Le baron vampire

In spite of one of the alternate release titles making this obscure little film sound as if it concerns the hungry amblings of a tiger, it's actually a taut little horror entry concerning a blood-drinking tree which preys on the unwary visitors to an isolated island.

I caught this one on late night television in the early 1970s, and bits of it still stick with me, due to a certain nastiness in the effects work. Cameron Mitchell seems to be a researcher who is studying a bizarre tree which literally drains the life from anyone unwise enough to sleep within groping distance of its slim, mobile branches.

Constructed like a willow, the creature is capable of extending whiplike branches and fastening a cuplike sucking "mouth" to a victim. From there on, things are strictly downhill.

Not strictly a carbon copy of other "plants gone bad" films, such as THE WOMAN EATER or NAVY VS. THE NIGHT MONSTERS, ISLA reflects the stronger attempts many European producers were attempting in order to draw in the jaded horror film crowd. Over the years, this desire to punch up the graphic content resulted in such unique entries as the Blind Dead series and the deja-producing BLOOD AND BLACK LACE.

Needless to say, though creepiness was evoked, the inclusion of stronger content or wilder plot tricks didn't necessarily ensure boxoffice success.

Not Mitchell's worse, but miles below the early promise he showed in his film career.

"La isla de la muerte" (alternately called "Island of the Doomed" and "Maneater of Hydra" in English) is the sort of movie that only three people could present: Elvira, Joe Bob Briggs, or at least one of the guys on "Mystery Science Theater 3000". I saw it on Elvira's show. It's basically a "Day of the Triffids" ripoff. A bunch of tourists go to an island where a man is breeding carnivorous plants. Naturally, the whole thing is an unintentional laugh riot. To be certain, the character Myrtle reminded me of Kyle's mom on "South Park", while the character David looked how Tony Randall would look if left in the microwave too long.

Anyway, it's the sort of thing that you watch for pure entertainment. When the Mistress of the Dark presented it, she naturally added no shortage of campy commentary (namely that a plant-themed movie has a character whose last name is Moss).

PS: director Mel Welles played the flower shop owner in the original "Little Shop of Horrors".

"Maneater of Hydra" (1966) was a delirious Spanish-German horror tale that aired 5 times on Pittsburgh's CHILLER THEATER from 1969-1972 (I missed it, too young). The dubbing isn't as bad as it could have been, and Cameron Mitchell does not dub his own voice, but it certainly had a weird atmosphere that 1962's "The Day of the Triffids" couldn't match. Obscure in its day, and even more so now, this is a perfect example of the types of features that we enjoyed in the days of late night movies-till-dawn, replaced by dull-as-dishwater paid programming and network gabfests indulging pseudo-hipsters with rabid young audiences that have never experienced anything else. These titles can be difficult to find, and this one was no exception, with a starring role for Cameron Mitchell, who gets to dominate the screen from start to finish. It doesn't work as a mystery because we already know that Baron v. Weser is up to something with his carnivorous plants, feeding a mouse to one, while a fellow botanist steals a cute bunny rabbit to do the same with an unseen creation outside. The director is veteran Roger Corman actor Mel Welles (working behind the camera primarily in Europe), immortalized for his marvelous turn in 1960's "The Little Shop of Horrors," which also dealt with a bloodthirsty plant (he would later direct 1972's "Lady Frankenstein" for Corman's New World Pictures). Welles had just finished an acting part in 1965's "The She-Beast," shot in Italy and Yugoslavia by 21 year old cult director Michael Reeves, and remained in Europe for the remainder of the decade. Cameron Mitchell was coming off a starring role in "Nightmare in Wax," another CHILLER THEATER regular, no stranger to European cinema, whose best work came in the Swedish "Face of Fire" (1958), in a rare sympathetic turn. This must rank as one of his best horrors, with a remarkably grisly climax for its period. He remained busiest in Italy, and frequently collaborated with genre pioneer Mario Bava, particularly on the 1964 cult classic "Blood and Black Lace," which aired 6 times on CHILLER THEATER (quite a showcase for rabid horror fans like myself). "Maneater of Hydra" may not be a classic, but I never found it dull, definitely worth a look.

Back in seventies a lot of obscure European movies mostly from the sixties used turn up lot on late night television and then seemed to vanish, going back under the rocks they seemingly came out from under. However, recently many of these films have recently surfaced on small video labels. Often these film starred either European casts unknown in the U.S.A. with anglicized names in the credits and/or as in this case, American stars who had fallen on hard times. In this film Cameron Mitchell, whose voice appears to have been dubbed by another actor, plays Baron Van Wiser, an evil scientist who has been creating monstrous plant mutations. He invites an assorted group of characters to visit his island estate, where one by one the guests become meals for his creations.

The film was shown on American television as MAN EATER OF HYDRA, although the plants really don't eat anyone, they suck their victims blood like a vampire. The murderous plant, which we really never get a good look at (perhaps we can be thankful) resembles a yew tree with weeping willow like branches. At the end of the branches are flowers whose stamens do the blood sucking. The killer trees are apparently able to walk, but we never see them walking. It's unclear why the baron invited the visitors, but apparently he wanted them as food for his creations. The baron tells a botanist visitor the he wants to keep his discoveries secret. The baron seems to think having a group of visitors to his island all end up dead isn't going arouse any suspicion, even though the island would be crawling with police once word got out the hapless visitors were reported missing. Why is it these mad scientists/crazed maniacs never lure people who go un-missed like tramps, cheap hookers, homeless bums for their evil purposes?

MAN EATER OF HYDRA (or ISLAND OF THE DOOMED) is one of dozens of cheaply made 1960's shockers from Europe. This film is slightly more entertaining then most these films. The film tries to drum up some atmosphere, throws in a little sex, and provides a few good shocks, but like most of these cheap sixties European shockers, there is an air "lets get this thing over with" attitude prevailing over the film.

Mysterious and ghastly movie dealing with the suspicious Baron von Wesser : Cameron Mitchell who lives at a island with exotic botanics and he owns strange plants with special penchant for a peculiar specimen . A group of tourists : Jorge Martín, Elisa Montes , Ricardo Valle , Kai Fisher .... arrive in the island , discovering bizarre secrets . Then the unfortunate tourists start dying one by one , as an obscure being is draining the blood the killed people through a small hole in the face cheek . What was the terrifying secret if the vampire tree .? You'll never forget ! .. The clutching horror ! Made to kill or love on command !!!. Death stalking vegetation devours human blood !

This is an offbeat , spine-chilling terror film , including supernatural events , packing tension, suspenseful, exploitation, shocking scenes and lots of blood , gore and guts with primitive but functional FX . This Island of the Doomed takes parts here and there of the classic "The Day of the Triffids" 1963 by Steve Sekely in which some survivors face off walking , carnivorous plants . Resulting to be an eerie and bizarre film with thrills , chills and rousing finale with plenty of blood , gore and shocks. Stars Cameron Mitchell experimenting with bizarre horticulture and crossbreeding dangerous varieties of plants , he plays competently as as a mad doctor whose practises leading to fateful consequences . He is well accompanied by a good Spanish cast, such as : Jorge or George Martín as the hero who takes on the ominous enemy , the beautiful Elisa Montes , the veteran Matilde Muñoz Sampedro, Ricardo Valle as Alfredo , and German actors as gorgeous Kai Fisher , Hermann Nehlsen , among others.

It displays a moving and chilling musical score by compose Anton García Abril . As well as colorful cinematography by Cecilio Paniagua and Juan Marine. Although photography needs a perfect remastering , being it really necessary because of the film copy is washed-out . Shot on location in Arenys de Mar, Sant Feliu de Codines, Barcelona, Catalonia , Spain. The motion picture was regularly directed by Mel Welles and Ernst Ritter von Theuner , though the final part turns out to be really breathtaking and thrilling . This B-actor and director Mel Welles was a second-class craftsman who made some films in all kinds of genres such as : "Joyride to nowhere , Lady Frankenstein, , The Last Mercenary , Hellow Glen Ward House Dick, A quiet Business and Code of Silence" . Rating : 5.5/10 . Acceptable and passable . The flick will appeal to 60s terror fans .