The Island – Eureka Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1985
Director: Po-Chih Leong
Writers: D & B Creative Team
Cast: John Sham, Helen Au Hoi-Lun, Timothy Zao, Tse Ching-Yuen, Amy Kwok Oi-Ming, Ronald Wong, Billy Sau Yat Ching

Release Date: October 27th, 2025 (UK), October 28th, 2025 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 93 Minutes 7 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £17.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"At the height of summer, teacher Mr. Cheung (John Sham) takes a small group of his students on an excursion to explore a rural island that he assumes is uninhabited. But upon arrival, Cheung and his class discover that they are not alone—the island is, in fact, home to three deranged brothers and their equally deranged mother. And when one of Cheung’s students refuses a marriage proposal from the youngest—and perhaps most disturbed—member of this deeply strange family, both the teacher and the young people in his care soon come to wish that they had stayed at home." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "1080p HD presentation from a brand new 2K restoration."

The Island comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 35.9 GB

Feature: 25.8 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese with removable English. The audio sounds clear and balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented. That said, there are a few moments where, range-wise, things sound constrained.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (4 minutes, LPCM mono Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with  Tony Rayns (16 minutes 57 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with director Po-Chih Leong from 2023 courtesy of Frédéric Ambroisine titled Surviving the Shoot (22 minutes 34 seconds, LPCM stereo English with removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an audio commentary with East Asian cinema expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival), an audio commentary with genre cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema, an O-card slipcase (limited to 2,000 copies), and a 20-page booklet (limited to 2,000 copies) with cast & crew information, an essay titled To Genre and Back: The Cinema of Po-Chih Leong written by Roger Garcia, an interview with Po-Chih Leong titled All Within the Same Film conducted by Roger Garcia, and information about the transfer titled Notes on Viewing.

Summary:

Po-Chih Leong directed The Island. He’s known for He Lives by Night, Banana Cop, Hong Kong 1941, and Fatal Love.

A teacher takes a group of students on a trip to a remote island inhabited by three psychopath brothers and their mother. What begins as a pleasant getaway becomes a game of survival.

Hong Kong cinema has a long history of incorporating elements from successful films from around the world. A textbook example of this is The Island, a film that is best described as a survival adventure set in the backwoods, like Deliverance, which set the template. Place characters in an unfamiliar environment, and when confronted with a threat, their options become limited because of that location.

The opening setup does a phenomenal job setting the foundation for the mayhem and carnage that follows. The narrative is driven by a family desperate to carry on its bloodline, who needs to procure a woman to bear a child. The only male in the family capable of fulfilling this role has a mental disability, complicating their task. While all three brothers already possess violent tendencies that they revel in, their behavior becomes increasingly psychotic following their mother's death.

Although all of the performances work well within the story that unfolds, it is ultimately the three actors who portray the psycho brothers who stand out. The most notable of these performances is Billy Sau Yat Ching, who portrays Sam-Fat, the mentally disabled brother. His character's use of violence hit differently than any other character because of his disability. The most recognizable cast member is John Sham (Yes, Madam!) in the role of the teacher.

There is no area where The Island does not exceed expectations; the premise is well-executed, and the narrative always holds your attention. It is also a film of two halves; the first half has more humor and nonsensical moments, while the latter half takes a dark turn, especially the last 36 minutes. Po-Chih Leong’s direction is rock solid; he takes full advantage of the island location, and there are an ample amount of arresting moments that heighten the mood. Ultimately, The Island is a film that fans of backwoods horror should thoroughly enjoy.

The Island gets an excellent release from Eureka Video that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and informative extras. Recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer