Doomwatch

An environmentalist group ( a la early 70s ) somewhat sensationally named "Doomwatch" takes an interest in some peculiar goings-on on a small island near the UK. As a disclaimer, we never saw the BBC series so we don't have any previous notions to compare this film against but, having said that, the film is an enjoyable, cautionary tale about pollution and official stonewalling. Some people have lamented over the film's obviously modest - read: small - budget, but in our opinion this does not handicap the effort. If anything, it serves to highlight what can be achieved by the use of good writing, good acting, and good directing. Though not a horror film per se, its moody atmosphere and imaginative makeup does blur the line between suspense and horror quite effectively, and does actually manage to make you care about the people in it, most notably the character of Dr. Shaw. It's been pointed out that this film does bear a certain resemblance to "The Wicker Man", but in our opinion this has been overstated; yes, in both films an investigating official is stranded on a small island with lots of local strangeness, but that's about the only common ground between the two. Both are enjoyable, but for totally different reasons. Bottom line: while "Doomwatch" may not be a great film, it is a pretty good one. Try it.

Whenever I want to watch a late-night BBC movie, I always check the IMDb site first to find out if it is worth to stay up for. At first I had my doubts about this one, but I'm certainly glad to have seen it.

Without being patronizing, idealistic or action filled, this movie is the most realistic movies about the environment. Some might say it lacks gore and monsters, but that is not the point of this film. It has interesting twists and turns and the characters all are reacting very unexpected. Again, this may confuse the average Sylvester Stallone fan, but for me it was very pleasant to see a movie with intelligent plot.

The movie could be seen as some thriller/horror crossover, but the strange thing about this one is that the story isn't about zombies and that it has a unsatisfying ending, which is good. No pointing fingers, no big stormy weather scenes and no action hero stuff.

If you hated "The day after tomorrow", you'll like this one. Cause this one might prove that environmentalists aren't always right...

I give this one a 8/10

I remember catching the original BBC TV series of Doomwatch as a kid and found it to be quite unsettling and grim although I didn't really know what was going on. The big screen version made in 1972 is just as grim and downbeat as I remember the series to be only this time with an over excitable Ian Bannen guest starring and it being more on location than confined to a studio.

The producers obviously didn't think the series regulars had enough star power to pull in cinema goers as they get side-lined into supporting roles. It's left to Bannen and Judy Geeson to try to make sense of an uninspired script which takes itself far too seriously in an earnest attempt to raise questions about corporations damaging the environment.

Whilst the film is often mistaken as a horror it is much more science fiction along the lines of Quatermass than horror as nothing horrific really happens, but it does unsettle being set on a remote island with strange locals who have something to hide.

The finale is neither shocking nor unexpected and for a big screen outing it doesn't try hard enough to give the audience something to get their teeth intobut having said that it has just enough intrigue to make you stick with it thanks to a familiar crop of guest supporting actors like George Sanders and Geoffrey Keen. Hammer Films director Peter Sasdy keeps things plodding along whilst attempting to create a taut atmosphere out of a clunky script within the constraints of the low budget provided by Tony Tenser's Tigon films.

No doubt fans of the original cult series will be curious enough to want to check this out.

Firstly, this is NOT a horror movie (And who thought up the cannibalistic islanders?). The film is about the devastation that comes from the pollution of one the islands beaches with synthetic hormones.

The islanders, having been made to suspect that the physical and mental deformities they're suffering from are caused by generations of inbreeding, regard the coming of an environmentalist as a threat to their community. They hide the sick and try to make sure that nothing 'wrong' is found. The movie is about the struggle of an environmentalist to find out what's the matter with the island, and then the struggle to educate the population about the cause and possible solutions for the problems.

All in all not a bad environmental drama, reminds me a bit of the Minimata disaster in Japan. I give it a 7 out of 10, mainly for the atmosphere on the island and the balls it must have taken to make this film in '72.

In a far-flung island called Balfe just off the Cornish coast arrives a doctor (Ian Bannen) tasked by a government agency to investigate strange events , as he has to study the after effects of a recent oil tanker spill , as the waters surrounding become contaminated by chemical dumping . Once there the locals are very cold towards him and rather disturbingly they reject him .Along the way he finds a corpse in some local forests and he is also hitten by a deformed man in a barn . There he meets a beautiful children teacher (Judy Geeson) who helps him figure out the causes that create rare results on local people . An ecological nightmare gone berserk! Now on the big screen - Doomwatch means terror . A new terror!

This is a nice chiller , though a little bit boring and slow-moving, being based on a British famous notorious TV series which made star Robert Powell before his role was killed off . In fact in this story results to be one of 13 titles included in Avco Embassy's Nightmare Theater package syndicated for television in 1975 , series regulars Simon Oates , John Trend , John Paul take a back seat appearing as secondaries , while the real protagonists Ian Bannen and Judy Geeson provide decent interpretations . Doomwatch refers to the name of a Government environmental that assigns underling scientist Dr. Del Shaw , Ian Bannen , on an allegedly routine mission . As Ian Bannen gives an acceptable acting as a scientist who discovers a chemical company is dumping poison into local waters causing horrible consequences when the villagers eat the catch of the day , while Judy Geeson is pretty good as the local schoolteacher, who aids him on Balfe . Other prestigious secondaries showing up are as follows : Percy Herbert , Norman Bird , the veteran classic actor George Sanders as a Minister , Geoffrey Keen habitual support in James Bond films and a young James Cosmo.

It contains a splendid and atmospheric musical score by the prolific John Scott . As well as Kenneth Talbot's rich cinematography full of colour and with varying shades of red. The motion picture titled Doomwatch or Island of the Ghouls (United States) Holocausto radiactivo (Spain) was professionally directed by Peter Sasdy with some flaws and gaps , as it has some scenes that result to be of variable quality . Sasdy was a fine craftsman who directed a lot of fims with penchant for terror, Adventure and thriller such as : Taste the blood of Dracula, Countess Dracula , Hands of the Ripper, Nothing but the night, Doomwatch, Young warlord, King Arthur the young warlord, I don't want to be born, The devil' undead, 13 Reunion, Rude awakening, The two faces of evil, The lonely lady, among others . Rating 6/10. Acceptable and passable. The picture will appeal to British chiller aficionados.