Le démon dans l'île

Exceptional movie and not too many subtitles to handle. But I can't for the life of me figure out how the doctor did not die of cancer by the end of the movie with all the cigarettes she smoked.

I remember seeing a trailer at the Friday evening movie preview program back in the early eighties on Belgian television when I was a kid.They showed the scene where a woman gets stuck in an oven with her arm. Although it took me more than ten years to finally watch it because it was never released on video in the Flemish speaking part of Belgium, only in the french speaking part. I really hope Le Demon Dans L'ile will be released on DVD one day because it's a very well made French horror movie with a lot of gore, suspense and well done special effects. A must have for all horror fans around the world, if you can find it on tape.

Only one comment and a very negative one.It's not that much bad.It will never be a horror classic but it's original,it has a screenplay (95% of horror movies rely on special effects today),and two very good leads:Anny Duperey -some users will remember she was Al Pacino's co-star in "Bobby Deerfield" - is a very attractive woman who never had on the silver screen the parts she deserved and had to content herself with mediocre telly series.She plays a doctor who arrives on an island to be confronted with mystery and a disturbing colleague,doctor Marshall (Jean-Claude Brialy ,whose mischievous performance verges on camp).Domestic appliances go crazy and people are disfigured,maimed,burned ,you name it.And they are unplugged at that! Leroi creates fear in the kitchens and I'm not sure that,after watching "le demon dans l'ile" ,you will use a razor,a stove ,a coffee-maker and even a glass without a reservation.

One can deplore the ending,which is borrowed from De Palma's "Carrie" .But all that remains is entertaining,and Duperey displays resilience and authority all along the way.

This brought back memories, I had obviously seen the film when I was younger. A rather rare film today, currently only available as a TV rip. The French flair is as obvious as the attempt to cover as many genres as possible. Mystery, crime thriller, drama, mad scientist and even a little splatter. It succeeds harmoniously and both the suspense and the entertainment level are maintained throughout. There are many bloody interludes, which stylistically anticipate the 'Final Destination' series, for example, but are more amusing than convincingly realised. The atmosphere is generally best described as grubby. Knowing how, the director was usually more into soft erotica. Emmanuelle here, Emmanuelle there. Here, however, it stays with covered skin. The main cast performs convincingly, but the smaller roles fall well short. A nice journey through time, but personally not a film for the collection.

Forget visual effects, they are... well... Let's say there is no visual effect. The story ? Forget the story, even scenarist has forgotten the story. Acting is not convincing anybody. As we say in France : "Circulez, y'a rien à voir" ("Go away, there's nothing to see").

The only positive point : it was one of the very rare try for a french fantastic movie.