Agreed. The commentary's well worth checking out when you get the chance too. I particularly liked the ending sections where a large variety of initial reviews are quoted, which gives a very strong (and interesting) idea of how the film was received without later cultural baggage.manicsounds wrote:Landis, like Leonard Maltin, cannot stop moving his head around while talking. (just watch every Maltin interview, when he stops talking, his head stops moving)
Just finished the disc, except for the commentary. Excellent and varying selection of extras.
586 Island of Lost Souls
- Gregor Samsa
- Joined: Sun Aug 06, 2006 4:41 am
Re: 586 Island of Lost Souls
- manicsounds
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 10:58 pm
- Location: Tokyo, Japan
Re: 586 Island of Lost Souls
Just did, Gregory Mank was excellent in his research and knowledge. I know I've heard him before, but I can't find a list of commentaries that he's done. I have "Mask Of Fu Manchu" from the "Hollywood Legends Of Horror" collection. Anything else?
- Grand Wazoo
- Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2007 2:23 pm
Re: 586 Island of Lost Souls
Here's a nice list of commentaries from his website.
I remember looking for this after hearing his Cat People track. He's a very enjoyable, energetic speaker. I wish more commentaries had the speaker take this much joy in the subject.
I remember looking for this after hearing his Cat People track. He's a very enjoyable, energetic speaker. I wish more commentaries had the speaker take this much joy in the subject.
- matrixschmatrix
- Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 11:26 pm
Re: 586 Island of Lost Souls
The Jekyll and Hyde and Cat People commentaries are excellent, too. I'll have to look the other ones up.
- manicsounds
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 10:58 pm
- Location: Tokyo, Japan
Re: 586 Island of Lost Souls
Yes, "Cat People", that was the other one. Now I'll have to watch "The Mayor Of Hell" sometime soon.
- reaky
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 8:53 am
- Location: Cambridge, England
Re: 586 Island of Lost Souls
I like the notion of getting Devo in to talk on a film they like and that inspired their music. I can see this as a trend that could catch on.
Coming soon to The Criterion Collection: Scott Walker on Bergman (The Seventh Seal); Mick Jones on Nicolas Roeg (E=MC2); Morrissey on Visconti and Pasolini (You Have Killed Me); David Sylvian on Cocteau (Ink In The Well, Orpheus). We don't have to call Deep Blue Something.
Coming soon to The Criterion Collection: Scott Walker on Bergman (The Seventh Seal); Mick Jones on Nicolas Roeg (E=MC2); Morrissey on Visconti and Pasolini (You Have Killed Me); David Sylvian on Cocteau (Ink In The Well, Orpheus). We don't have to call Deep Blue Something.
- tarpilot
- Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2011 10:48 am
Re: 586 Island of Lost Souls
Le Tigre roundtable on Cassavetes!
- Tommaso
- Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 10:09 am
Re: 586 Island of Lost Souls
Yes, pleeaase! These Sylvian videos badly need a proper release.reaky wrote: David Sylvian on Cocteau (Ink In The Well, Orpheus).
Seriously, I found the Devo interview very interesting, as in an obliquely way it's a good indication of how some of the themes of "Island of souls" are still pertinent today (that whole story about the Jocko Homo pamphlet that inspired the song). And that short film is endearingly hilarious. A really nice addition to a release stacked with fine extras.
As to the transfer: fine, of course, but it's another example for CC pushing the blacks to a level where in some scenes you can hardly make out anything. Of course the film should look dark, but not that dark. I don't know, maybe it's because I'm watching on a tube, and these are said to have far better black levels than LCD TVs, so CC might be calibrating their b&w discs in such a way that they look good on LCDs and thus overly dark on tubes. But then, it's the only quality company whose releases have this problem on a regular basis. I raised the brightness level on my tube a little, and was able to get a far better picture, so it wasn't a big problem. But it will be interesting to see the forthcoming MoC as a comparison.
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- Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2016 1:29 am
Re: 586 Island of Lost Souls
Question for you: I have the Criterion DVD. During the scene where Moreau visits Lota to tell her "a man has come from the sea" I could not help noticing an eyelash situated along the top of the frame, about halfway between the left border and the center of the picture. It's dangling into the picture until the end of the scene, and you can even see the little bulb of the hair follicle (in case there's any question of what that curved black line is). Once you notice it, you can't help looking at it. I just think it's funny with all Criterion's claims to have removed thousands of instances of dust, debris etc. that this went unnoticed in the transfer. Has anyone else taken note of this little flaw?
Also, despite some additional lines for Richard Arlen, allegedly (I have not noticed them but I don't deny they are there), there are weird frame drops in scenes that I did not notice on the Universal VHS tape that I replaced with the Criterion disc. Some of the dialogue falls out in the scene where Montgomery gives Moreau his whip at the climax, when he speaks of going back to meet the natives. I hope I'm not being too particular. Generally the dialogue is much clearer than on the Universal VHS version.
Also, despite some additional lines for Richard Arlen, allegedly (I have not noticed them but I don't deny they are there), there are weird frame drops in scenes that I did not notice on the Universal VHS tape that I replaced with the Criterion disc. Some of the dialogue falls out in the scene where Montgomery gives Moreau his whip at the climax, when he speaks of going back to meet the natives. I hope I'm not being too particular. Generally the dialogue is much clearer than on the Universal VHS version.
- Mr Sausage
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:02 pm
- Location: Canada
Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton, 1932)
DISCUSSION ENDS MONDAY, November 1st
Members have a two week period in which to discuss the film before it's moved to its dedicated thread in The Criterion Collection subforum. Please read the Rules and Procedures.
This thread is not spoiler free. This is a discussion thread; you should expect plot points of the individual films under discussion to be discussed openly. See: spoiler rules.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
I encourage members to submit questions, either those designed to elicit discussion and point out interesting things to keep an eye on, or just something you want answered. This will be extremely helpful in getting discussion started. Starting is always the hardest part, all the more so if it's unguided. Questions can be submitted to me via PM.
Members have a two week period in which to discuss the film before it's moved to its dedicated thread in The Criterion Collection subforum. Please read the Rules and Procedures.
This thread is not spoiler free. This is a discussion thread; you should expect plot points of the individual films under discussion to be discussed openly. See: spoiler rules.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
I encourage members to submit questions, either those designed to elicit discussion and point out interesting things to keep an eye on, or just something you want answered. This will be extremely helpful in getting discussion started. Starting is always the hardest part, all the more so if it's unguided. Questions can be submitted to me via PM.
- OldBobbyPeru
- Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2018 1:15 am
Re: Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton, 1932)
Here's my question: WHAT IS THE LAW?
- swo17
- Bloodthirsty Butcher
- Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
- Location: SLC, UT
- OldBobbyPeru
- Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2018 1:15 am
Re: Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton, 1932)
ARE WE NOT MEN?
- OldBobbyPeru
- Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2018 1:15 am
Re: Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton, 1932)
His is the house of pain!
And that's my name for my dentist's office, The House of Pain. Ask your doctor about vivisection. Vivisection may not be for everyone. Side effects include walking upright, eating vegetarian and speaking in a thick Hungarian accent.
And that's my name for my dentist's office, The House of Pain. Ask your doctor about vivisection. Vivisection may not be for everyone. Side effects include walking upright, eating vegetarian and speaking in a thick Hungarian accent.
- FrauBlucher
- Joined: Mon Jul 15, 2013 8:28 pm
- Location: Greenwich Village
Re: Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton, 1932)
Has anyone read the novel? What are the differences from the film? Apparently HG Wells was not a fan of the film
- Gregory
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:07 pm
Re: Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton, 1932)
One of my favorite lines in this is when Moreau is talking about his experiments with plants and he casually points at one example and says, "That's unfortunately what happened to some asparagus."
- knives
- Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm
Re: Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton, 1932)
If memory serves the biggest difference is with the tone and characterization. The book is almost closer to The Tempest as Joseph Conrad novel.FrauBlucher wrote: ↑Mon Oct 18, 2021 6:27 pmHas anyone read the novel? What are the differences from the film? Apparently HG Wells was not a fan of the film
- OldBobbyPeru
- Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2018 1:15 am
Re: Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton, 1932)
Charles Laughton had a pretty good year with this film and The Old Dark House. He was on his way. Lugosi was riding high that year, too. No doubt he never suspected that Dracula was the high point, and it was a slow decline from there to working with Ed Wood. And I don't mean to sound disrespectful, I loved Lugosi when I was a kid. I lived for the Friday Night 'Creature Features' on Channel 2 in Denver. The Universal horror movies were my Marvel Cinematic Universe. I have vivid memories of watching House of Frankenstein and House of Dracula, where Universal piled on all the monsters. Was White Zombie the same year as this?
But this film, as others have noted, was introduced to me by Devo, bless their pointy heads, several years later. It's a great film. The atmosphere, the failed experiments running around the island, the panther woman all stay in my mind. The remakes were all awful--no one came close to this film.
But this film, as others have noted, was introduced to me by Devo, bless their pointy heads, several years later. It's a great film. The atmosphere, the failed experiments running around the island, the panther woman all stay in my mind. The remakes were all awful--no one came close to this film.
- OldBobbyPeru
- Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2018 1:15 am
Re: Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton, 1932)
The real horror (for me, at least), is that at the climax of the film, as the creatures rebel, and start their insurrection, it is impossible to not think of January 6. The creatures become Oath Keepers (What is the law?), and Oaran declares, "Law no more!"
https://youtu.be/LL1bIeDL2ro
The film is from 1932, and America now resembles that year in Germany. This country is doomed. Sorry to get political, but between the pandemic and the rise of neo-Nazis and fascism, I'm a bit shell-shocked.
https://youtu.be/LL1bIeDL2ro
The film is from 1932, and America now resembles that year in Germany. This country is doomed. Sorry to get political, but between the pandemic and the rise of neo-Nazis and fascism, I'm a bit shell-shocked.
- OldBobbyPeru
- Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2018 1:15 am
Re: Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton, 1932)
Never mind. YouTube has blocked the video for copyright reasons. Apparently, a short 90 second clip will bring down the wrath of NBCUniversal, who oddly claimed copyright on a film that should be public domain, or at least Criterion or Janus should be in on it. Did I miss it, did they get bought by NBC? SMH.
This is why we can't have nice things.
This is why we can't have nice things.
- DrunkenFatherFigure
- Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2014 9:40 pm
Re: Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton, 1932)
One thing that struck me while revisiting this recently was the casual racism with which Moreau treats the "natives" at the beginning, and how it seems to be taken for granted by the main character. He doesn't seem to bat an eye at the idea that Moreau has seemingly planted himself on an island and subjugated the indigenous people living there and treats them as less than human. It's not until they are revealed as literally less than human that the protagonist acknowledges the horror of the situation, although even then, his terror seems more rooted in disgust at the existence of the creatures rather than sympathy for their torture.
So, a couple questions: What is the nature of the horror in the film? Is it disgust at the creatures who were created? Sympathy for their mistreatment? Existential terror at the thought of having been unwillingly brought into existence? Which of these do you think was the film's intent? And for that matter, what was Wells'?
So, a couple questions: What is the nature of the horror in the film? Is it disgust at the creatures who were created? Sympathy for their mistreatment? Existential terror at the thought of having been unwillingly brought into existence? Which of these do you think was the film's intent? And for that matter, what was Wells'?
- Drucker
- Your Future our Drucker
- Joined: Wed May 18, 2011 9:37 am
Re: Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton, 1932)
I've never read the book, but this is one of my favorite horror films and I try to revisit it every year around this time. Maybe it's my own political biases getting the best of me, but the film almost certainly is painting Moreau as the monster who is trying to play god. I was at a friend's house recently and rewatched a small part of Jurassic Park on his TV, namely the dinner table scene where Goldblum explains "life will find a way," and I think that's the takeaway for this film. A man trying to play god, and thinking he can control his creation, is utterly horrific. The experiments being performed are science for science's sake. These creatures are not beautiful at all, and the act of creating them (the screams, the house of pain) is utterly horrific. Laughton plays a man cast away from decent society, and he gets his rightful comeuppance.
-
- Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2009 4:29 am
Re: Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton, 1932)
White Zombie was the same year, as was Lugosi's bankruptcy.OldBobbyPeru wrote: ↑Mon Oct 18, 2021 10:17 pmCharles Laughton had a pretty good year with this film and The Old Dark House. He was on his way. Lugosi was riding high that year, too. No doubt he never suspected that Dracula was the high point, and it was a slow decline from there to working with Ed Wood. And I don't mean to sound disrespectful, I loved Lugosi when I was a kid. I lived for the Friday Night 'Creature Features' on Channel 2 in Denver. The Universal horror movies were my Marvel Cinematic Universe. I have vivid memories of watching House of Frankenstein and House of Dracula, where Universal piled on all the monsters. Was White Zombie the same year as this?