Island of Lost Souls

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John W Its a decent film, but it is rather boring, and takes a while to get going. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 10/14/24 Full Review Dave S Drifting aimlessly at sea after your ship sinks is bad enough, but things go from bad to worse when shipwrecked sailor Edward Parker (Richard Arlen) finds himself trapped on a fog-shrouded island with the evil Dr. Moreau (Charles Laughton), a mad scientist experimenting in transforming wild animals into humans (“do you know what it means to feel like God?”). Released in 1932, The Island of Lost Souls is a surprisingly effective thriller for its time, filled with subdued but effective performances, creepy lighting, claustrophobic exterior locations, and a sense of foreboding that never lets up. As an added bonus, you get to see Bela Lugosi in a small role as the Sayer of the Law, face covered in fur but with a voice as distinct as any other. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/08/24 Full Review Blu B A Classic Horror Movie. This is by far the most superior version. It's not even close. The acting is solid led by a very stong performance by Charles Laughton. He balances being sophisticated, twisted, and charming perfectly despite not being menacing. Everyone else is solid all around. This is by far the best version of Edward despite not having much backstory this one gives him the most out of all of them though. The cinematography and editing are both really strong. This has great set design with memorable shots and the monsters of the island are good and varied. Easily the best version of all of them while not necessarily the best monster makeup I've ever seen. I think what makes this one work best is they still look majority like humans with most of them having only mild deformities so it looks better. This stays focused the entire way mostly on Edward and doesn't attempt o really give the beasts any backsory. Relying mostly on Moreau through dialouge to do so and are more tools of his than anything. It results in a more focused story on the underlying commentary of trying to play god. This never feels like it is ever menadering either and follows a natural flow the entire way even when it cuts away to his girlfriend. The pacing is solid also. While this is very short and the ending which is really good is only 5 minutes or so this never feels rushed or underdevloped despite a slow burn the entire way and lack of any music outside of the title cards. It stays focused on the human connection, the underlying message, has no bizarre weird stuff, and is very well executed. Anyone who is a fan of horror movies, any actors in this, the director, or wants to see the best version of the novel adapted should watch this. Not even close in terms of this being the best one. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/14/23 Full Review Christopher S The inventiveness of creativity is on full view here. Without the fallback of CGI, this film manages to give us several looks at human-like creatures that become part of the delight of this film. An interpretation of Isle of Dr Moreau, HG Wells hated this film because he thought it focused too much on lewdness. One of the central characters, a panther woman, spends much of the movie trying to learn from and love the protagonist. You feel the tenuous hold that Moreau has over all the creatures of the island, and find it hard to believe that he could possibly be so callous. He's a mad scientist that presents himself as an academic with impeccable manners. Watch this to give yourself a refreshing break from the overstimulating, overdone films of today. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/18/23 Full Review Josh G While it's impressive for the time it seems to be short and not very suspenseful. It has a neat story the novel does better, the make up effects are good but not great. A mediocre universal monster film. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 04/27/23 Full Review Steve D Too dated to work anymore. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 04/09/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Island of Lost Souls

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