Island of the Dead is not on the list of the worst movies ever made, as it's too innocuous to be offensively bad. However, I can honestly recall few films which have bored me as much.
A millionaire (Malcolm McDowell), a couple of cops and three convicts are trapped on Hart Island, where deadly insects are spreading a disease. Every time a character dies we see him gesturing excessively, usually from afar, as he is attacked by insects. After a couple of seconds he gets sick, then dies and quickly decomposes. Everyone else worriedly contemplates the aftermath. Repeat.
A slow build-up is usually a sound approach in horror movies, but when things move slowly there must be SOMETHING to capture the viewers' interest - a compelling premise, luscious visuals, crisp writing, strong performances, an impending sense of dread. Island of the Dead has nothing of this.
Just flies. And people gesturing excessively.
Again.
And again.
Worth mentioning is a surreal sequence filmed in slow-motion, with an absurdly out of place "Yo-ho! Yo-ho!" song as the main characters pose for the camera; a bizarrely kitsch, creatively ugly note in a mire of tedium.
2/10
A millionaire (Malcolm McDowell), a couple of cops and three convicts are trapped on Hart Island, where deadly insects are spreading a disease. Every time a character dies we see him gesturing excessively, usually from afar, as he is attacked by insects. After a couple of seconds he gets sick, then dies and quickly decomposes. Everyone else worriedly contemplates the aftermath. Repeat.
A slow build-up is usually a sound approach in horror movies, but when things move slowly there must be SOMETHING to capture the viewers' interest - a compelling premise, luscious visuals, crisp writing, strong performances, an impending sense of dread. Island of the Dead has nothing of this.
Just flies. And people gesturing excessively.
Again.
And again.
Worth mentioning is a surreal sequence filmed in slow-motion, with an absurdly out of place "Yo-ho! Yo-ho!" song as the main characters pose for the camera; a bizarrely kitsch, creatively ugly note in a mire of tedium.
2/10