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Post by stefancrosscoe on Jan 19, 2018 13:35:08 GMT
 "For three hundred years, a terrifying secret has been kept from the outside world."News journalist Blair Maynard (Michael Caine) have just been given the job of trying to come up with some new evidence or answers of what is really taking place not that far off the Bermuda Triangle in the Caribbean, where an increasing number of luxery boats have suddenly gone missing.
I had this film on my watchlist for years, hoping that a decent DVD would come out one day, and suddenly I stood with a copy of it. A scandinavian version with good picture and sound quality. Of course I already knew from before that it was not to be expected a "masterpiece", considering all the negative reviews about it, however I went in and was very pleased by what I saw. This was something completely else than the usual pirate films I had seen, and this was in fact a very enjoyable mix of horror, adventure and action. While I sure enjoyed the b-movie cheese (some hilarious stuff sure goes on here and there), the horror part I thought (at times) was very well done, with some chilling and rather creepy scenes (not gonna spoil but I kind of got the same feeling as at the very end of Sleepaway Camp, the first one). All in all, I like this, so much that I ended up awarding it with a 7/10, not seen it for a while so it might change but I think it is far away of being that horrible as many seems to put it. Hell, it is not even close of the "worst" film Michael Caine did during the 80s, but then again this comes from someone who really like Jaws 4: The Revenge (1987), so maybe it is just me who have a big soft spot for this kind of b-movies. David Warner for me, steals the show. Not gonna spoil the fun but he really is great here, as he mostly are wherever he might show up. The film is based (loosely, not sure since I never read any of his work) upon a Peter Benchley novel and I guess many people still caught up on the Jaws fever was expecting something a bit different than what they got. The film bombed and was critically bashed to pieces but I have noticed over the years that more and more seem to "come out" and speak of it in a much more postive way. The films music is done by the master himself, Ennio Morricone and I really dug it. Beautiful stuff and seems to be one of his lesser known scores, as well. |
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Post by Primemovermithrax Pejorative on Jan 21, 2018 21:00:34 GMT
Best thing about it was when Caine uses the machine gun on the scalawags.
The kung fu drug smuggler was weird.
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Post by Toasted Cheese on Jan 21, 2018 22:43:54 GMT
I have always liked The Island. It is a well made, violent, interesting and perhaps even original adult adventure\thriller. It's tone may appear a bit aloof, due to it's jarring mix of horror, action and black humor; but I feel these shifts in tone are also what helps keep it afloat. Like the weather, it can be somewhat unpredictable. It gives the film a disturbing and capricious edge.
This community of crackpot sociopaths\psychopaths, with their own warped ethics and code are filthy and dangerous, not to mention scary and unpredictable. This simple theme is not lost on the viewer.
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Post by politicidal on Jan 23, 2018 2:24:27 GMT
A remake would be topical today what with Somali pirates and shipping hijacking in the Caribbean or Asia more often now.
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Post by OffTheBoatPsycho on Jan 23, 2018 3:19:20 GMT
Movie poster isn't bad. I saw this many years ago when first on VHS. Didn't like it but I was only about 11 or so. I'm willing to try it again. I might actually try and get the book.
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Post by lakelander on Jan 25, 2018 20:34:03 GMT
Saw it in the theater in first release. It was pushed as a "horror" film, as that was the thing to do in 1980. Also big ad campaign touting Peter Benchley, the author of Jaws, of course. That's one reason why it did poorly right after a fine initial opening. Hyped up that way, so teens wanting horror went to see it and were mad they didn't go to see Friday the 13th instead, or because they just saw Friday the 13th and were bored because it took something more than just sitting there eating popcorn to get it.
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Post by Toasted Cheese on Jan 27, 2018 22:06:55 GMT
Saw it in the theater in first release. It was pushed as a "horror" film, as that was the thing to do in 1980. Also big ad campaign touting Peter Benchley, the author of Jaws, of course. That's one reason why it did poorly right after a fine initial opening. Hyped up that way, so teens wanting horror went to see it and were mad they didn't go to see Friday the 13th instead, or because they just saw Friday the 13th and were bored because it took something more than just sitting there eating popcorn to get it.It's a shame, because if one was to compare it too Friday The 13th, The Island is a far superior film and original. What is there not to like about it? Michael Caine, a tropical setting and the vast ocean, action, crazy, scary characters, intrigue, suspense and graphic violence that was far better portrayed than what Tom Savini got touted for in FT13th. The brainwashing theme, of how the son was turned against his father whom he loved, was also disturbing. |
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Post by Toasted Cheese on Jan 27, 2018 22:09:25 GMT
Movie poster isn't bad. I saw this many years ago when first on VHS. Didn't like it but I was only about 11 or so. I'm willing to try it again. I might actually try and get the book. The movie poster is great, well for my tastes and what I would be drawn too. |
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Post by Toasted Cheese on Jan 28, 2018 1:11:44 GMT
"Did it you do it, or did it you not not?"  |
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