horrorbargainbin

People don't like Lamberto Bava's Devilfish, but it's far better than this junk. In that movie some giant plastic shark/octopus prop is used. In 'Tentacles' I'd also like to be able to see the whole killer octopus, not just close up shots of what could be parts of a small octopus in a fish tank. I really could not tell how the underwater shots were done since I have an old Vestron video copy of this tape and it's not very sharp. These shots are just plain bad in what I would consider the worst Italian horror movie other than 'Beaks'.

I'm watching mostly ocean and beach horror movies now since I moved to the beach, so this movie was some fun to watch for me. There were a few funny jokes at the expense of the overweight. There was also a truly strange scene with dead fish standing on end that I did not understand. On the whole though, it's a waste. The worst scene is when the octopus attacks a boys' sailing race. It's shot so badly that it completely fails to have any effect. Boats just tip over and we see kids making horrified faces. Too bad.

There is a lot of nudity in this film. There is a mud bath and a girl on girl fight in the asylum showers. As far as the horror goes, the lobotomized victims do act like zombies. The leather and studs killer, named "Silk" leaves something to be desired. After a slow start the film picks up the pace only to have a drawn out ending where far too many characters need to be killed off. Some familiar B-movie stars on this not very common tape. I did not care for the ugly 80's make-up that the main character always wears, even too bed. Still, there is no real reason to pick at the plot details in this kind of film. At least it does not try to be too socially conscious.

In the movie's best scene, a girl is showering and we are treated to an amusing killer's point of view shot. He is looking at her through a hole in the wall, but then turns to the pipes where a make-shift plastic jug labeled "battery acid" is attached. Soon the girl is covered in black goo and blood and dies an agonizing death. "Island of Blood" is not one of the most gory slasher, some of the deaths are pretty sick, while others are more standard. Sure enough there is a twist ending and horror fans will be pleased since it involves exploitation films. I won't say how. The movie did finish on an exciting note, but it saves all its clever moments for the end. Not totally crazy from start to finish like I had hoped.