Showing posts with label Carole Gray. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carole Gray. Show all posts
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| Dangerous tentacle of silicate |
When the body of a man is discovered with all of his insides somehow sucked out on an isolated island, Dr. Brian Stanley (Peter Cushing) and Dr. David West (Edward Judd of First Men in the Moon) are called in for consultation by the local constable, John Harris (Sam Kydd). There the two men discover more dessicated corpses, and learn that researchers attempting to create living matter to counteract cancer cells only succeeded in creating silicon-based tentacled creatures ["silicates"] that feed on humans and animals by leeching away bone via osmosis. While the monsters themselves aren't the most frightening things in the world, Island of Terror is still quite creepy, has good performances from the leads, Kydd, and Carole Gray [Curse of the Fly] as West's plucky date, and offers some fairly unusual beasties in the bargain. There are a couple of illogical moments, such as when one character takes an axe to another's arm instead of chopping at the tentacle that ensnared it, and the idea of herding everyone on the island into one place so the monsters can congregate and feed on them is also a boner, especially when they've already herded some animals together for that purpose. Cushing is as marvelous as ever.
Verdict: Fun monster movie despite some dumb moments. ***.
In this sort-of sequel to The Fly and Return of the Fly, a hitherto unknown second son of Andre Delambre named Henri [in Return of the Fly Andre's son was named Philippe] and played by Brian Donlevy, has continued his father's research -- aided by his two sons, Martin (George Baker) and Albert (Michael Graham) -- with miserable results. Martin's wife and others went through the teleportation machine and came out twisted freaks which the "kindly" Delambre keeps isolated in the stables! Although he's already married, Martin comes across a woman (Carole Gray) who escapes from a mental institution, falls in love with and marries her, and brings her home, never telling her about the misshapen wife (Mary Manson) he's already got who isn't even allowed in the house! Yet these Delambres are presented as "nice" people. Inspector Charas, played by Herbert Marshall in the first film, appears briefly, this time played by Charles Carson. The film never answers the question of how Andre Delambre could have fathered another son after he was killed by his wife in The Fly. Curse of the Fly takes material from the first two films and doesn't do very much with it. Perhaps the most horrifying thing about the movie is that George Langelaan, who wrote the novella "The Fly," receives no onscreen credit [maybe he preferred it that way!]. Curse of the Fly holds the attention and isn't badly acted, but it pretty much wastes some terrific ideas. Sharp also directed Rasputin, the Mad Monk.
Verdict: Swat this fly! **.