Review of Isle of the Dead (1945) by Matt F — 26 Oct 2010

Isle is an exercise in suspenseful, psychological horror. Val Lewton was handed a slate of poverty row subjects to tackle back in the 40's and effectively spun gold out of hay. Isle is generally considered one of Val's poorer stepchildren beside the likes of I Walked With A Zombie, Bedlam and The Body Snatcher. But I feel it succeeds in a way those others don't, in being a taut, perfectly paced thriller which causes the viewer to question whether the events are, or aren't supernatural in cause.

And Karloff does a fantastic turn as Gen. Pherides, a military man possessed of a very regimented sense of order who places the chain of command heirarchy above all else in life. Far different, you'll find, from a good many of his other characters. Poverty row, as if!