ISLAND OF DEATH

Ahh, Greece! Where the sun shines brightly, the sea's deep blue, and the crockery gets replaced on a regular basis!

Or, in this case, a country where two Brits arrive in the glorious holiday resort of Mykonos, after fleeing a bad experience from their past, and go on a seemingly frivolous murder spree, that involves killing anyone who isn't Caucasian and Heterosexual! Up the racism, sexism and homophobia, folks, as here comes Nico Mastorakis' so-bad-it's-almost-genius 1977 anti-tourism flick ISLAND OF DEATH, also known in Australia by its pre-release title of DEVILS IN MYKONOS, which is far more apt.

Released for the first time in the UK, fully uncut, and in its presumably original 4:3 aspect ratio, we quite literally follow a London couple, Celia (listed onscreen as Jane Ryall, but her real name is Jane Lyle) and Christopher (Bob Behling), who arrive for a fortnight's holiday , and go on tour for a bit of "pervert" killing. Yes, that really is all there is to this film. Watch as we meet outrageous homosexuals, lesbian bar-maids, pervy painters and immoral elderly women!

I approached it knowing lots about it, but never having ever seen a single frame. No trailers, no adverts, just the infamous UK Vipco VHS/DVD release cover from a few years back, with the cover illustrated only with the plot, and no images whatsoever. So I was interested to see whether the film deserved its infamy.

Well, the answer to that is both, rather irritatingly, "yes" and "no.

If you watch the trailer, included on Arrow's DVD, you will actually spoil the film, as it showcases all of the highlights over about two minutes, including the odious goat-rape scene. Admittedly, we're not talking full-on bestiality, but you do see as much as can be legally contained under UK guidelines, but more on that in a bit.

The film is absolutely not a horror film, although the content is relatively horrific in tone, which makes it an intriguing choice for Arrow to put out, alongside stuff from the more traditional choices such as Argento or Fulci. A grim, trashy exploitation flick, more than anything: a drama that just goes hell-for-leather to see how much perverse material can be included in the lengthy 100 minute running time. And, by god, does writer/director Mastorakis cram it in! I won't spoil it for those who are due to enjoy its seediness, but you will see why the government got its panties bunched-up when this hit VHS racks in the early 1980's. That cover of a greasy-haired slacker, with the image of a man fellating a gun would become iconic alongside other Nasty covers, such as SS EXPERIMENT CAMP and CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST, and it only hints at the depravity within. Sodomy, rape, torture, the aforementioned goat-rape, and fellating of a firearm, are just some of the delightful pleasures that await viewers. And it even includes a memorably sick scene involving... Well, let me just say that the goat-shagging isn't the worst or most offensive part you'll see, in my humble view! I shall leave you teased, but you'll know it when you see it!

This film is one of the most difficult to actually review. On one level, it's the most pathetic abomination of celluloid I've seen, which even gives exploitation films a bad name, such is the level of bad taste it stoops too. Mastorakis admits in the interview in the extras, that this was his aim: how can I make a film that will make money? By cramming it full of the most exploitative of material, so it's not exactly surprising to anyone, why it has such a negative status. Yet, at the very same time, it's such a unique and brazenly corrupting masterpiece, that I can't praise it highly enough! How twisted is that?

Is it enjoyable? In its own crass manner, yes. It's difficult not to get a bit excited seeing what other kinds of demented action can possibly come next, after you've just seen a man get his rocks off with a goat, and flambéed a woman's face, using a can of aerosol body spray and a cigarette lighter. A scene, I might add, that goes on... and on... and on!

Is it likely to offend? Potentially! Although the passing of time has reduced its notoriety substantially, hence the BBFC being able to pass this safely within the boundaries of an 18 certificate classification. The tone of the movie is absolutely contemptible, and you will hate yourself for revelling in what you're viewing. However, at the same time, it's immensely fascinating - along the same lines as watching someone threaten to jump off the top of the Eiffel Tower, and you know that you simply must stay a few seconds longer, just in case you become witness to a real-life, grotesquely unpleasant suicide attempt. Simultaneously you're daring yourself to see what happens when that individual leaps! Should I stay and watch, or will the reality of death be too much to cope with? It's a truly difficult film to morally deal with. Unlike other works such as SALO, LIFE AND DEATH OF A PORNO GANG, or CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST, you know that these are morally unacceptable viewing. You can admit this, with ease. It's a no-brainer. With something like ISLAND OF DEATH, though, it sucks you in to its sadistic pleasure-world, and dares you to watch, even though you know full well, it's wrong on every level. But there you sit, fascinated and appalled at the very same time, smirking to yourself "I know I shouldn't, but I just can't bloody help it"!

Is it worth buying? If you pre-order this now on Amazon, you can get it for just under a tenner, in which case, I'd say go for it. Any more than this, and I would say a resounding "no"! It just isn't worth your hard-earned!

The extras are reasonable for a relatively-obscure movie of this nature: a short interview with Mastorakis, a Q&A session, some music clips, and the trailer. I knew there'd be no feature-length "Making Of's" here, but I do wish more information about the lead actors had been included, especially as both were British and played an English couple in this film. Bob Behling's career was limited, although he did star in CUJO and THE ENFORCER, which isn't too bad. And whatever became of Jane Lyle? Alas, we will never know, as her only other known work, was back in 1978, and another little-known Greek sleazefest called EROTIC NIGHTMARE. Since then, she's disappeared into obscurity, more's the pity! I admit, ISLAND OF DEATH is hardly a career highlight that you'd want to associate yourself with, but there must be someone who knows what happened to Ms Lyle, and at least let us all know if she is alive and went on to greater things, or led a miserable life because of the movie's notoriety and the associated stigma it gave her.

This is certainly a film that will divide opinion sharply. It is rubbish in many senses of the word, with diabolically ham-fisted acting, ropey dialogue, and DIY-home movie cinematography. Neither is it up to the highest of standards of Arrow's previous catalogue titles. They've done a good job, on what is a limited-interest title that probably won't make back much more than it has cost them to produce and release, but don't go expecting the deluxe treatment you are normally used too. The picture quality is reasonable. It has been remastered, but it's only just over VHS quality, and whilst the image is relatively clean and bright throughout, there are occasional minor dropped frames, scratches and dust debris remain, and it isn't a title that is going to dazzle your home cinema in any shape. I guess you could say, the quality almost fits the nature of the film itself! Audio-wise, there's only the original mono English audio, which is satisfactory, but it is very, very quiet and does still contain some background hiss, so you will have to adjust the playback level accordingly. I suspect, though, that this is not the fault of Arrow, but the master print itself simply not being up to the same kind of standard we might normally associate with films just over 30 years of age.

Still, if you do want to see this movie, this is certainly the best release, that I've ever seen or heard of, and for that reason alone, Arrow deserve to be commended for aiming their eyes at other non-Italian, non-horror works. I do hope that they will expand their Cult Films' releases, and look at other exploitation films, whether they are horror-based or, as in the case of ISLAND OF DEATH, just outright sleazy in tone! It makes a nice change of pace from the normal guts and gore Arrow usually cough-up. Thus, I do recommended this DVD overall, but don't expect a First-Class viewing experience. It's simply not that kind of a movie!

The completed release, should include a full-colour booklet, poster, and other assorted ephemera, which was unavailable with my Preview Disc.

Review by Pooch