Island of the Doomed – Mondo Macabro (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: West Germany/Spain, 1967
Director: Mel Welles
Writers: Mel Welles, Ernst Ritter von Theumer, Stephen Schmidt
Cast: Cameron Mitchell, Elisa Montés, George Martin, Kai Fischer, Hermann Nehlsen, Rolf von Nauckhoff, Matilde Muñoz Sampedro, Ricardo Valle, Mike Brendel 

Release Date: May 12th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 88 Minutes 13 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Spanish, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.99

"A group of tourists arrive to see the botanical gardens on a small island off the coast of Spain. The only inhabitants of the island are the famous botanist Baron von Weser and his two faithful servants. All of the other residents fled after a series of mysterious deaths. When the car driven by the tourists’ guide hits one of the baron’s servants, von Weser explains that the death was due to a rare and incurable disease, not the accident. That night, the guide and Cora Robinson, one of the guests, are found murdered with all the blood drained from their bodies. Is there a serial killer at large, or is it something even more dangerous?" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "As no usable negative was found for this film, our restoration was done from scans of two theatrical prints. Both had issues of various sorts. Slight traces of some of these issues are still occasionally visible on screen. We trust this will not detract from your enjoyment of this wildly entertaining rarity."

Island of the Doomed comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 37.9 GB

Feature: 22 GB

The source typically appears excellent; flesh tones and colors are accurate, image clarity and black levels are impressive, compression is effective, and the image maintains an organic look.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Spanish), 3.75/5 (DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Both tracks sound clear and balanced. That said, the Spanish language track sounds more robust, especially in moments where the score is prominent. Included are removable English subtitles for the Spanish language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a publicity parade of stills, posters, lobby cards, and video sleeves, a theatrical trailer (1 minute 41 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with writer/director Mel Welles (31 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with film critic Xavi Sánchez Pons titled George Martin, The First Spanish Action Hero (57 minutes 22 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview with film historian Angel Sala titled Fantastique in the Catalan Mediterranean (27 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with David Flint.

Summary:

Island of the Doomed was directed by Mel Welles, who is most known for directing Lady Frankenstein.

Six tourists visit an island known for its botanical gardens whose only inhabitants are a baron and his servants.

Something that becomes clear very early on while watching Island of the Doomed is that it's a film where you should not try to rationalize any of its characters' actions. What drives the narrative is a mad scientist type named Baron von Weser, who's created vampire-like plants that feed off of human blood. While all of the signs are there that the baron is not alright, for some reason his guests trust him and his carnivorous plants.

Made in Spain by an American filmmaker: Island of the Doomed is a textbook example of 1960s low-budget Eurohorror, which mostly takes place in a central striking location, often a castle, and features a cast of recognizable faces. The role of Baron von Weser features Cameron Mitchell (Blood and Black Lace), the marquee name in the cast. He built a career on portraying unhinged characters, and he gives an outstanding performance as the archetypal mad scientist. Other notable cast members are Elisa Montés (Death Packs a Suitcase) and Kai Fischer (Uncle Was a Vampire).

Although the narrative moves at a deliberate pace that makes it feel like it's in no hurry to arrive where it's heading, it's a surprisingly engaging narrative that always holds your attention. The most memorable moments are those with the carnivorous plants. When it comes to the special effects, despite their limitations, they are very effective. Ultimately, Island of the Doomed is a film in which the positives significantly outweigh the negatives. This is particularly evident in its effective use of atmosphere.

Island of the Doomed gets a solid release from Mondo Macabro that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a wealth of informative extras. Recommended.

 

ritten by Michael Den Boer