Rating: 
Summary: One of the greats!
Review: Even after almost seventy years, Island of Lost Souls is still able to shock and mystify. Extremely atmospheric sets and lighting, good pacing, and grand performances by Laughton and Lugosi make this one to put on the shelf besides such classics as Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Wolf Man. A classic.
Rating: 
Summary: Best horror movie ever? Yup.
Review: Even if you don't like horror films, this one's a classic. Creepy, atmospheric, camp, nasty (it was banned for 30 years in Britain for the "House of Pain" stuff), and featuring an absolutely brilliant over-the-top performance by Charles Laughton, it just doesn't get any better than this. Only Bride of Frankenstein comes close. See this and forget the remakes-- they never get within a mile of this compact and clever gem.
Rating:
Summary: A SPOOKY CLASSIC FROM 1933.
Review: For 35 years, the film was banned in England. As Dr. Moreau, Laughton is the ultimate mad doctor. He isn't experimenting for the good of science, nor is he using his genius to wreak revenge: he knows exactly what he's doing, and he knows why. A classic scene (in which he is speaking more to himself rather than to his guest): "Doctor Parker, do you know what it means to feel like God"? H.G. Wells, the story's author heartily denounced the movie and encouraged it's ban in Britain. Any which way the viewer looks at it, this film is potent stuff - especially considering that it was filmed 7O years ago!. The plotline runs thusly: On a South Seas island, Dr. Moreau transforms animals into humans via vivisection. Kathleen Burke does well as Lota the pantherwoman: her oddly angular yet attractive face and unaffected body language are assets towards a good charactersation. Karl Struss' camerawork is impeccable. Lugosi is memorable as the weird, tortured "Sayer of the Law". Unfortunately, Richard Arlen's performance is rather ineffective and wooden: a rather unconvincing portrayal in a film full of good ones.
Rating:
Summary: "The natives are restless tonight!"
Review: H. G. Wells' novel "The Island of Dr. Moreau" is the source for this exciting sci-fi/horror flick. Charles Laughton as Moreau prissily poses and preens as the mad doctor conducting forbidden experiments in vivisection, a variation of Frankenstein's theory of life and death. As a twisted god, he rules a remote tropical island populated by terrifying animal-man mutants, the failed results of his dark science. Into this menagerie of lost souls stumbles shipwrecked Edward Parker. Moreau has the insane idea to mate Parker to Lota, the delectable panther girl. Lota is Moreau's greatest success, and he wants to verify that she will react sexually to Parker (she does). By 1933 standards, Lota is the sexiest near human around. Her cat-like body movements and brief jungle attire add to her erotic appeal. Bela Lugosi, as a wolf man with a thick accent, is eerily effective as the "Sayer of the Law." His plaintive wailing and drawn out syllables raise the hackles as this jungle Moses articulates "the law" before Moreau. The scary make-up of the animal men conveys dread and fear nicely. The night scenes in the steaming jungle of huge bonfires surrounded by hellish shambling creatures are the stuff of troubled dreams. Moreau's island is Dante's Inferno retold. Things get very grim when the animal men revolt. As the animal men howl and growl in the distance, in a side-splitting moment of unintended humor, Moreau utters that great cliche of old movies: "The natives are restless tonight!" The movie is competently directed by Erle C. Kenton who went on to direct some of Universal's best horror movie programmers. Relax and enjoy the thrills. ;-)
Rating:
Summary: "The natives are restless tonight!"
Review: H. G. Wells' novel "The Island of Dr. Moreau" is the source for this exciting sci-fi/horror flick. Charles Laughton as Moreau prissily poses and preens as the mad doctor conducting forbidden experiments in vivisection, a variation of Frankenstein's theory of life and death. As a twisted god, he rules a remote tropical island populated by terrifying animal-man mutants, the failed results of his dark science. Into this menagerie of lost souls stumbles shipwrecked Edward Parker. Moreau has the insane idea to mate Parker to Lota, the delectable panther girl. Lota is Moreau's greatest success, and he wants to verify that she will react sexually to Parker (she does). By 1933 standards, Lota is the sexiest near human around. Her cat-like body movements and brief jungle attire add to her erotic appeal. Bela Lugosi, as a wolf man with a thick accent, is eerily effective as the "Sayer of the Law." His plaintive wailing and drawn out syllables raise the hackles as this jungle Moses articulates "the law" before Moreau. The scary make-up of the animal men conveys dread and fear nicely. The night scenes in the steaming jungle of huge bonfires surrounded by hellish shambling creatures are the stuff of troubled dreams. Moreau's island is Dante's Inferno retold. Things get very grim when the animal men revolt. As the animal men howl and growl in the distance, in a side-splitting moment of unintended humor, Moreau utters that great cliche of old movies: "The natives are restless tonight!" The movie is competently directed by Erle C. Kenton who went on to direct some of Universal's best horror movie programmers. Relax and enjoy the thrills. ;-)
Rating:
Summary: "The natives are restless tonight!"
Review: H. G. Wells' novel "The Island of Dr. Moreau" is the source for this exciting sci-fi/horror flick. Charles Laughton as Moreau prissily poses and preens as the mad doctor conducting forbidden experiments in vivisection, a variation of Frankenstein's theory of life and death. As a twisted god, he rules a remote tropical island populated by terrifying animal-man mutants, the failed results of his dark science. Into this menagerie of lost souls stumbles shipwrecked Edward Parker. Moreau has the insane idea to mate Parker to Lota, the delectable panther girl. Lota is Moreau's greatest success, and he wants to verify that she will react sexually to Parker (she does). By 1933 standards, Lota is the sexiest near human around. Her cat-like body movements and brief jungle attire add to her erotic appeal. Bela Lugosi, as a wolf man with a thick accent, is eerily effective as the "Sayer of the Law." His plaintive wailing and drawn out syllables raise the hackles as this jungle Moses articulates "the law" before Moreau. The scary make-up of the animal men conveys dread and fear nicely. The night scenes in the steaming jungle of huge bonfires surrounded by hellish shambling creatures are the stuff of troubled dreams. Moreau's island is Dante's Inferno retold. Things get very grim when the animal men revolt. As the animal men howl and growl in the distance, in a side-splitting moment of unintended humor, Moreau utters that great cliche of old movies: "The natives are restless tonight!" The movie is competently directed by Erle C. Kenton who went on to direct some of Universal's best horror movie programmers. Relax and enjoy the thrills. ;-)
Rating:
Summary: A GREAT! old fashioned thriller
Review: I first saw this movie as a young teenager. Like all of the great old thrillers what you don't see is just as scary as what you do see. I've seen 3 remakes of this movie and I can honestly say this was the best. The acting is good and the ending is unbelieveable. Anyone collecting these type of old movies MUST have this one.
Rating:
Summary: This 1932 creepy classic may give you nightmares
Review: I remember seeing this as a kid on TV's "Creature Features" in the early '70s, and it really embedded itself into my consciousness. Edward Parker (Richard Arlen) ends up on an isolated island run by Dr. Moreau (Charles Laughton) in this first film version of the H.G. Wells story.And the film was banned in Britain and many other countries for many years. Perhaps because of what Dr. Moreau is doing: transforming animals into humans. Yes, you heard that right. He found out how to speed up evolution (recall this was only a few years after the Scopes Monkey Trial) and when he does so to animals they become humanlike, but very freaky looking humans... Anyway, Parker becomes attracted to this strange girl (Kathleen Burke) until he sees shes not exactly a girl, she's a former panther. This is the last straw for him and he vows to expose Moreau, but the problem is how to get off the island. If you watch this film, don't be surprised if you have a nightmare containing a man with a whip asking, "What is the law?"
Rating:
Summary: when will DVD be released?
Review: I saw the Island of Lost Souls almosts 30 yrs ago on the local Creature Feature in NYC. I enjoyed it very much. Does anyone know when will this double feature DVD will be released? It's been "waiting for a release date" for the past year! Is this ever going to be released? I believe Europe already had this released some time ago.
Rating:
Summary: That is the law! Are we not men?
Review: The earliest and best H.G. Wells' adaptations is Island Of Lost Souls, based on The Island of Dr. Moreau. After being rescued from a lifeboat by the S.S. Covena, Edward Parker ends up on an island run by the mysterious Dr. Moreau and his assistant Montgomery. The Covena was delivering some animals, mostly dogs, for Moreau. The island also has some pretty strange natives, who are hirsute and barely human. Fortunately, Moreau has a whip that scares them off. Apart from Moreau, Montgomery, and M'ling the servant, there's Lota, a ravishing young girl whom Moreau introduces to Parker. He is curious as to their interractions, as he secretly observes them. The natives also have a strange ritual. Moreau asks them "What is the law?" To which they reply "Not to eat meat. That is the law. Are we not men?" And other replies. The leader of the natives says of Moreau: "His is the hand that makes/His is the hand that heals/His is the house of pain." Those who have read the book will know what's going on, but does not exactly follow it, as is the case with most future Moreau adaptations. Charles Laughton plays Moreau in a variety of shades, far from the typical mad scientist. He's refined, reserved in speech (for the most part), and cunning. His smile, and that weird twinkle in his eyes lends the hint to his (Laughton's) homosexuality, but his performance here demonstrates why Hollywood decided to protect him. Richard Arlen plays Parker as a bit of an uptight and conventional prude, and Leila Hyams as his fiancee Ruth is a perfect match for him. Kathleen Burke is a wonder as Lota--pity she didn't appear in that many films. She gives a sensitive, sympathetic portrayal, speaking in a soft, child-like voice. If I were Parker, I'd dump Ruth for Lota anyday. Bela Lugosi is barely recognizable in furry makeup as the leader of the natives, but once one sees those unmistakable eyes... one instantly recognizes the man who lost his identity playing Dracula ad nauseum. And whoever played the giant Ouran did so with great menace. As this was made before the Hays Code, some of the scenes and implied dialogue on the island is strong for that era. That this was initially banned in many countries and in some parts of the U.S. is not surprising. Pity they don't make movies like this anymore, because it stands heads over many.
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