Isle of the Damned is something that never seemed possible — a parody of the notoriously brutal Italian cannibal films of the ’70s and ’80s. The original films weren’t particularly popular, so it’s hard to say how many viewers are going to “get” a spoof of movies like Cannibal Holocaust (1980), Cannibal Ferox (1981) and so on, but fans of scuzzy exploitation films will probably find plenty to chuckle about here.
The story involves a boatload of treasure hunters who explore a cannibal-infested island in their search for the fabled treasure of Marco Polo. This sets the scene for the usual animal attacks, clubbings, shootings, rapes, brutal tribal rituals and general nastiness peculiar to the genre. The humour comes from the over-the-top earnestness of the characters, the cheapness of the production and the willingness to defy good taste in pursuit of a laugh. Everybody looks ridiculous. With his enormous blond wig, glued-on moustache and mirrored sunglasses, hero Jack Steele (Larry Gamber) looks like he fell straight out of the Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” music video. Another source of delight is the terrible voice dubbing. I was surprised to find myself laughing out loud quite frequently.
On the other hand, the Isle of the Damned’s desire to be as grotesque as the Italian films it’s copying tends to work against it. Graphic cannibalism isn't much funnier in parody than when it's played straight. Fortunately, the movie mostly keeps things silly, and the characters are so goofy that their graphic demises seem no more real than Wile E. Coyote falling off a cliff. If you have a strong stomach, and know your Umberto Lenzi from your Ruggero Deodato, there is fun to be had this Friday the 13th at the Plaza.
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