The Blood Island Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.0

The Blood Island Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman January 7, 2019

H.G. Wells’ chilling 1896 novel about a mad scientist creating human-animal hybrids on an isolated blip in the ocean has been adapted for films several times, with manifestly different results. 1932’s Island of Lost Souls, 1977’s The Island of Dr. Moreau and 1996’s The Island of Dr. Moreau are probably the three most widely known adaptations, but there have been others, as mentioned in my The Twilight People Blu-ray review (The Twilight People being among them). There are a number of interesting connections between The Twilight People and at least three of the four films Severin has assembled in its Blood Island Collection, including star John Ashley, director Eddie Romero and a Philippines location. All of the Blood Island films, like The Twilight People, also obviously owe their genesis to Wells’ original conception, though none of the films actually credit him. While the inherent quality of any and/or all of the Blood Island films may be questionable (and of course up to individual tastes), Severin has assembled a really interesting package here that includes some excellent supplements which may provide further allure for the “franchise”’s fan base while also perhaps offering a bit of a selling point for those who may not know of or especially like any of the outings. Hemisphere Films "marketing consultant" Samuel M. Sherman's commentaries for some of the films are among those supplements, and Sherman makes it clear that no one associated with these productions had any illusions about making "Art", these were all churned out as drive-in fare, with an emphasis on sex and gore that had proven to be a winning combination for largely teen audiences.

For reviews of the four films included in this set, please click on the following links:

Terror Is a Man Blu-ray review

Brides of Blood Blu-ray review

Mad Doctor of Blood Island Blu-ray review

Beast of Blood Blu-ray review

The Blood Island Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Video quality of each release is assessed in the above linked reviews.

The Blood Island Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Audio quality of each release is assessed in the above linked reviews.

The Blood Island Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Supplementary material included on each disc is detailed in the above linked reviews.

The Blood Island Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Severin offers cult fare fans a nice package here, with the understanding that there are sometimes wide variances in quality in video and audio presentations, sometimes within the same presentation. The supplementary package is very appealing in any case.