Movie Review: Island of Terror (1966)

by StevenHelmer

A review of the 1966 horror movie starring Peter Cushing and Carole Gray.

Synopsis: A cancer research experiment goes wrong and results in the creation of seemingly indestructible bone-eating creatures, endangering everyone living on a remote island. With no way to escape and the creatures multiplying at a frightening rate, a team of scientists must figure out a way to destroy them before the monsters kill every other living thing.

Who's in it?

Island of Terror [VHS]

A scientist searching for a cure for cancer unleashes deadly bone-eating monsters on a tiny Irish island.

View on Amazon

A Good Classic Horror Film

I told my daughter I would watch a movie with her last night after school/work and, when I let her pick the movie, this was the film she chose. Since I hadn’t seen it before, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from it. However, as it turns out, it was actually a pretty interesting and somewhat creepy movie.

I will start out by warning you this movie is much more graphic than many other horror movies from this era. I’m pretty much desensitized now but there were scenes in this film that had even me feeling a little squeamish. There wasn’t anything that left me feeling this movie wasn’t suitable for my 10-year-old daughter. But, it was a little more intense than either of us expected.

The thing I really liked about this movie is it put the characters in a pretty hopeless situation. The island was isolated and the only way off was by ferry or helicopter, neither of which was readily available. To make matters worse, the creatures multiplied whenever they ate (and they were constantly eating) and nothing seemed to hurt them. In fact, the only thing the island residents had going for them was the fact the creatures weren’t very fast.

The special effects in this movie weren’t anything that I would consider overly impressive (the creatures reminded me of something I would expect to see in a classic “Doctor Who” episode). However, given the year this movie was made, I did think they were decent enough. And, as I said before, while some of the worst scenes (such as the creatures sucking the bones out of a herd of cattle) were conveniently kept off screen, there was just enough shown to make the alien-like creatures creepy (especially with that annoying noise they made).

Probably my only real complaint about this movie is I wasn’t a big fan of Gray’s character. She was obviously brought in as eye candy, which is OK. However, she really didn’t seem to have much of a purpose when it came to the overall plot, other than to being the weak female the strong men had to protect (something that has always been a big pet peeve of mine when it comes to movies like this).

The Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection, Vols. 1 & 2

Prepare to be blown away with 10 out-of-this-world adventures from the golden age of Hollywood in The Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection: Volumes 1& 2! Loaded with innovative sp...

View on Amazon

Final Opinion

If someone were to remake this film with modern-day special effects, I would probably take the time to see it at the theater. However, as it stands, the 1966 version is definitely a movie that is worth watching if you like classic horror films.

My Grade: A

More By This Writer

The Icky, Sticky Mess on the Floor

A young boy discovers a mess in on his kitchen floor one morning and, before he knows it, is trapped as the icky, sticky mess grows larger. Can his mother save the day? The book...

View on Amazon

A Messy House is a Home

In this companion book to "Love Poems for My Wife," Steven Helmer uses poetry to express his feelings about being a husband, a parent and about life in general.

View on Amazon

Updated: 01/12/2016, StevenHelmer
 
Thank you! Would you like to post a comment now?
20

Comments

Only logged-in users are allowed to comment. Login
DerdriuMarriner 23 days ago

Your analysis and your score incline me toward this film even as the public-library system omits it from their collections.

Is a remake at all possible?

You might also like

Movie Review: It! The Terror from Beyond Space (1958)

A review of the 1958 science fiction film that stars Ray Corrigan as a blood-...

Movie Review: Fright Night 2 (2013)

A review of the 2013 direct-to-video vampire movie starring Will Payne and Ja...

Three Classic Horror Movies That Need Remakes

Three horror films that could benefit from either a better script or better s...


Disclosure: This page generates income for authors based on affiliate relationships with our partners, including Amazon, Google and others.
Loading ...
Error!