Review of Island of Terror

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.