Island of Lost Souls (1932)

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Don't listen to the negative reviews

Crappy film

A Masterpiece!

"Island of Lost Souls" is a wheezy antique, but so well done I couldn't turn it off (or since I DVD'd it, pause it). Don't know how I missed it since it's been around for ages, but it held my interest from start to finish. It is an example of old Hollywood's reversal of the clichéd 'form over substance', as now movies are overpowered by special effects and digital styling. This one is a fascinating story brought to the screen by professionalism in all phases of production as it existed in the 1930's.It is a riveting performance by Charles Laughton that gives the picture currency, and he is ably supported by a youthful-looking Richard Arlen and by Kathleen Burke as Lota the Panther woman, "My best creation", according to Laughton. Long story short, it is an interesting and absorbing screen adaptation of a novel as has ever been produced by Hollywood - before or since.

I genuinely enjoyed this film, and actually found it downright creepy at times. This did what I wanted Frankenstein to be, a creepy yet human experience, as timeless as any tale... told right. I enjoy taking the trip along side of our protagonist, finding out the secrets along with him, and questioning what it means to be human along the way. The antagonist was relatable, leaving us with a dilemma of right and wrong, a line nicely blurred (until the near end it becomes pretty clear sadly). This film has really held up nicely, and does not have any obvious signs of its age, I would've thought it was 12 years newer! If you're a fan of this genre and era, and bothering enough to look at reviews, it's well worth watching!

I know H.G Wells hated this adaptation of his novel "The Island of Dr. Moreau" but the film is a brilliant one. Rather violent for its time - it was banned in Great Britain for many years - this film is a well-made one. Charles Laughton steals the film as the evil scientist, Dr. Moreau. Bela Lugosi was wasted in his brief scenes but still adds a lot to the proceedings.The recent DVD has restored picture and sound quality.One of the leading horror films of the 1930s.

There's an island somewhere out there in the goddamn foggy laden deep blue sea. Here resides Dr. Moreau (Charles Laughton), he has a God complex and he is conducting experiments, turning animals into humans. Unsurprisingly and terrifyingly the results are not exactly a success! Tod Browning's Freaks was released this same year, and when watching Erle C. Kenton's Island of Lost Souls, it makes for the perfect companion piece. Full of haunting imagery, aided no end by cinematographer Karl Struss' stunning photography, it's a film that stays with you long after the end credits have rolled. Berserker science marries up to human chaos to provoke and trouble in equal measure. Laughton gives top villainy, whilst Waldemar Young and and Philip Wylie adapt from the H.G. Wells novel with a cheeky glint in their eyes. The 1930s had some great horror movies, this is up with the best of them. 8/10