ISLAND OF DEATH

(A.k.a. DEVILS IN MYKONOS; ISLE OF PERVERSION; ISLAND OF PERVERSION; A CRAVING FOR LUST; PSYCHIC KILLER 2; CRUEL DESTINATION)

A perennial favourite from the halcyon days of video nasties and over-zealous censorship in the UK, Nico Mastorakis' notorious 1976 shocker has earned a sufficient cult following over the decades, making a leap to the HD clarity of blu-ray an inevitability.

And here it is, courtesy of Arrow Films Video - who are releasing the film in dual-format editions on both sides of the Atlantic.

The film itself retains its power to entertain on a guilty level, thanks to many dubious qualities.

It concerns Christopher (Bob Behling) and pretty blonde Celia (Jane Ryall), a couple holidaying on the small Greek island of Mykonos. They fuck like newlyweds - they also may or may not be brother and sister. We learn early on that they're wanted back in their home country of Britain, and a black cop is busy trying to trace their current whereabouts.

In the meantime, they're free to cause havoc on the island, demonstrating to viewers just how sadistic they're capable of being. Their charm enables them to befriend people quickly - the local gay couple; a horny painter; a middle-aged spinster with the hots for Christopher - before exacting terrible acts of violence upon them.

Why? Because Christopher sees it as their mission to punish people for their sins (a tad hypocritical, admittedly). And so, individuals are decapitated, pissed on, crucified, choked with paint being rammed down their throat, sliced up with a sword, spear-gunned, hung ... the list goes on.

ISLAND OF DEATH is no doubt familiar to most who frequent these pages. It is, after all, one of the most notorious and enduring titles from the video nasty list as well as being a landmark in terms of taboo-trashing 70s exploitation. It has it all here: homophobic hatred, racist subtext, incest, buggery, rape, bestiality (first-timers never fail to drop their jaw when 'that' early goat scene hits them), water sports and extreme violence.

And yet, the curious nature of the film - its risible, sometimes dreamlike, performances; Mastorakis' cartoon-like screenplay which propels us from one politically incorrect event to the next; the ill-fitting but oddly effective light ballads placed conspicuously throughout proceedings; a sense of escalating ludicrousness that can't help but elicit titters, come the bizarre finale - means it's never anywhere near as offensive as it sounds on paper.

While all of the above undeniably conspire to rob the film of the traumatic power it attempts (Mastorakis apparently wanted to outdo THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE in terms of disturbing onscreen perversity), they also lend the film a campish charm that helps it endure as tacky entertainment to this day.

It has to be noted too that ISLAND OF DEATH is actually well-shot (there are some beautiful images peppered throughout) and tautly edited. Also, each character - while performed by obvious novices - is quirky enough to remain memorable long after the film reaches its close.

Above all though, the film is never dull. Behling's fevered delivery and Ryall's cute smile illuminate the rare moments of storyline, while the remainder of the running time is pretty much filled with nudity, transgressive sex and bouts of crudely drawn ultra-violence.

Originally banned in the UK, the film has since been passed uncut and it's in its full uncensored form that it makes it onto blu-ray here.

The film is presented in its correct aspect ratio of 1.33:1, complete with the original "camera shutter" style opening credits sequence which was absent from the Allstar Films DVD release of a few years back.

Owning a sizeable MPEG4-AVC file, the full 1080p HD presentation restores the film from a nicely clean-looking print. This offers a wonderful amount of clarity along with bright colours, naturalistic flesh tones and a keen sense of filmic depth. The sun-kissed locales assist the film in its often bright look, while darker scenes fare well too thanks to an absence of unsightly compression noise. With a fine layer of grain on hand to further suggest the reigning in of unwelcome DNR (there's no evidence of any undue tampering, this is an excellent visual representation of the film, easily the best it has ever looked.

The original English LPCM audio track is impressive too. Minor instance of background hiss are unavoidable due to damage on the original master tapes per the accompanying booklet. These are infrequent (the most obvious moment occurs roughly 12 minutes in), leaving the remainder of playback to be clean, clear and consistent. Optional English subtitles for the Hard-of-Hearing do a fine job throughout.

A salacious animated main menu page warns newcomers of the feral delights to come (as well as the bad music!). From there, pop-up menus include a scene selection menu allowing access to the film via 12 chapters.

Extra features begin with a superb 38-minute examination of the film and its history from author Stephen Thrower. He mixes impressive research with fanboy enthusiasm and personal experience, resulting in this not only offering a highly informative but also absorbing and entertaining companion piece to the main feature. There's some great footage from other Mastorakis films here too, as Thrower examines the director's career pre and post ISLAND OF DEATH. Needless to say, it's spoilerific - so don't watch it before the film, should you be new to this experience.

Mastorakis turns up in the following two features: the 17-minute "Return to the Island of Death" and a previously available 23-minute onscreen interview with the director. In the former, the filmmaker revisits the film's shooting locations while offering random musings; the latter finds him speaking with disdain for the film, but at the very least offering some insight into its casting (including his own awful cameo as an author) and the truth behind the goat scene.

Two alternate opening sequences are brief but interesting, bearing the titles DEVILS IN MYKONOS and ISLAND OF PERVERSION respectively.

If you think you need to hold on to your old Allstar Films DVD to retain those isolated songs, fear not: they're all ported across here, under the sub-menu heading "Island Sounds". Be warned, one listen to these five tunes will embed the melody to "Destination" in your brain for weeks to come...

A 3-minute theatrical trailer is pretty worn in look but great fun regardless. It certainly doesn't shy away from highlighting the film's more exploitative elements. The onscreen title here is CRUEL DESTINATION.

A 4-part VHS-quality documentary follows, narrated by Mastorakis himself. It covers his career comprehensively, taking in films such as BLIND DATE, SKY HIGH, ZERO BOYS, GLITCH, THE WIND, NIGHTMARE AT NOON etc. Clips aplenty in this mammoth undertaking, which runs for 147 minutes in total. As with the above featurettes, Mastorakis speaks in English throughout.

We also get a trailer reel for an array of titles from Mastorakis' largely obscure catalogue, which lasts no less than 34 minutes in length (this includes BLIND DATE, SKY HIGH, THE ZERO BOYS, NIGHTMARE AT NOON, BLOODSTONE and more).

Rounding off this most impressive set is a 24-page booklet containing some great colour photographs along with notes on the restoration, full credits for the film and an excellent new essay from Johnny Walker. We also get reversible cover art (the reverse reproduces the iconic UK video release artwork. Nice).

ISLAND OF DEATH is a premium slice of trashy taboo-breaking entertainment, truly one of those films that "they don't make like this anymore". It looks magnificent on blu-ray, and comes equipped with a sterling array of bonus materials.

Highly recommended.

Review by Stuart Willis