Isle of the Snake People

Rating:
Summary: Poor Boris!
Review: In retrospect, it's a good thing Boris Karloff didn't live to see this trashy horror flick. The ailing, 80-year-old actor was glad to be working, but he could have selected a better project than "The Snake People." Judging by his limited footage, Karloff probably didn't know (or care) what kind of schlock he was making. Sadly, this is exploitation filmmaking of the worst kind. For Karloff completists only.

Rating:
Summary: Boris Karloff as the secret leader of a zombie/snake cult
Review: The natives on Coaibi Island are being terrorized by an evil snake cult. While some are scarified to the poisonous snake of Kalaea (Tongolele) the Reptile Woman, others are turned into zombies by the mysterious Damballah. Police Captain Labiche (Rafael Bertrand) investigates the cult and questions wealthy landowner Karl Van Molder (Boris Karloff), whose niece Anabella (Julissa) is kidnapped by the cult. You will never guess who the mysterious Damballah ends up being at the end of this one.

"The Snake People," known variously as "Cult of the Dead," "Isle of the Living Dead," and "La Muerte Viviente," is one of the four films Boris Karloff made more Mexican producer Luis Vergara. Because of his emphysema, all of Karloff's scenes for the four films were shot in Hollywood during a five-week period in 1968 before the crews returned to Mexico to complete the films. This film, directed by Jack Hill and Juan Ibanez, was finally released in 1971. Despite our affection for Karloff, this is a bad movie and watching it will simply make you feel sad. Go check out one of Karloff's lesser known horror films from the 1930s, like "The Tower of London" instead of this turkey.