The summit of intelligent & atmospheric British sci-fi/horror was inarguably reached by Hammer's "Quatermass"-trilogy. There simply aren't any contemporary Brit-movies that can live up to those masterpieces, but several others are nevertheless qualitative and worth seeking out as well, like the trio of films that Terence Fisher made for the short-lived production company Planet. They are "The Earth Dies Screaming", "Island of Terror" and this compelling sleeper "Night of the Big Heat" a.k.a "Island of the Burning Damned". Although not a Hammer production, it reunites three of the most skillful and legendary Hammer veterans, namely director Terence Fisher and the nearly inseparable acting duo Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. The latter stars as a grumpy and asocial scientist conducting bizarre experiments with mirrors and cameras at the small island of Fara. Something is terribly wrong at Fara, because it's the middle of winter, yet temperatures and humidity are extremely high, while the radio simultaneously reports that the British mainland is covered in snow and freezing cold. We are made aware quickly, via whirring sounds and foreboding POV camera angles, there's an evil and crawling presence at the island, but it takes a while before cranky researcher Hanson (Lee) shares his findings with the rest of the island community. He believes energy-starved aliens landed on Fara and test if our planet is a suitable new habitat for them. How do you battle creatures that destroy all resources and equipment through their intense body heat, and cause people to spontaneously combust if they come too close? "Island of the Burning Damned" is slow-paced but atmospheric and the nature of the alien menace remains mysterious because we don't get to see them until final 10 minutes. The suspense is noticeably mounting, however, since the protagonists' clothes become more and more soaked with sweat and everybody is behaving increasingly hostile. The temperatures aren't the sole cause of the unbearable heat at the island, by the way, as hotel owner Jeff Callum's lewd mistress Angela has also come to the island to confront Jeff and his unsuspecting wife. The experienced Fisher makes great use of the claustrophobic island location and does a terrific job in depicting the troubled relationships between the lead characters as tense and as intriguing as the growing threat of alien presence, which is remarkable to say the least. There are flaws in the script, of course, like for example that the heat is causing machinery to go defect and television sets to explode before ordinary people even start fainting. Christopher Lee, Patrick Allen and the unearthly beautiful Jane Merrow put down excellent performances, but Peter Cushing is sadly and somewhat clumsily downgraded to the insignificant supportive cast. What is that about? The climax is also quite a letdown, but overall seen is "Night of the Burning Damned" a recommendable slice of British 60s Sci-Fi.