“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderlay again,” was the evocative opening to Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca. Well, last night I dreamt I was on Blood Island, after binging on the gloriously bonkers 4-film Blu-ray set from Severin: “Fear in the Philippines: The Complete Blood Island Films.”
Be honest. It’s summer. It’s hot. You can’t watch the news. In the words of Frankie Ford’s 1958 rock ‘n roll hit- Sea Cruise: “Be my guest, you’ve got nothing to lose. Won’t you let me take you on a sea cruise?” So, let’s set sail for the mythical mad doctor island in the Philippines by slipping these Blu-rays into your player and letting the waves of mindless sleaze wash over you.
Terror is a Man (1959) This shameless rip-off of H. G. Wells’ Island of Dr. Moreau was the brainchild of directors Eddie Romero and Gerardo de Leon and is actually a really good film. I apologize for this, but, trust me, the following films in the series deliver on the sleaze meter. Richard Derr stars as the poor shipwrecked William Fitzgerald who is rescued and brought back to health by weird Dr. Girard (Francis Lederer) and his buxom wife Frances (Greta Thyssen). Dr. Girard has been conducted wild experiments on the island creating a leopard/man hybrid that keeps escaping and whittling away villagers (most have fled the island by the time William washes up on shore in a lifeboat). The leopard creature is pretty cool-looking- bandaged up with pointed ears, whiskers and fangs. “Modification of a species,” rationalizes Dr. Girard. This is effectively shot with moody, expressionistic black and white cinematography and it’s often incredibly atmospheric and creepy. When the film was picked up in American by producer Sam Sherman the title changed to Blood Creature and “a bell system has been installed for the squeamish and faint-hearted! When the bell rings we suggest you close your eyes!” (There is a scene of Dr. Girard slicing into skin with a scalpel that must have been startling for theatergoers at the time). The poster for the film suggested that audiences “Bring Your Own Tranquilizer!”
Brides of Blood (1968) Alright, now we get to my favorite in the series. This film has everything. American teen idol John Ashley (Hot Rod Gang, How to Make a Monster), mutant vegetation, killer dwarfs, ludicrous native dances, topless female virgin sacrifice offerings, a monster that looks like a big pile of mashed potatoes with teeth and the indescribable delight of (often screaming) actress Beverly Hills (aka Beverly Powers). A Peace Corps representative (John Ashley), a doctor (Kent Taylor) and his sexy wife (Beverly Hills) arrive on a tropical island to investigate the effects of atomic bomb testing in nearby waters. The radiation has created bizarre killer plants and mutant butterflies, plus a hideous monster that demands the natives offer female sacrifices to it on a regular basis. They also meet the handsome, wealthy scientist Esteban (Mario Montenegro), who has his own deadly secret. Jaw-dropping and hilariously loony with enough breasts and blood to make this a Drive-In hit in America where it was advertised that is was filmed in “blood-curdling color.” The poster screamed that theatergoers would, “See Trees that Eat Human Flesh,” “See Beautiful Girls Sacrificed to the Thing,” and “Carla, the Girl Who Would Love Anyone!” The Blu-ray includes a wonderful interview with Beverly Powers (still looking gorgeous) who discusses the making of the film with such self-depreciating honesty and humor it’s impossible not to fall in love with her.
Mad Doctor of Blood Island (1968) The most financially successful of the blood island movies, possibly helped immeasurably by the “Oath of the Green Blood” opening.
In theaters audiences were given small vials of green liquid (God knows what was in them but I remember swilling it down like an idiot). Then you were supposed to read along with the “Oath” which was so infernally long that audiences just got fed up and stopped reciting along with it. “Do you have the GUTS to come and join the weird rites of green blood?” taunted the ad campaign.
John Ashley plays Dr. Bill Foster, a pathologist arriving at a tropical island by boat along with Sheila Willard (Angelique Pettyjohn), searching for her Doctor dad (Tony Edmunds), who is now a hopeless drunk. The meet the sunglass-wearing and secretive Dr. Lorca (Ronald Remy), who has been experimenting with plants and people and is responsible for a hideous, green, blood-dripping chlorophyll monster, running through the jungle killing nude native women. Lots more (green) blood and breasts here and a maddening zoom lens effect every time there is a monster attack. “All the horrifying nightmares of a thousand frightening dreams in one panic-packed show!”
Beast of Blood (1970) A direct sequel to the last film, John Ashley returns as Dr. Bill Foster, recuperating in a hospital, seemingly the only survivor of “Mad Doctor of Blood Island.” Sporting longer sideburns and a lot scruffier, he idiotically returns to that damned island. Along with him is intrepid reporter Myra Russell (Celeste Yarnall), determined to get a juicy scoop about the recent bloodbath on Blood Island. The eyepatch-wearing, scarred-faced Dr. Lorca (now played by Eddie Garcia) is still at it, this time with the dismembered head of the chlorophyll monster alive in his lab- shades of The Brain That Wouldn’t Die (1963). “It lives! A Monster’s head detaches from its body! More fantastic than science! More shocking than fantasy!” screamed the ads for the movie. Half the movie is endless scenes of trekking through the jungle. The poster screamed one word: “Unbelievable!” No kidding!
Now some sincere praise for John Ashley, a teen screen heartthrob and recording star, who successfully re-invented himself through the years and ended up producing exploitation films in the Philippines and American hit television shows. His career began by accident- he was accompanying a girlfriend to a movie audition at American International Films and was spotted by a casting director. With his boyish good looks, he starred in several troubled teen-themed drive-in films like Motorcycle Gang (1951), Dragstrip Girl (1957) before becoming Frankie Avalon’s surfing buddy in films like Beach Party (1963), Muscle Beach Party (1964), Bikini Beach (1964), Beach Blanket Bingo (1965) and How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965).
He had a successful recording career also, cutting records like “Let Yourself Go-Go-Go,” “Seriously in Love” and “Bermuda.” When those teen films began to wane at the box office, Ashley headed for the Philippines where he starred in a bunch of horror films which were a box office success in the States.
He even married a teen idol of her own- Deborah Walley, who starred in several beach party films and Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1965). Ashley teamed up with Eddie Romero to finance films like Beast of the Yellow Night (1971), Twilight People (1971). He produced but did not star in Black Mama, White Mama (1973) and Beyond Atlantis (1973), which he did act in. He even acted as liaison for Frances Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now (1979), helping procure helicopters for the movie.
Returning to the States he worked with actor Robert Conrad (The Wild Wild West), who he had acted alongside in the film Young Dillinger (1965) and then went from “producer” to “executive producer” on The A-Team, an action series starring George Peppard and Mr. T, which lasted for five seasons. You really have to hand it to Ashley for his longevity in the business. And in interviews with actors and crew members who worked with him, no one has anything but nice things to say about him. In a fascinating interview with Tom Weaver, Ashley is asked “What is the key to your success in the exploitation field?” He replies, “That’s a really interesting question- I really don’t know. This is a terrible thing to admit, but maybe it’s because I always liked those movies, and I never had any real reason to turn them down. I just enjoyed doing them.” He tragically died of a heart attack in his car in the parking lot after leaving the set of Scar City (1998) on October 3, 1997 at age 62. I picked up a German CD of Ashley’s collected songs on Hydra records and play it often. Especially the lead song “Born to Rock,” with those toe-tapping lyrics: “My mama called the doctor, and this is what she said. Doctor I do believe that my son has flipped his lid. He comes every day, he’s acting kind wild. He does the radio on to that rock ‘n roll style. And he was born-born to rock (yeah-yeah rock). He was born-born to rock (well rock-a).”
I was in the Philippines at the time they were shooting the movie Platoon, and I kept asking locals where Blood Island was, but they just looked at me with baffled annoyance. Well, to be honest, Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos had just fled, and the country was in the middle of a full-blown revolution at the time. Most people had more important things on their mind.
But each summer, from here on, when it gets so hot my hair hurts, I intend to crank up the air conditioner and pull out this Blu-ray set from Severin and sing along with Frankie Ford:
“Oo-ee. Ooee. Oo-ee, baby. Won’t you let me take you on a sea cruise…”
This is bloody wonderful ! LMAO! You’ll be going on that sea cruise soon with Horror Head.