Director: Michael Ritchie
Run time: 114 Minutes
The Players: Michael Caine, David Warner, Jeffrey Frank, Angela Punch McGregor, Frank Middlemass.
The Island has recently been given a superb Blu-ray release in the UK from Treasured Films. Staring the legend himself Michael Caine (The Italian Job, Zulu & Get Carter).
Staring as Blair Maynard, a British reporter in America, he and his son embark to a mysterious island where boaters in the area have been declared missing. What they encounter is a secret band of buccaneers who’s existence has been a secret for hundreds of years. Blaire refers to them as pirates. As his son is indoctrinated into the group of scoundrels he is kept under lock and key and forced into attempting to breed with the groups of fertile women.
This movie is tough one to categorise. Part horror, part adventure and littered with some funny parts whether intentional or otherwise. Caine puts in a quirky performance equipped with his classic trademark thick framed glasses and curly hair. Watching Hume try and escape is rather soul destroying as he is recaptured again and again.
All the actors perform well and this film is also no slouch in the violence department for horror enthusiasts.
The Blu-ray scan looks great, some scenes pop more than others. With a gory bloodthirsty opening the tone is set. This edition comes with a lovely thin slip box and booklet in the scanovo case with reversible artwork. There’s enough special features. It’s a weird movie unlike anything I’ve seen before. As my YouTuber friend put it “it’s bonkers.”
Movie Score: 3.5/5