By Garon Cockrell
Michael Caine versus Pirates. What else do you need me to say about it?
The Island
The Film:
The Island is a movie that has been in my mind for years and
years. I remember seeing it on the video
store shelves when I was a kid browsing the horror section even though I knew
my mom would not rent me any of the films.
It has an almost iconic cover that I never forgot and this is the first
time I’ve had the chance to see it.
Michael Caine plays a reporter who investigates a series of
missing persons in the Caribbean. He
drags his son along to after promising to take him to Disneyworld. Spoiler:
They don’t make it. Instead they
fly to an island in the Caribbean where Michael Caine investigates and they get
kidnapped by pirates. Honest-to-goodness,
straight-out-of-the-17th-century, no-idea-modern-life-exists pirates.
Here’s the weird thing about The Island. It’s not a horror movie. Sure it has some gore but that doesn’t make
for a horror movie. It feels more like a
dark adventure movie or even a drama.
There are no scares and it doesn’t even make an attempt to be
scary. It’s just a weird situation where
this group of people have lived as pirates and by pirate code for centuries and
fair warning, they talk like it and it’s very hard to understand them most of
the time.
If you are looking for a horror movie, don’t look here.
The Disc:
This is a barebones release as far as Scream Factory
releases go. Short on features means
the movie has to stand on its own. Of
course we have a great transfer but I think people coming to this expecting a
horror film are going to be disappointed.
Still, as far as the disc is concerned, it really does look
great. The beautiful scenery is
wonderfully displayed with sharp colors and a really crisp picture.
The Features:
- Trailers
The Specs:
Blu-ray
- 1080p High-Definition Widescreen (2.35:1)
- DTS HD Master Audio 2.0
- English-only Audio & Subtitles.
- Original Release: 1980
- Runtime: 109 minutes
- Rated R
DVD
- Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) (DVD)
- Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0
Final Grades:
Story: B / There
aren’t many murderous pirate films out there and The Island is a pretty good
one.
Presentation: B /
Great picture but feature light.
Scare Factor: D / No
scares because despite being categorized as one this is not a horror movie.
Gore Factor: B / I
think the murders are why this is called a horror film. They’re not overly gory or scary but they are
there.
Repeat view-ability:
B / Michael Caine is great as usual and that and the unique pirate
element might be enough for multiple viewings.
Add The Island to your collection, click HERE!
Add The Island to your collection, click HERE!
