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Summary: By Far the BEST version of this movie/Lancaster great!!
Review: Such an excellent parable about humankind and its pretense of being above its animal instincts! Better than the book (which is excellent itself.)
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Summary: Back to the Island
Review: This Late 70's update of The Island of Lost Souls ( wisely retaining H.G. Well's original title) offers up two reunions in addition to its tropical horrors. Make-up artist John Chambers reunites with Don Taylor (both having worked on Escape from the Planet of the Apes in 1971) for this tepid but watchable adaption. Post's indifferent directing sabutages numerous potential horror moments, especially in the revelation of the various Humanimals on the island. The make-up seems dated even for its time (The Apes in Planet of the Apes look better) but perhaps that is why MGM had released this under its cheesy Midnite Movies banner.Castwise, Micheal York does a better job then most have done with that role in other film versions but Barbera Carrea's character suffers from underexposure (well, dramatically speaking) and the hints of her origins are never properly addressed in the movie. Burt Lanchaster plays a formidable and active Moreau and his performance is by far the best in the film. Worth noting, the movie reunited him with former circus buddy Nick Cravat; costar of earlier films w/ Lanchaster such as The Crimson Pirate and The Flame and the Arrow. In comparison to other film versions, this one plays very well, albiet somewhat lackluster. Not as zany as the 1996 film and certainly an improvement on the 1933 film. The DVD features a solid transfer although there are 2 blue film blemishes that appear very fast. The disc is pretty bare bones with only the trailer as a supplement. But for 9.99 one can not complain. If you're already a fan of the film, then get it.
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Summary: Best movie about the human species darkside and frailties!
Review: This movie is very thought provoking, it reveals the inner deamons that every person has and/or wants to bring out sometime in their life. Michael york brings out a stellar performance! This should be a requirement in highschool for a literature class or college. It could also be used for a philosophy class. This Movie is in the genre of 'Antigone', and also best characterizes Platoism and Aristotle to an extent. -Excellent
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Summary: Philosophical Tale Well Told
Review: This version of the classic H.G. Wells tale is infinitely superior to the '96 remake. It sustains its reputation because, like all enduring films, it is character driven. In no way do the the creature effects, which are adequately effective, take precedence over the actors' abilities. The scene where Braddock (Michael York), confined to a cage, struggles to assert his willpower in recounting his childhood memories, remains a truly convincing piece of cinematic acting. The DVD version, however, is supposedly in widescreen. That's W--I--D--E--S--C--R--E--E--N ladies and gentlemen. The peripheral view here has been simply narrowed, with the black bars at the top and bottom serving no other purpose than to further restrict a viewer's access to more of the original picture. Is it to censor out the fleeting exposure of Barbara Carrera's nipple? (Nah, can't be. That'd be ridiculous.) Perhaps the persons at MGM responsible for this DVD transfer should be sent on a retraining course to better understand the concept of widescreen format. Use of the term "widescreen" with regards to this DVD version is basically misrepresentation. The VHS Full Screen version actually provides more picture acreage. Regardless, the film itself succeeds well in its conveyance of the dangers of amoral scientific advancement, the subjugation of perceived inferiors, and the inhumane versus the humane, all in an entertaining manner.
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