31 Days, Day 3: ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU (1977)
A beautiful DVD transfer, The Island of Doctor Moreau stars Academy Award winner, Burt Lancaster, (Best Actor, Elmer Gantry – 1961), Michael York (Cabaret; the Austin Powers trilogy) and Barbara Carrera (Never Say Never Again; Dallas). It is technically the fifth film adaptation of H.G. Wells’ classic novel of the same name, but only the second English language adaptation.
If you aren’t familiar with the story, it is the tale of Dr. Moreau, a scientist living on an isolated island, who is experimenting on animals attempting to convert them into human beings. Results vary.
The DVD special features leave something to be desired as there are only two to speak of:
- Audio commentary with Jeff Belanger (author, public speaker, and paranormal investigator) and Dr. Dreck (horror host and actor).
- “The Island of Doctor Moreau as Theological Grotesque” an essay by German Beauchamp (English professor at The University of Michigan).
The audio commentary is entertaining and informative. Both men were great choices for the job, and the essay is thoughtful, educated. And well written. However, the essay is poorly presented as its literally just words on a screen with no sound, scenery, narration or anything else.
Overall, it’s a fun watch, and a nice release by Olive Films.
