Fella_shibby I first saw this on a vhs in the late 90s. Revisited it few days back on a blu ray. God bless Criterion Collection. This is the first n the best version of H.G. Wells novel The Island Of Dr Moreau with an amazing cast n splendid performances. This is indeed one of the best horror films of its era. Many may find it a bit slower now because of the romantic sub plot. In this movie, appearance wise, Charles Laughton looked n behaved like Hitler with his moustache n dictatorial ways but his deeds were more like Josef Mengele when it came to human experiments. I had always wanted to play football with Joseph Mengele's head. Charles Laughton was a terrific actor. In this movie he looked a bit comical with his goatee, helmet and whip but his acting was amazing. His mannerisms n facial expressions were top notch. Bela Lugosi's performance was also very good but a bit too small n his face hidden with lots of wolf like hair.

JLRVancouver Based on H.G. Well's novel "The Island of Dr. Moreau", "The Island of Lost Souls" finds shipwrecked traveler Edward Parker (Richard Arlen) trapped on the titular island where 'mad scientist' Moreau (Charles Laughton) is conducting vivisection experiments in attempt to transform animals into men. The movie differs substantially from the novel, with an emphasis horror at the expense of Well's philosophical focus on the meaning of humanity and the power of science. Given the film's vintage, the transformed 'animals' are quite good, with the actors effectively using posture and movement to convey the bestiality of their characters; however, the film omits much of the complexity of the 'beast-people' that made the novel so compelling (e.g. the significance of having 5 fingers). The movie is pre-code and features a pervasive sexual subtext (absent in the novel) involving Moreau's plan to breed his modified animals with humans. Featured prominently in the movie's posters, Kathleen Burke plays Lota, the sexy Panther Lady who Moreau intends to be Parker's mate. The film also adds Hollywood's obligatory 'woman in peril' as Parker's fiancé shows up, providing Moreau with a second female to use in his devilish breeding program. Laughton is great as the whip-snapping doctor and the rest of the cast is serviceable in an interesting but not outstanding, pre-code horror film.

john_vance-20806 This is a pre-code production and it shows. Even today this movie would get some serious push-back.There is no nudity or explicit sexual behavior. The physical violence is not extraordinary. What permeates through the whole film is a sense of primal wrongness. Not just that Dr Moreau has crossed the boundaries of nature but that he's done it with prurient cruelty and indifference. He's accomplished something truly extraordinary but he's done it in the wrong way and for the wrong reasons and knows it - he simply does not care.In a way, this is like an obscene version of Pygmalion or Frankenstein. Instead of the creator loving or at least respecting his creations, he finds even the most successful versions as curious abominations that exist only for his perverse pleasure and twisted curiosity.It's hard to watch the Charles Laughton's lascivious, leering portrayal of Dr Moreau and not feel truly repulsed. Much as if one were watching Dr Mengele perform his monstrous experiments or Genghis Khan optimizing his torture techniques. I'm not sure I can recall a character so coldly repugnant.The fear, suffering and resentment of his experimental subjects is palpable and unsettling. Dr Moreau walks in their midst with a sneer of absolute superiority and fearlessness, lording over them what he's done and what he can do again. Their animalistic impulses are only barely contained and they project a cold, primitive rage balanced and checked by Dr Moreau's cold, calculating omnipotence.This isn't a slasher flick where pretty young girls are savaged by a sociopath. This is evil portrayed in it's most stark and fundamental form - the human without a soul.

mark.waltz Charles Laughton is the original Dr. Moreau, the mad scientist who turns wild beasts into something resembling human beings but still containing their animalistic natures. it is up to new arrival Richard Arlen to stop him, messing around with nature in a way no man should have the power to do such. While Arlen is in love with the pretty Leila Hyams, he becomes the target of Panther woman Kathleen Burke. sultry and beautiful, Burke obviously wants to make Arlen her mate, but even in human form she is very catlike and becomes obsessively jealous of Hyams.Then there is Bela Lugosi, playing a small but consequential role as the wise speaker who stands up against Laughton for messing around with nature and obviously offending God. Unrecognizable under a beard covered face, Lugosi gives a sense of his performance that is touching yes field with anger for what Lawton has done to alter their appearances.the tension builds into a horrific finale where time is of the essence for Arlen to get off the island + 4 the transformed animals to finally get their vengeance against Lawton in the most excruciatingly painful way.One of the great science fiction films of the golden age of Hollywood, Island of Lost souls has been remade several times unsuccessfully. The 1977 version attempted to play it straight, but came off as very dated. even the presence of Burt Lancaster of Dr. Moreau couldn't save it from failure. be even worse we make in the 1990s with Marlon Brando as Dr. Moreau is considered a disaster in every sense of the word. it resembles a cartoon more than a reflection of its original HG Wells story, and it is obvious to me that the story needs to be left alone. Obviously, Hollywood knew how to make these types of films in the 1930s but they appear majorly dated or melodramatic when recreated today.An excellent performance by Charles Laughton in the very same year he won an Oscar for playing Henry the 8this a strong leading character and certainly much more memorable then the unfortunate remix with Lancaster and Brando. Latin could be happy but here, he tones it down when he needs to and brings it up for the more complex moments of his character development. As for Kathleen Burke, she makes a lovely sight as the Panther woman, even wearing Panther's skin as human clothing. barely saying a word, Burke makes the feline aspects of her character obvious, doing more with less then the actors who played this part in the remakes.