, giving first-rate performances. Along with enjoyable secondaries as the beautiful Carolyn Gray, Eddye Byrne and the prestigious support actor Nial MacGinnis. The premise is the following : How can three scientific stop the devouring death that live by sucking in living human bones. "This Island of terror" bears certain resemblance to "Island of the burning doomed" 1967 also directed by Terence Fisher and stars Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, though here deals with a brute heat wave accompanied by invading aliens.
It contains a stirring musical score by Malcolm Lockyer, adding electronic soundtrack as the fantastic beings appear. As well as colorful and glimmering cinematography by Reg Wyer. Shot on location in Wexham, St. Huberts, Buckinghamshire and Pinewood studios, as usual. This British-made outing was competently directed by Hammer maestro Terence Fisher. This fine director made a lot of films for Hammer productions, usually terror genre. Outstanding his Dracula saga : The horror of Dracula, The Brides of Dracula, Dracula prince of darkness . About Frankenstein : The curse of Frankenstein, The revenge of Frankenstein, Frankenstein created woman , Frankenstein must be destroyed, Frankenstein monster from hell. Furthermore, other terror films as The Gorgon, The mummy, The devil rides out, The two faces of Dr Jekyll, The curse of the werewolf. And other movies as Sherlock Holmes and the deadly necklace, Hound of The Baskervilles, Black glove, Robin Hood, Sword of Sherwood forest, Island of the burning doomed and Island of terror . Rating : 6/10, acceptable and passable. Interesting, thrilling scenes and suspenseful twists make for prickes up the spine.
"Science has its risks, but the risks aren't enough to hinder progress".
lost-in-limbo6 July 2020
"Island of Terror" is a modest, little workmanlike British sci-fi-chiller. Director Terence Fisher and genre stalwart Peter Cushing added class to proceedings. Throw in a creative concept involving bone-sucking organisms, who leave some icky effects behind. Cup of chick noodle soup anyone? These nasty creatures (silicates) looked less than threatening in appearance and let out one eerie slurping noise (straw sound fx?), even though some of the attack scenes were in slow-motion (they move real slowly) and daftly pitched (tree dropping). However sometimes it manages to be uncanny, other times silly developments occur, but the danger is always felt. This leads to a couple of intense and surprisingly brutal moments. The choice of location (island) adds to the atmosphere and isolation. At best, a fun low-budget fare.
Great!
AT-AT28 November 2006
Island of Terror is a great little flick produced by Richard Gordon who also gave us the cult favourite "Fiend Without a Face". Directed with the expertise Hammer director Terence Fisher offers, Gordon has produced a similarly obscure "herd" of creatures to terrorize a high-class cast. The 'Silicates' looks rather silly, like huge turtles with a trunk instead of a head with which they grab their victims, and moves around with the speed of a snail. Like zombies, they are not really a threat when spotted coming, but make up for it with their ability to be anywhere you least expect them. (like up in trees, waiting for passers-by, or underneath cars waiting for someone to enter it). This does get a bit, if not more than a bit, corny, but the ever deadly presence of these creatures, and the nasty way of killing (dissolving the bones, and sucking them out of the body) keeps the fun-bad aspect at bay. There are some great attack sequences at different cast members, and some disgusting slurping when they are "devoured".
The cast is in top form with Cushing in particular giving us a delightful turn as the pathologist with a welcome streak of gentle humour. It's a role that only Cushing could play with this amount of laid back ease and he is a joy to watch. Edward Judd is nicely stoic and handles his scenes with Cushing well, showing he was a much underused actor. Carole Grays character is the only weak link, as she is strictly the cliché woman in peril sort who is given little to do. Thankfully her love interest scenes with Judd are few and short.
The island atmosphere is captured well and Fisher makes what would normally be a tranquil setting a place of lurking menace. He also takes the viewer by surprise with his treatment of some of the characters, never letting his audience get too complacent in the expectations.
Add to all this a lean and never wasted running time, a suitably manic and funky soundtrack composition plus a typically cynical '60s epilogue and you have a film that should be much more widely known and available.
The cast is in top form with Cushing in particular giving us a delightful turn as the pathologist with a welcome streak of gentle humour. It's a role that only Cushing could play with this amount of laid back ease and he is a joy to watch. Edward Judd is nicely stoic and handles his scenes with Cushing well, showing he was a much underused actor. Carole Grays character is the only weak link, as she is strictly the cliché woman in peril sort who is given little to do. Thankfully her love interest scenes with Judd are few and short.
The island atmosphere is captured well and Fisher makes what would normally be a tranquil setting a place of lurking menace. He also takes the viewer by surprise with his treatment of some of the characters, never letting his audience get too complacent in the expectations.
Add to all this a lean and never wasted running time, a suitably manic and funky soundtrack composition plus a typically cynical '60s epilogue and you have a film that should be much more widely known and available.
"Look over there! Silicates!!"
richardchatten26 November 2021
A very long way after 'Quatermass', this was the second of three sci-fi quickies Terence Fisher made away from Hammer for a modest little outfit called Planet; set in Ireland, but obviously shot in bitingly cold weather in the countryside around Pinewood.
A competent cast give earnest performances in the face of stupid-looking monsters - described by Peter Cushing as "nasty little creatures" - that leave their victims looking like Dorian Gray's portrait in the 1945 movie, accidentally created in a lab trying to find a cure for cancer.
Edward Judd makes a truly shocking intervention at one point on behalf of Peter Cushing; and the film has a memorable sting in the tale.
A competent cast give earnest performances in the face of stupid-looking monsters - described by Peter Cushing as "nasty little creatures" - that leave their victims looking like Dorian Gray's portrait in the 1945 movie, accidentally created in a lab trying to find a cure for cancer.
Edward Judd makes a truly shocking intervention at one point on behalf of Peter Cushing; and the film has a memorable sting in the tale.
Accidentally created a cure for arthritis
daniewhite-110 November 2019
Hero scientists, working in reclusive isolation on a small island (that unfortunately has a fairly substantial native population.) attempt to create a cure for cancer but instead threaten to put all bone and skeletal experts out of work via crawling, a-sexually reproducting, bone sucking monsters; which causes a rapid response to "put things right" by two such doctors facing a serious threat to their profession.
Excellent film of the entirely un-serious school of horror/sci fi film making.
My review is in keeping with the spirit in which the film was made.
I thought that there were effective moments and a very interesting main cast playing in a film that was so underwritten and under financed that not a single actor has a real character to portray and not a single pound Stirling appears on screen except in the fees provided to recruit a fairly heavyweight leading cast of period British players.
Plot establishment and development are cooky. Characters are "thin" and dialogue is used to replace events that the scrip and the finances can't show adequately, or sometimes, at all.
If you like low budget genre films of any era then this film will probably suit you and serve to provide 90 odd minutes of enjoyment as it did for me. Alternatively if you saw the film decades ago, when young, it's probably a great watch in the nostalgia memory banks.
For other viewers I would offer the opinion that it fails to develop or deliver in most aspects of film making that a viewer might be hoping to appreciate in a movie.
I vote a nicely complementary 5/10 for a film no better than it ought to be and no worse than it should be. I had fun watching it. Un-seriously.
Excellent film of the entirely un-serious school of horror/sci fi film making.
My review is in keeping with the spirit in which the film was made.
I thought that there were effective moments and a very interesting main cast playing in a film that was so underwritten and under financed that not a single actor has a real character to portray and not a single pound Stirling appears on screen except in the fees provided to recruit a fairly heavyweight leading cast of period British players.
Plot establishment and development are cooky. Characters are "thin" and dialogue is used to replace events that the scrip and the finances can't show adequately, or sometimes, at all.
If you like low budget genre films of any era then this film will probably suit you and serve to provide 90 odd minutes of enjoyment as it did for me. Alternatively if you saw the film decades ago, when young, it's probably a great watch in the nostalgia memory banks.
For other viewers I would offer the opinion that it fails to develop or deliver in most aspects of film making that a viewer might be hoping to appreciate in a movie.
I vote a nicely complementary 5/10 for a film no better than it ought to be and no worse than it should be. I had fun watching it. Un-seriously.
A decent film with utterly ridiculous monsters!
planktonrules1 February 2020
"Island of Terror" is a good film....and I do recommend you see it. However, be forewarned that the monsters in the movies are among the silliest looking you can find in films.
The story is set on an isolated Irish island. The local doctor is shocked when a corpse is discovered with all of its bones turned to liquid! This ain't normal and he soon goes off island to get help. Oddly, instead of getting LOTS of help, he secretly brings two doctors back with them. Soon, they discover a mass of horrid creatures that looked like the Horta from the original "Star Trek" but with a tentacle that could kill! Unfortunately, killing them is a serious problem as dynamite, guns and the like have no effect. Is there any prayer for this island and its inhabitants?
You just have to see the creatures....and you'll know what I mean...and you'll realize just how silly it all is. But, despite that, Peter Cushing and the gang do a nice job of playing their parts...and the film creates a great mood. Worth watching but very flawed.
The story is set on an isolated Irish island. The local doctor is shocked when a corpse is discovered with all of its bones turned to liquid! This ain't normal and he soon goes off island to get help. Oddly, instead of getting LOTS of help, he secretly brings two doctors back with them. Soon, they discover a mass of horrid creatures that looked like the Horta from the original "Star Trek" but with a tentacle that could kill! Unfortunately, killing them is a serious problem as dynamite, guns and the like have no effect. Is there any prayer for this island and its inhabitants?
You just have to see the creatures....and you'll know what I mean...and you'll realize just how silly it all is. But, despite that, Peter Cushing and the gang do a nice job of playing their parts...and the film creates a great mood. Worth watching but very flawed.
Leaving carcasses like deflated balloons
bkoganbing9 May 2015
Although the science is somewhat suspect Island Of Terror still is one of the better products from Hammer Studios in Great Britain. The creatures on the island are soulless and scary. They would be as they are just large one cell creatures who subdivide like an amoeba.
Working on one of the Channel Islands on a cure for cancer Dr. Peter Forbes-Robertson has created these silicon based big size amoeba who eat animal bone and leave the carcasses like the deflated balloons after the Thanksgiving Day Parade. They are out of the laboratory now and wreaking havoc on the island.
Fortunately other scientists like Peter Cushing and Edward Judd are frantically working on a way to kill these creatures who are not just soulless but also impervious to just about everything they try. And it isn't like there's a stockpile of weapons on this peaceful Channel island.
Carole Gray is also around to bolster morale for the scientists, especially Judd and to scream when these creatures approach. She does well on both counts.
I'm flippant, but Island Of Terror is not a bad horror film and the coda to the ending gives us all reason for concern.
Working on one of the Channel Islands on a cure for cancer Dr. Peter Forbes-Robertson has created these silicon based big size amoeba who eat animal bone and leave the carcasses like the deflated balloons after the Thanksgiving Day Parade. They are out of the laboratory now and wreaking havoc on the island.
Fortunately other scientists like Peter Cushing and Edward Judd are frantically working on a way to kill these creatures who are not just soulless but also impervious to just about everything they try. And it isn't like there's a stockpile of weapons on this peaceful Channel island.
Carole Gray is also around to bolster morale for the scientists, especially Judd and to scream when these creatures approach. She does well on both counts.
I'm flippant, but Island Of Terror is not a bad horror film and the coda to the ending gives us all reason for concern.
delightfully entertaining and great fun!
FortySecondStreetFreak3 April 2003
When on a remote island community a corpse is discovered completely devoid of bone, the local police constable (Sam Kydd) calls in Dr. Landers (Eddie Bryne) who is at a loss to explain. He goes to the mainland to see Dr. Stanley (Peter Cushing) a pathologist. Stanley and Landers go to David West (Edward Judd) who is an expert on bone disease. Intrigued by the bizarre symptoms, West's girlfriend Toni Merril (Carole Gray) follow Landers back to the island.
They discover that well-known cancer specialist Dr. Philips has been doing experiments on the island. They discover Philips and his colleagues' dead, the bodies boneless.
As the Doctors search through Philip's notes they discover he was trying to create a living organism to attack cancer cells, but something went wrong and he ended up creating a silicone based creature that lives off animal bone. These creatures, which Stanley names 'Silicates', are roaming the island......
Made by obscure British company 'Planet Productions' this great little flick was produced by Richard Gordon who also gave us the cult favourite `Fiend Without a Face'. With the expert hand of Hammer Director Terence Fisher at the helm, Gordon has produced a similarly grotesque set of creatures to terrorize his high-class cast. True the 'Silicates' are rather funny looking, like huge rubber cow pats with a vacuum cleaner attachments that they use to grab their victims with, and suffer from the old zombie problem of moving very slowly, but they make for a wonderful sight gliding along in search of food and the manner of death they deal out is so horrible (having your bones dissolved and sucked out while alive) that damaging humour is kept at bay. There are some great attack sequences as various cast members are digested with nicely disgusting slurping sounds by the creatures whom during one sequence even drop out of the trees! More fun is had when they divide and what looks like a gallon of watery tinned spaghetti flows out! They are a bizarre and wonderfully entertaining creation.
The cast is in top form with Peter Cushing in particular giving us a delightful turn as the pathologist with a welcome streak of gentle humour. It's a role that only Cushing could play with this amount of laid back ease and he is a joy to watch. Edward Judd is nicely stoic and handles his scenes with Cushing well, showing he was a much under-used actor. Carole Grays character is the only weak link, as she is strictly the cliché woman in peril sort who is given little to do. Thankfully her love interest scenes with Judd are few and short.
The island atmosphere is captured well and Fisher makes what would normally be a tranquil setting a place of lurking menace. He also takes the viewer by surprise with his treatment of some of the characters, never letting his audience get too complacent in the expectations.
Add to all this a lean and never wasted running time, a suitably manic and funky soundtrack composition plus a typically cynical '60s epilogue and you have a film that should be much more widely known and available.
Planet Productions' also made `Night of the Big Heat', once again with Cushing and Directed by Fisher but this time throwing Christopher Lee into the mix as well and both these films, although `Island of Terror' is very much superior, both are worth tracking down. In these days where the UK only makes small scale independent, and normally U.S influenced horror films this movie reminds us that Britain once produced some unique and delightfully entertaining genre pieces.
Great fun!
They discover that well-known cancer specialist Dr. Philips has been doing experiments on the island. They discover Philips and his colleagues' dead, the bodies boneless.
As the Doctors search through Philip's notes they discover he was trying to create a living organism to attack cancer cells, but something went wrong and he ended up creating a silicone based creature that lives off animal bone. These creatures, which Stanley names 'Silicates', are roaming the island......
Made by obscure British company 'Planet Productions' this great little flick was produced by Richard Gordon who also gave us the cult favourite `Fiend Without a Face'. With the expert hand of Hammer Director Terence Fisher at the helm, Gordon has produced a similarly grotesque set of creatures to terrorize his high-class cast. True the 'Silicates' are rather funny looking, like huge rubber cow pats with a vacuum cleaner attachments that they use to grab their victims with, and suffer from the old zombie problem of moving very slowly, but they make for a wonderful sight gliding along in search of food and the manner of death they deal out is so horrible (having your bones dissolved and sucked out while alive) that damaging humour is kept at bay. There are some great attack sequences as various cast members are digested with nicely disgusting slurping sounds by the creatures whom during one sequence even drop out of the trees! More fun is had when they divide and what looks like a gallon of watery tinned spaghetti flows out! They are a bizarre and wonderfully entertaining creation.
The cast is in top form with Peter Cushing in particular giving us a delightful turn as the pathologist with a welcome streak of gentle humour. It's a role that only Cushing could play with this amount of laid back ease and he is a joy to watch. Edward Judd is nicely stoic and handles his scenes with Cushing well, showing he was a much under-used actor. Carole Grays character is the only weak link, as she is strictly the cliché woman in peril sort who is given little to do. Thankfully her love interest scenes with Judd are few and short.
The island atmosphere is captured well and Fisher makes what would normally be a tranquil setting a place of lurking menace. He also takes the viewer by surprise with his treatment of some of the characters, never letting his audience get too complacent in the expectations.
Add to all this a lean and never wasted running time, a suitably manic and funky soundtrack composition plus a typically cynical '60s epilogue and you have a film that should be much more widely known and available.
Planet Productions' also made `Night of the Big Heat', once again with Cushing and Directed by Fisher but this time throwing Christopher Lee into the mix as well and both these films, although `Island of Terror' is very much superior, both are worth tracking down. In these days where the UK only makes small scale independent, and normally U.S influenced horror films this movie reminds us that Britain once produced some unique and delightfully entertaining genre pieces.
Great fun!
Beautiful creature feature from a bygone era
meathookcinema13 October 2018
Scientists on an island just off Ireland are close to finding a cure for cancer but accidentally produce 'silicates': tentacled creatures that suck the bone marrow from their victims.
This is a British film directed by Terence Fisher who made a lot of films for Hammer. The version that I saw had been restored by Pinewood Studios where the film was produced and it looks gorgeous. The cinematography and colour palate of the film have been brought out beautifully.
This is a fantastic invasion movie from a bygone era and feels like something John Wyndham might have written. The creatures are like giant flattened slugs but with a single antennae which in reality are so unthreatening that it's hilarious. But it adds to the charm of the movie- and it's still better than some CGI modern multiplex borefest.
But don't think that this film is a just a cheesy film to merely laugh off. The version I saw had reinstated a sequence in which Peter Cushing's character has his hand chopped off with an axe. This scene was taken out of prints after the BBFC said that it was too strong for audiences. With the restoration of the film for release on Blu-ray this scene is available to be seen in all it's bloody glory.
The Odeon UK Blu-ray release of this film looks great. The US Scream Factory release is meant to be even better. I look forward to seeing it.
This is a British film directed by Terence Fisher who made a lot of films for Hammer. The version that I saw had been restored by Pinewood Studios where the film was produced and it looks gorgeous. The cinematography and colour palate of the film have been brought out beautifully.
This is a fantastic invasion movie from a bygone era and feels like something John Wyndham might have written. The creatures are like giant flattened slugs but with a single antennae which in reality are so unthreatening that it's hilarious. But it adds to the charm of the movie- and it's still better than some CGI modern multiplex borefest.
But don't think that this film is a just a cheesy film to merely laugh off. The version I saw had reinstated a sequence in which Peter Cushing's character has his hand chopped off with an axe. This scene was taken out of prints after the BBFC said that it was too strong for audiences. With the restoration of the film for release on Blu-ray this scene is available to be seen in all it's bloody glory.
The Odeon UK Blu-ray release of this film looks great. The US Scream Factory release is meant to be even better. I look forward to seeing it.
They crawl. They pulverize their victim's bones.
michaelRokeefe20 August 2001
Kind of cheesy, but still creepy. A small island is terrorized by a shell-like creature with tentacles that pulverize and suck the bones out of their victims. This is one of those sci-fi flicks that seems to end up funnier than it is frightening. Still worth a watch. Special visual and sound effects are obviously dated.
Veteran horror master Peter Cushing can't save this one. The better acting comes from Edward Judd, Carole Gray and Eddie Byrne.
Veteran horror master Peter Cushing can't save this one. The better acting comes from Edward Judd, Carole Gray and Eddie Byrne.
I enjoyed this movie when I was a kid
Gregg Fury30 January 2001
I remember watching this movie numerous times as a child(I'm 37 years old and I believe I was around 8 or so when I first saw this movie). I've read all the IMDb reviews of the cheesy special effects but I didn't really notice these faults when I was a youngster. I haven't seen this movie for many years but can remember really enjoying this Peter Cushing movie and seriously being scared of those weird creatures. I'm sure as an adult the faults would be glaring but kids(at least back in the early 70's) didn't seem to care or notice if the effects were flawed. Hopefully I can find this movie on rental or on TV so I can get a refreshed look at this movie.
An Island worth visiting--if you can hang onto your bones!
commander_zero25 February 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Despite the presence of Terence Fisher and Peter Cushing, ISLAND OF TERROR is not a Hammer production. Surprisingly--because besides the star and director it has all of the assets we attribute to Hammer: an intelligent script hinged around a far-fetched premise; an expert cast including some outstanding character actors (in this case, a sadly wasted Niall MacGinnis); and modest but substantial production values bolstering what might best be called resourceful special effects.
Produced in the days of the double bill, its 89 minutes fly by—just enough time to be convinced by ISLAND OF TERROR's imaginative calcium- sucking "silicates." The unlikely products of cancer research, the silicates look like huge oyster-shells with a single tentacular proboscis waving from (what one presumes is) the front end. Slow-moving but sneaky, their presence is announced by creepy (and for 1962, groundbreaking) electronic sound effects, and their deadly tentacles overtake even the wariest interloper. These uniquely-conceived monsters are just one of ISLAND OF TERROR's many pleasures, along with the ingenious (but hard on cattle) scheme our heroes devise to overcome the menace, the embattled island (inhabited by a couple of hundred people, who among them unfortunately have only one boat) mise-en-scene, and (SPOILER ALERT) the wacky sense of humour the previously dour Cushing develops after having his arm chopped off.
Let us not underrate ISLAND OF TERROR; its craftsmanship stands up a half-century later, when more "serious" efforts from the same decade merely look embarrassing. It has many genuinely scary moments, including a classic, "it's-not-over" denouement, which make it a genuinely pleasurable movie experience.
Produced in the days of the double bill, its 89 minutes fly by—just enough time to be convinced by ISLAND OF TERROR's imaginative calcium- sucking "silicates." The unlikely products of cancer research, the silicates look like huge oyster-shells with a single tentacular proboscis waving from (what one presumes is) the front end. Slow-moving but sneaky, their presence is announced by creepy (and for 1962, groundbreaking) electronic sound effects, and their deadly tentacles overtake even the wariest interloper. These uniquely-conceived monsters are just one of ISLAND OF TERROR's many pleasures, along with the ingenious (but hard on cattle) scheme our heroes devise to overcome the menace, the embattled island (inhabited by a couple of hundred people, who among them unfortunately have only one boat) mise-en-scene, and (SPOILER ALERT) the wacky sense of humour the previously dour Cushing develops after having his arm chopped off.
Let us not underrate ISLAND OF TERROR; its craftsmanship stands up a half-century later, when more "serious" efforts from the same decade merely look embarrassing. It has many genuinely scary moments, including a classic, "it's-not-over" denouement, which make it a genuinely pleasurable movie experience.
A period piece
neil-47630 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
The population of an island finds itself threatened by mutated critters when feed on bones.
This is a typical - nay, rather superior - 1960s British sci-fi horror movie, filmed in dull autumn colours and starring Peter Cushing. Having said that it was rather superior, I must then go on to clarify that this is by reference to the standards of the time. By current standards, the critters leave something to be desired.
Actually, they leave a lot to be desired. Lump humps which trundle around rather slowly, and with a single dangly tentacle, puppeteered somewhat randomly on a couple of wires, the terror they induced in 1966 audiences is likely to be replaced by laughter these days.
Otherwise, this isn't too bad and, as always, Cushing delivers 110% whatever tosh he was in.
This is a typical - nay, rather superior - 1960s British sci-fi horror movie, filmed in dull autumn colours and starring Peter Cushing. Having said that it was rather superior, I must then go on to clarify that this is by reference to the standards of the time. By current standards, the critters leave something to be desired.
Actually, they leave a lot to be desired. Lump humps which trundle around rather slowly, and with a single dangly tentacle, puppeteered somewhat randomly on a couple of wires, the terror they induced in 1966 audiences is likely to be replaced by laughter these days.
Otherwise, this isn't too bad and, as always, Cushing delivers 110% whatever tosh he was in.
The attack of the tentacled blob!!
coltras359 April 2021
When on a remote island community a corpse is discovered completely devoid of bone, the local police constable (Sam Kydd) calls in Dr. Landers (Eddie Bryne) who is at a loss to explain, but he knows someone who might help, and travels to the mainland to see Dr. Stanley (Peter Cushing) a pathologist. Stanley and Landers go to David West (Edward Judd) who is an expert on bone disease. Intrigued by the bizarre symptoms, West's girlfriend Toni Merril (Carole Gray) follow Landers back to the island. They discover that a tentacled blobbed fiends are the culprit, and they are multiplying fast! Can our hapless heroes save the day? Watch this fast-paced Sci-Fi chiller to find out.
The monster - a greenish blob with a tentacle - is rubbery and cheesy, just what you would expect from a 1966 film, however, there's a naive charm around it and they do appear menacing, but that's due to the music, the atmosphere and the acting that lends credibility to what's happening, no matter how bizarre. Watch Cushing's terrified expression when he sees those monsters; he just convinces you that it's lethal. The sound effects are quite sinister.
A really enjoyable sci-fi yarn that is full of atmosphere and a rising dread.
The monster - a greenish blob with a tentacle - is rubbery and cheesy, just what you would expect from a 1966 film, however, there's a naive charm around it and they do appear menacing, but that's due to the music, the atmosphere and the acting that lends credibility to what's happening, no matter how bizarre. Watch Cushing's terrified expression when he sees those monsters; he just convinces you that it's lethal. The sound effects are quite sinister.
A really enjoyable sci-fi yarn that is full of atmosphere and a rising dread.
Peter Cushing vs. the creepy crawlers
Coventry1 February 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Island of Terror is decent British horror capable of providing its audience with some genuine frights despite of the wacky premise. It caught my attention especially because it was directed by Terence Fisher and stars Peter Cushing. These two worked together in making the finest films for the Hammer studios, like most entries in the "Frankenstein" series, "The Hound of the Baskervillers" and "The Mummy". Island of Terror is not a Hammer film, yet it often feels like one since the set pieces are so alike and the screenplay uses the same proportions of wit British humor and severe shocks. The story takes place at a small Northern Ireland island where the local doctor has a bizarre case of a boneless corpse on his hands. He travels over to the mainland to recruit eminent scientists Brian Stanley (Cushing) and David West (Edward Judd) for helping him with this matter. Back at the island, they discover that the horror is caused by monsters that were the result of failing medical research by another scientist. The monsters look like crossovers between tortoises and elephants, feeding on bones while leaving the flesh untouched. If that's not bad enough, the creatures reproduce themselves and they're slowly moving towards the island community
Terence Fisher makes great use of the isolated island location and the feeling of being completely trapped perfectly reflects on the screen. The story doesn't waste too much time and features more than enough action and fright-highlights to please the most demanding horror fan. The monster designs are surprisingly convincing and also the special effects are praiseworthy. The few shots of extorted corpses are efficiently icky and very well pictured. As the plot becomes more intense, Fisher terrifically adds sequences of hysterical villagers. A small but outstanding little detail. Veteran horror star Peter Cushing certainly doesn't give away his finest acting performance here, but he's always worth admiring even though he's outshined by Judd and the female love-interest, played by a gorgeous looking Carole Gray. Island of Terror isn't top class horror, at least not compared to some other films around that time, but it contains enough imagination and style to pass for excellent, undemanding entertainment. I wonder why the idea of bone-sucking creatures (cool name: Silicates) isn't used more in horror/science fiction epics.
Let's hear it for the Electro-Lux Monster!
mark.waltz7 August 2014
Warning: Spoilers
O. K., we can all agree that there have been some pretty silly looking monsters in 1950's and 1960's horror movies. A flowing blob of goo, giant turkeys, walking trees and even a rock that waddled after its intended victims. Now here comes one of the oddest, a silly looking creature that rumor has was authorized by the Hoover administration-a vacuum cleaner like creature that literally sucks the bone marrow and the solid mass around it right out of it. These creatures also have the ability to climb trees and drop out of the sky just like that house in "The Wizard of Oz". Poor research doctor Edward Judd, living a solitary life by choice to do his cancer research in peace must now share his island with these creatures and one of the cinema's great masters of menace. "It's a body, but I don't recognize it. As far as I can tell, the body doesn't have any bones" says Inspector Sam Kydd as he examines the first victim where all you see is their coat.
That most serious of all mad doctors, Peter Cushing, is aghast to find out that his experiments unleashed this evil, and is brought by Judd to the island to help him figure out what's causing this so called "bone disease". Carole Gray adds feminine loveliness to The film as the lady determined to bring the handsome young doctor out of his shell. The entire island ends up trapped in a building surrounded by them, just like the townspeople haunted by the blob, houses covered in spider webs and other various monsters in similar films. Add on radioactivity to make these hose nosed creatures even more dangerous, and you've got another film reminding us of what the world has done wrong. This has the benefit of color photography, that vivid 60's brightness that gives it a painting like quality. So enjoy the unbelievable silliness of the whole thing and remember afterwards that your own household appliance is just that...or is it?
That most serious of all mad doctors, Peter Cushing, is aghast to find out that his experiments unleashed this evil, and is brought by Judd to the island to help him figure out what's causing this so called "bone disease". Carole Gray adds feminine loveliness to The film as the lady determined to bring the handsome young doctor out of his shell. The entire island ends up trapped in a building surrounded by them, just like the townspeople haunted by the blob, houses covered in spider webs and other various monsters in similar films. Add on radioactivity to make these hose nosed creatures even more dangerous, and you've got another film reminding us of what the world has done wrong. This has the benefit of color photography, that vivid 60's brightness that gives it a painting like quality. So enjoy the unbelievable silliness of the whole thing and remember afterwards that your own household appliance is just that...or is it?
Watchable But Very Daft Sci-Fi Thriller
Theo Robertson26 September 2012
Warning: Spoilers
I remember watching this sometime in the early 1980s and being very impressed by it . When you're young you do feel an intense affection for these type of movies . They're mindless fun but the emphasis is on " fun " and you have no knowledge of the word " mindless " . In short if you spend the rest of your life having never seen a fondly remembered film then your fondness remains intact , so much so that I had hoped to rewatch this movie as an adult but it's not an easy film to find and I don't recall it being broadcast apart from its initial screening on ITV one Friday night circa 1981
That changed tonight and it's interesting how many people on this message board say it's a victim of false memory syndrome . It certainly wasn't a contender for the Oscars but it's difficult to believe that a film so dumb and more than a little bland could stay in the memory so long . Yes it's certainly watchable and remains so but that might be down to watching so many excessive gory films between 1981 and 2012 rather than ISLAND OF TERROR having massive merits of its own .Two obvious things let the film down - the screenplay and the directing
The premise is the standard scientists try to make things better for humanity but almost succeed in destroying the human race but the premise is totally undermined by every plot turn . Supposedly the location of the story is set on an Island off the East coast of Ireland which is strange because most of the characters have Scottish sounding names . It could be the East coast of Northern Ireland which would make sense . Nothing else makes sense however such as the Islanders having no phones but an endless supply of guns and dynamite . This was three years before the troubles started but would the average Island in Ulster be selling boxes of dynamite at a corner store ? Perhaps the most ridiculous thing is a total lack of phones on the island which is force fed to the audience time after time
The screenplay is full of these type of credibility defying moments . Likewise some of the dialogue has to be heard to be believed and one can't help thinking that it'd be better off in THE BENNY HILL SHOW or a Carry On film . We're introduced to the hero who is an expert on bone disease and he's just had a quickie with a hot brunette . I'm surprised the writers didn't make a joke about a serious bone injury. And later on Peter Cushing's character makes a joke to the hero and hot chick if three can play a game of solitaire
Director Terence Fisher can't rise above the written material and you get the distinct impression he doesn't want to either . He shoots most scenes in a bland medium shot and fails to inject much atmosphere in to the proceedings . Worse is his realisation of the silicate monsters which are unmenancing and somewhat laughable . You could claim that this gives the film a lot of charm and I won't disagree but there's a lack of internal logic to them . How for example would the silicates manage to kill three scientists and a housekeeper if they're so slow moving
ISLAND OF TERROR is one of these movies that deserves a " 100 things that I learned from this movie " posts on the message board as in :
" Japan isn't in fact an island " or
" You can make jokes ten minutes after getting your arm chopped off " or
" A stick of dynamite has the same explosive force as a firecracker "
As I said the film is somewhat charming and watchable but much of this is down to the decades passing and horror in the 21st Century revolving around people being kidnapped and slowly tortured to death in stomach churning explicit brutality
That changed tonight and it's interesting how many people on this message board say it's a victim of false memory syndrome . It certainly wasn't a contender for the Oscars but it's difficult to believe that a film so dumb and more than a little bland could stay in the memory so long . Yes it's certainly watchable and remains so but that might be down to watching so many excessive gory films between 1981 and 2012 rather than ISLAND OF TERROR having massive merits of its own .Two obvious things let the film down - the screenplay and the directing
The premise is the standard scientists try to make things better for humanity but almost succeed in destroying the human race but the premise is totally undermined by every plot turn . Supposedly the location of the story is set on an Island off the East coast of Ireland which is strange because most of the characters have Scottish sounding names . It could be the East coast of Northern Ireland which would make sense . Nothing else makes sense however such as the Islanders having no phones but an endless supply of guns and dynamite . This was three years before the troubles started but would the average Island in Ulster be selling boxes of dynamite at a corner store ? Perhaps the most ridiculous thing is a total lack of phones on the island which is force fed to the audience time after time
The screenplay is full of these type of credibility defying moments . Likewise some of the dialogue has to be heard to be believed and one can't help thinking that it'd be better off in THE BENNY HILL SHOW or a Carry On film . We're introduced to the hero who is an expert on bone disease and he's just had a quickie with a hot brunette . I'm surprised the writers didn't make a joke about a serious bone injury. And later on Peter Cushing's character makes a joke to the hero and hot chick if three can play a game of solitaire
Director Terence Fisher can't rise above the written material and you get the distinct impression he doesn't want to either . He shoots most scenes in a bland medium shot and fails to inject much atmosphere in to the proceedings . Worse is his realisation of the silicate monsters which are unmenancing and somewhat laughable . You could claim that this gives the film a lot of charm and I won't disagree but there's a lack of internal logic to them . How for example would the silicates manage to kill three scientists and a housekeeper if they're so slow moving
ISLAND OF TERROR is one of these movies that deserves a " 100 things that I learned from this movie " posts on the message board as in :
" Japan isn't in fact an island " or
" You can make jokes ten minutes after getting your arm chopped off " or
" A stick of dynamite has the same explosive force as a firecracker "
As I said the film is somewhat charming and watchable but much of this is down to the decades passing and horror in the 21st Century revolving around people being kidnapped and slowly tortured to death in stomach churning explicit brutality
Island Of Terrible!
biker4530 April 2002
Warning: Spoilers
Too bad, the plot had the potential to be much better than the finished product turned out to be. To me, ISLAND OF TERROR was a thoroughly boring and predictable yawner. The special effects were laughable, even for the period in which the film was made. Perhaps, being a boorish American, I am missing some of the finer points of British acting and script writing. I saw nothing here that impressed me.
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
The possibility that two scientists attempting to develop a cancer-fighting drug could create (accidentally!) creatures with a well-developed nervous system (they can sense the presence of victims at some distance)and lacking an equally developed system of locomotion (a pack of snails could easily outdistance them) strains the bonds of plausibility. But create them they do, much to the dismay of the local population. These "silicates", by the way, have an appetite for bones only, which they dissolve and suck out using their single, clumsy tentacle. The fact that these creatures are able to catch any human or animal prey is a wonder of nature, because they also emit a loud noise that always precedes their arrival. It is not clear exactly how this noise is produced, as the creatures appear to have no lungs or vocal apparatus. Perhaps it is some sort of audio harmonic vibration produced by their silicon bodies as they drag themselves ponderously across the ground. Even at their snail-like top pursuit speed, they would have trouble overtaking anything moving faster than a rock or tree. In any case, the balance of the victim's body is left lying in a flabby pile wherever it happens to fall (kudos again to the special effects crew for some wonderfully unconvincing rubber dummies). One of the characters states that the creatures divide every six hours, producing two creatures for one. Strange that he should know this, as none of the characters has observed the existence of the creatures for more than six hours (movie time) when the statement is made. The division of the "silicates" is a sight to behold. It looks like two piles of spray-painted gray cow manure separating, while releasing a vast amount of a substance resembling partially congealed Jello mixed with a plate full of spaghetti. One must assume that the special effects men had to work with materials that were readily available, and that there must have been not only a pasture, but a hardware store and an Italian restaurant near the studio. Given the geometric proliferation rate of the "silicates", it is calculated that their population could quickly reach 1 million creatures unless something is done to stop them. The solution is to round up all the cattle on the island, inject them with Strontium-90, and allow the "silicates" to feast on them. Given the facts that there would be thousands of dead "silicates" full of Jello and spaghetti, assorted boneless human carcasses, and tons of flabby radioactive cattle flesh lying around the island at the climax, makes me feel a deep sympathy for those island residents who desired to return to their homes at the close of the film. One can only hope that they had a plentiful supply of clothes pins to place on their noses. By the way, it would be appropriate for the viewer to do the same before watching this stinker!
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
The possibility that two scientists attempting to develop a cancer-fighting drug could create (accidentally!) creatures with a well-developed nervous system (they can sense the presence of victims at some distance)and lacking an equally developed system of locomotion (a pack of snails could easily outdistance them) strains the bonds of plausibility. But create them they do, much to the dismay of the local population. These "silicates", by the way, have an appetite for bones only, which they dissolve and suck out using their single, clumsy tentacle. The fact that these creatures are able to catch any human or animal prey is a wonder of nature, because they also emit a loud noise that always precedes their arrival. It is not clear exactly how this noise is produced, as the creatures appear to have no lungs or vocal apparatus. Perhaps it is some sort of audio harmonic vibration produced by their silicon bodies as they drag themselves ponderously across the ground. Even at their snail-like top pursuit speed, they would have trouble overtaking anything moving faster than a rock or tree. In any case, the balance of the victim's body is left lying in a flabby pile wherever it happens to fall (kudos again to the special effects crew for some wonderfully unconvincing rubber dummies). One of the characters states that the creatures divide every six hours, producing two creatures for one. Strange that he should know this, as none of the characters has observed the existence of the creatures for more than six hours (movie time) when the statement is made. The division of the "silicates" is a sight to behold. It looks like two piles of spray-painted gray cow manure separating, while releasing a vast amount of a substance resembling partially congealed Jello mixed with a plate full of spaghetti. One must assume that the special effects men had to work with materials that were readily available, and that there must have been not only a pasture, but a hardware store and an Italian restaurant near the studio. Given the geometric proliferation rate of the "silicates", it is calculated that their population could quickly reach 1 million creatures unless something is done to stop them. The solution is to round up all the cattle on the island, inject them with Strontium-90, and allow the "silicates" to feast on them. Given the facts that there would be thousands of dead "silicates" full of Jello and spaghetti, assorted boneless human carcasses, and tons of flabby radioactive cattle flesh lying around the island at the climax, makes me feel a deep sympathy for those island residents who desired to return to their homes at the close of the film. One can only hope that they had a plentiful supply of clothes pins to place on their noses. By the way, it would be appropriate for the viewer to do the same before watching this stinker!
Intelligent enjoyable horror from Hammer master Terrence Fisher
lyrad-ecyoj3 February 2005
A strong cast and a strong premise make this a hugely enjoyable 'under siege' monster flick. Peter Cushing, Edward Judd and Eddie Byrne head a cast of stalwart British character actors that includes the ever reliable Sam Kydd and Niall MacGinnis, as they try to uncover the truth behind the gruesome deaths occurring on their lonely fog shrouded island. It's a great little horror film that succeeds due to its excellent narrative pace, its logical progression and its unpretentious nature. Despite its relatively low profile the film is on a par with many of the best Hammer films being made at the time. This should be no surprise as the director is none other than the man calling the shots on much of Hammer's most admired output - Terrence Fisher. He handled most of the Frankenstein movies and a number of the Dracula films, including the startling debuts in each case. He was also responsible for The Mummy, Curse of the Werewolf, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Gorgon. With such a pedigree of atmospheric chillers Island of Terror continues that success but manages to feel new and fresh. Malcolm Lockyer (Dr Who and the Daleks) provides the music and special mention should be made of the great use of Barry Gray's electronic sound effects. Gray was of course the man responsible for the grand music that accompanied most of Gerry Anderson's marionette series and he knew how build tension with quietly suspenseful sound too. The special electronic sound FX that swell out of the gloom adds a foreboding tone to the proceedings whenever the monstrous silicates are near. Are the monsters when finally revealed a bit silly looking? - maybe to modern eyes, but for this reviewer their slow progress and ever multiplying numbers rank up the tension nonetheless. And their method of reproduction is revolting in the best possible way. Highly recommended for fans of Cushing, Fisher and British horror.
Silly and Funny Sci-Fi /Horror Movie of the Sixties
claudio_carvalho14 May 2005
In the Pitkeys Island, located northeast of England close to Ireland, while Dr. Lawrence Phillips (Peter Forbes-Robertson) is researching a cure for the cancer in his laboratory, he accidentally creates a "silicate" creature that sucks human and animal bones. The local police officer finds the "boneless" body of a local and Dr. Reginald Landers (Eddie Byrne) calls Dr. Brian Stanley (Peter Cushing), a specialist in bones, who also invites Dr. David West (Edward Judd) to travel to the island to investigate the event. The girlfriend of Dr. West, Toni Merrill (Carole Gray), borrows his father's helicopter to bring the team to the island, and imposes the condition of staying with them. Together, they try to find a way of destroying the weird monsters with the support of the locals. "Island of Terror" is a silly and funny sci-fi / horror movie of the 60's, having very funny situations, such as when Dr. West puts his hysterical girlfriend in charge of calming down the local citizens; or when he amputates the hand of Dr. Stanley, who does not faint. The creatures are very creepy, considering that it is a 1966 movie, and in the end it is a good entertainment. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "A Ilha do Terror" ("The Island of Terror")
Title (Brazil): "A Ilha do Terror" ("The Island of Terror")
"It's All Soft And Flabby!"...
azathothpwiggins20 July 2020
In ISLAND OF TERROR, a citizen of an island community is found dead. Upon close inspection, it is revealed that the victim's skeleton has been removed, leaving no wounds to the outer body. Could this have anything to do with the nearby scientists who are working on a cancer cure?
Enter Dr. Brian Stanley (Peter Cushing), the area's leading Pathologist, who is called in to assist with this uncanny conundrum. Of course, no ISLAND OF TERROR would be complete without monsters, and sure enough, we find that tentacled globs are responsible for turning the populace into mushy throw rugs. This movie gets extra credit for originality- radioactive cows!- and another great performance from Peter Cushing...
Enter Dr. Brian Stanley (Peter Cushing), the area's leading Pathologist, who is called in to assist with this uncanny conundrum. Of course, no ISLAND OF TERROR would be complete without monsters, and sure enough, we find that tentacled globs are responsible for turning the populace into mushy throw rugs. This movie gets extra credit for originality- radioactive cows!- and another great performance from Peter Cushing...
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
