When Jeff Morgan (Ian Sera) and his sidekick Artelett (David Hatton) are shipwrecked on the eponymous island, they encounter cannibals, giant centipedes and a rubbery monster that resembles a 50 foot tall Jar Jar Binks, but far more terrifying than the creatures is the films attempts at comic relief. Actors whose light comic touch is exceeded only by the skills of Adolf Hitler attempt to get laughs by performing double takes, squealing their lines and generally overacting their way into Bad Movie Hell. Just when you think it cant get any more shocking, along comes a coloured native who rocks an afro, slaps high fives and communicates with cries of Inganga! Inganga! Equally shocking is the twist ending: the shipwreck was manufactured by Morgans Uncle (Peter Cushing), who wanted to strand him on an island he bought at auction (!?) in order to test his mettle. You see, the struggle to survive is the ultimate test to which a man can be submitted (or something), so Cushing populated the island with cannibals from central casting and rubbery monsters created by a famous toymaker, which would.oh, forget it.
Ian Watson is the author of 'Midnight Movie Madness', a 600+ page guide to "bad" movies from 'Reefer Madness' to 'Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead.'
