Le démon dans l'île

I remember seeing a trailer at the Friday evening movie preview program back in the early eighties on Belgian television when I was a kid.They showed the scene where a woman gets stuck in an oven with her arm. Although it took me more than ten years to finally watch it because it was never released on video in the Flemish speaking part of Belgium, only in the french speaking part. I really hope Le Demon Dans L'ile will be released on DVD one day because it's a very well made French horror movie with a lot of gore, suspense and well done special effects. A must have for all horror fans around the world, if you can find it on tape.

Greetings And Salutations, and welcome to my review of Demon Is On The Island; here's the breakdown of my ratings:

Story: 1.50 Direction: 1.25 Pace: 1.25 Acting: 1.25 Enjoyment: 1.25

TOTAL: 6.50 out of 10.00.

Welcome to the island. If you weren't born and bred on the isle, you are a foreigner and a person to be distrusted. The insulate's council has deemed their doctor to be such a person and has organised his replacement. Sadly, it won't be a simple matter for Dr Martin to usurp her predecessor, Dr Marshall. He's a controlling egotist with a God complex and a notion that he's indispensable. But Dr Marshall is the least of her problems. There appear to be some strange accidents happening all too frequently to the island's populace. The only common factor that Dr Martin uncovers is that the residents' misfortunes have one focal point; the domestic appliances department at the island's only supermarket. Is somebody tampering with the goods and causing them to become hazardous and, in a couple of incidents, deadly?

The writers Francis Leroi (who also directed) and Owen T Rozmann do a superb job of slowly disclosing the mysterious occurrences whilst building up the main characters' personas and individualities. They create credible and realistic characters and situations. I especially like the relationship between the two medical practitioners. Drs Marshall and Martin are chalk and cheese. They grate on each other's nerves, though Marshall handles his dislike better and employs it whilst attempting to manipulate his successor. As we progress through the story, Leroi and Rozmann inject the odd clue or three as to the cause of the strange accidents. Will you come to the same illogical conclusion that the new general practitioner has trouble accepting? One good element of the story is the islanders' insulated opinions and approaches towards newcomers. It was a shame the writers didn't expand on this a tad more, as in the original Wicker Man. It could've provided a few red herrings. Luckily, the story didn't require any, as there were enough secrets and glamour to keep the viewers enthralled. But it wouldn't have hurt any. The one feature that didn't work so well was the deadly occurrences solution. The reveal should have come a little earlier, or they should've developed the reveal and aftermath more. No sooner do we realise what's happening on the isle, it's over and done. For a narrative that burns slowly, the flare-up at the finale is too fast. I needed more.

Leroi's direction isn't as structurally sound as his writing. Though some scenes are well-thought-out, others come across sloppy - shakey cameras, poor composition, inadequate lighting, etc. Luckily for the viewer, the story and its characters carry you through these segments and shouldn't deplete your enjoyment or engagement. One of the best components of the filmmaking is the effects. The woman's hand trapped inside the oven by a faulty door mechanism is gruesome and looks painful. And had the blood been handled better, the drumming teddy bear's drumstick piercing the kid's eye would've been genuinely startling. However, the blood looks like a blob of Postbox Red paint and spoils the aftereffect of the scene. But you should, "OOH!" and "URGH!" before you giggle.

The cast is excellent in their roles. Anny Duperey and Jean-Claude Brialy are perfect as Dr Martin and Dr Marshall, respectively. Had these two performers not been on the top of their game, their peculiar and captivating bond wouldn't have worked, and the film would've flopped. But not only does it work, but the actors also make it believable.

I can understand why the film won a couple of awards, even though it's far from perfect. It has a Je Ne Sais Quoi. And because of Demon On The Island's strange appeal, I cheerfully recommend it to all the Horror and Sci-Fi fans out there. Even the mystery and thriller lovers may enjoy watching this macabre tale. A great way to waste an hour and three-quarters on a cold winter night wrapped up with your beloved in a comfy duvet.

When's the last ferry off this damned island? Okay, you have time to check out my IMDb lists - Absolute Horror, Killer Thriller Chillers, and The Game Is Afoot to see where I ranked Demon Is On The Island.

Take Care & Stay Well.

Gabrielle (Anny Duperey), a young doctor, accepts a job on an isolated island. When she arrives, she finds out there is already a doctor there, Dr. Marsahll (Jean-Claude Brialy), but no one trusts him. Soon the islands inhabitants find themselves the recipients of freak accidents involving everyday household items. The only connecting factor is all of the offending items (razor, electric carving knife, pressure cooker, coffee maker) came from the same store in town. Naturally, it is up to the curious new doc to investigate. This is certainly a change of pace for director Francis Leroi as he spent most of his cinematic career doing the softcore stuff (and later the EMMANUELLE sequels of the 1990s). The setting is nice and atmospheric and the plot will make you think someone spent some time watching Cronenberg's THE BROOD and SCANNERS. Lead Duperey is good. Make sure to marvel at how much she smokes (giving Elliot Gould in THE LONG GOODBYE a run for his money.)

Exceptional movie and not too many subtitles to handle. But I can't for the life of me figure out how the doctor did not die of cancer by the end of the movie with all the cigarettes she smoked.

This brought back memories, I had obviously seen the film when I was younger. A rather rare film today, currently only available as a TV rip. The French flair is as obvious as the attempt to cover as many genres as possible. Mystery, crime thriller, drama, mad scientist and even a little splatter. It succeeds harmoniously and both the suspense and the entertainment level are maintained throughout. There are many bloody interludes, which stylistically anticipate the 'Final Destination' series, for example, but are more amusing than convincingly realised. The atmosphere is generally best described as grubby. Knowing how, the director was usually more into soft erotica. Emmanuelle here, Emmanuelle there. Here, however, it stays with covered skin. The main cast performs convincingly, but the smaller roles fall well short. A nice journey through time, but personally not a film for the collection.