4.4
The cast and crew of a low budget movie, filming on an island, are murdered one by one in accordance with the lethal lyrics of a punk rock song.
Marie-Alise Recasner
Donna
Rick Dean
Jim (as Dean Richards)
Ron Gardner
Franklin Phlegm
Terence Goodman
Steve Faith
Richard Helm
Rick
Jeanine Marie
Lyn
Jared McVay
Bert
G. Rockett Phillips
Taylor (as Gary Phillips)
Bari Suber
Betty Jean 'BJ'
Steven Tash
Phil
Jimmy Williams
Policeman
Director, Writer
William T. Naud
June 29, 2023
5
**_Little known slasher about, you guessed it, victims stuck on an island with a slayer_**
A producer, director and seven cast members meet on a small isle off the coast of SoCal to make a movie, hosted by a curmudgeonly recluse. People immediately start dying in dubious ways. Who’s the killer and why is he or she murdering them?
“Island of Blood” (1982), also known as “Whodunit” and “Scared Alive,” is an obscure early 80’s slasher that starts well enough with a little droll humor and Bari Suber being notable on the feminine front as BJ (her only role as an actress). Marie-Alise Recasner is also effective as Donna.
Unfortunately, there’s not enough human interest to hold one’s attention as the characters are cardboard. Worse, the second half devolves into dull chase/assault sequences in the dark and, mostly, inside a schoolhouse. The ending is quite good, however; a nice surprise.
The contemporaneous "Humongous" (1982) and “The Slayer” are better films of this ilk, as are the later “April Fool’s Day” (1986) and "American Gothic" (1987). By “ilk,” I mean slashers with the milieu of a remote island. "A Bay of Blood" (1971) is another example, although that’s set at a bay, yet similar enough.
The flick runs 1 hour, 19 minutes, and was shot at Paradise Cove, Malibu (beach and island scenes), Dana Point Harbor (marina) and San Fernando Valley.
GRADE: C
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$0.00
Revenue:
$0.00