Island of Lost Souls [Masters of Cinema] (Dual Format) [Blu-ray] [1932]

I have been waiting for the release of this 30s horror classic forever! Starring Charles Laughton & Bela Lugosi- Laughton is the mad scientist Dr Moreau living on a remote island who transforms wild animals into human abominations- it was made just before the Hollywood Code came in so remains a very strong horror even today- it was banned in the UK for 35 years. HG Wells whose novel it was based on hated the movie & endorsed the UK ban! The movie horrified 1930s US audiences due to its subjects of sadism, beastiality and vivisection & Laughton is fantastic as the sinister sadistic madman- the screams and cries of agony coming from the House of Pain (Moreau's laboratory) will horrify you! An atmosphere of lurking terror runs thru the movie & the powerful ending still frightens audiences! The movie was filmed on Catalina Island off the Californian coast so the jungle settings are real unlike most movies that were shot on studio backlots at the time- Moreau's mansion & lab were constructed on a Paramount sound-stage. Kathleen Burke is unforgettable as the panther-woman Lota (the 19 year old was selected for the part from 60,000 candidates after Paramount conducted a nationwide contest for an exotic-looking actress to play the part-she had been a Chicago dentist's assistant!) & Lugosi is very good in grotesque makeup as the weird Sayer of the Law(spokesman for the savages). This new high-definition digital restoration of the un-cut movie is worth paying the extra for.

NB: As is Amazon's wont, they've lumped together the reviews for various editions of this title together. This review refers to the Spanish DVD, UK video and will be updated when the Eureka Blu-ray/DVD comes out.

"What is the law?"
"Not to eat meat, that is the law. Are we not men?"
"Are we not men?"
"What is the law?"
"Not to go on all fours, that is the law. Are we not men?"
"Are we not men?"
"What is the law?"
"Not to spill blood, that is the law. Are we not men?"
"Are we not men?"

H.G. Wells may have loathed it and the British censor banned it for nearly three decades for being "against nature," but 1932's Island of Lost Souls is still the best and most disturbing adaptation of the author's The Island of Dr Moreau. Certainly Paramount's idea of a horror film was much darker than Universal's classic monster movies of the period, and it tackles its subtext head on without appearing especially heavy-handed.

Looking like a cross between British fascist leader Oswald Mosley, a chubby Adolph Hitler and Little Britain's Matt Lucas (though he claimed he based the character's look on his dentist), Charles Laughton's white-suited vivisectionist turning animals into half-men in his House of Pain on an uncharted South seas island with the aid of Arthur Hohl's disgraced doctor is at once the worst of colonialism personified and the kind of scientist the Nazis would love to have had on the payroll. Ruling over his creations with a whip and a Law based on fear, he's not that far removed from the crazed eugenics experiments that would take place a few years later or of the patronising hypocrisy that would lead to most European colonies to fall to rebellion after the war. Unlike later versions, there's no rationale behind his experiments beyond the desire to prove they can be done, and he has no scruples about trying to mate his creations with the odd human visitor or, if that fails, create a situation that might lead to a convenient bestial rape to further his scientific curiosity. When his inevitable fall at the hands of his experiments comes when they realise man is not a god but mortal like them, it's just as cruel and sadistic, the shots of real-life amputees with cloven hoofs grafted on or mental patients transformed into animals courtesy of Wally Westmore's uncredited makeup effects still shocking today.

If Richard Arlen's human lead doesn't stand much of a chance of doing more than just about getting by against Laughton and Bela Lugosi's Sayer of the Law's screentime is limited to a couple of key scenes, Erle C. Kenton's direction is exceptionally good, with a real visual flair for camera movement that's as striking today as anything in James Whale's films, not least the fluid crane shots revealing the manimals' village or the commanding image of Moreau looking down on his worshipping creations like a malignant god. Hans Dreier's impressive art direction and Karl Struss' dramatic cinematography beautifully compliment what is still one of the best horror films of its kind.

Spanish DVD releases are pretty hit or miss - you'll either get a decent transfer (usually from the majors like Fox or Paramount) or something that looks like the worst of public domain transfers. The Spanish DVD of Island of Lost Souls isn't an official Universal release (it's out of copyright now), but it is surprisingly good quality that's comparable to the laserdisc release though the synch gets a bit wobbly in a couple of scenes. It's English language with optional French or Spanish subtitles, with the 1933 The Vampire Bat and a booklet included as extras. Compared to the pretty lousy quality on the UK video release, it's worth tracking down if you can find a copy and don't want to wait for the Eureka Blu-ray/DVD combo.

This title has been very hard to get hold of, but finally, its here! This is a fantastic film and Charles Laughton is absolutely blow away fantastic! He is an actor's actor & steals every scene with ease. The Panther Woman (KATH BURKE)is exotic & erotic at the same time, & again, is one of the many things you will remember watching this film. Island Of Lost Souls is a horror movie which should be up there with Lugosi's Dracula & Karloff's Frankenstein. it most definatly stands the test of time. However... as for the BluRay Hi defintion look, no, sorry, doesn't really cut the mustard. Don't get me wrong, the film looks great, but not to bluray standards. Now, I know alot of fans of the genre are already putting pen to paper to tell me "I'm wrong", & "remember the age of the film", but stop it NOW! Films like The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind & Snow white & the seven dwarfs look magnificent because the studios involved in the transfers took their time, money & effort in showing us (the general public) what can be done to a classic old film. Its so important to criticise the bluray transfer because when Universal decide to transfer the forementioned Dracula & Frankenstein they get it right. We don't just want to watch Lugosi as Dracula, but, (with the help of a great transfer), have him in our living rooms giving it the old "children of the night" routine. We want to be launched to the top of the tower when Karloff's monster is being fed the electricity. This can be done, we've all seen it. Don't take second best when it comes to 'our' classics (you know who you are)? Insist on the best & the cleanest bluray trnasfers - We Monster Lovers deserve it.