Island of Terror (1966)

"There was no face. Just a horrible mush with the eyes sittin' in it.", 5 April 2009

Something strange is happening on a small island off the coast of Ireland. A dead body is a rarity in itself, but one with no bones – that's not right. The local doctor realizes he needs help and goes to the mainland to find a couple of experts, Dr. Stanley (Peter Cushing) and Dr. West (Edward Judd). In no time flat, it's discovered that the island is under attack from a strange creature created in a cancer lab. And now that the creature has started multiplying and the bodies have begun to pile up, can anything be done to save the Island of Terror?

Island of Terror isn't anywhere close to being a perfect movie, but it sure is a whole lot of fun. And "fun" is generally all I require to give a movie a good rating. While I readily admit that Island of Terror has its fair share of problems (a dull-as-dishwater lead in Edward Judd, some admittedly weak special effects, Carole Gray being so under-utilized that you almost forget she's in the movie as she ends up being little more than "the woman" required by the script, and more padding than worn on Joan Crawford's shoulders), I still enjoy watching Peter Cushing do his thing. He's a pro and really shows it with a script that occasionally gives him little to work with. Besides, anything with Cushing is worth checking out at least once any way. Old Hammer colleague Terence Fisher is more than capable of keeping things on track. He does a masterful job with the pacing when by all rights the movie should grind to a halt. Another bonus is all the pseudo-scientific babble that I enjoy. Nothing like a lot of doctor mumbo-jumbo to spice things up. Finally, there's some excellent atmosphere in Island of Terror. I remember watching this one when I was much younger and being frightened beyond belief by the idea of the bone-sucking creatures – especially those that jump out of trees. Overall, Island of Terror is a nice example of low-to-no budget British movie making from the mid-1960s.

One moment in Island of Terror that always bothers me is the scene where Cushing's character is attacked. I know the creatures have thus far proved themselves impenetrable to everything that's been thrown at them, but why not give that tentacle one good whack with the axe. Instead, Dr. Stanley's arm is immediately sacrificed. It's always seemed like an odd moment to me.

7/10