Island of the Doomed
- Year: 1967
- Country of origin: West Germany, Spain, USA
- Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi
- Director: Mel Welles
- Length: 88 min
What was the terrifying secret of the vampire tree?
Film Synopsis
Island of the Doomed (1967) centers on a group of tourists invited to a remote island, where an eccentric botanist conducts unusual horticultural experiments far from the outside world. As unexplained deaths mount and escape becomes impossible, the visitors search for the source of the island’s deadly secret before they become its next victims. This Spanish-West German horror film blends gothic mystery, mad scientist fiction, and creature horror as scientific obsession and isolation give rise to an increasingly macabre nightmare.
Critical Perspective
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For what it’s worth, this rather dull Ten Little Indians plot is enlivened at the end by the gruesome, slime-drooling tree…
Jonathan Rigby, Euro Gothic: Classics of Continental Horror Cinema (Signum Books, 2016) -
Island of the Doomed certainly lives up to its name: Whoever falls under the spell of this celluloid monstrosity is indeed doomed—doomed to an hour and a half of unrelieved boredom. Scenes of the annoying characters eating, walking, talking, arguing and engaging in illogical behavior (thinking there’s a killer loose on the island, several characters go out walking by themselves) go on and on and on … The only thing that might save this bland cinematic salad would be a generous helping of horror inspired by the movie’s only intriguing character—the tree.
Mark Clark and Bryan Senn, Sixties Shockers: A Critical Filmography of Horror Cinema, 1960-1969 (McFarland, 2011)
Island of the Doomed Blu-ray & DVD editions
See which disc extras are included across selected editions.
| Disc Extras | Mondo Macabro BD-ALL/US 2025 | Shout! Factory DVD-1/US 2007 |
|---|---|---|
| Audio Commentary by David Flint | ||
| Fantastique in the Catalan Mediterranean - Interview with Ángel Sala | ||
| George Martin, the First Spanish Action Hero - Interview with Xavi Sánchez Pons | ||
| Interview with Director/Co-Writer Mel Welles - Conducted by Pete Tombs | ||
| Elvira Segments | ||
| Stills Gallery - Publicity | ||
| Theatrical Trailer |
Edition and Packaging Notes
- Mondo Macabro’s “Limited Edition” Blu-ray includes a 24-page booklet with writing by Ismael Fernandez (“‘Island of the Doomed’ at the Tail End of the First Wave of Spanish Horror”) and four art cards. Reissued as a standard edition without booklet and cards (20206/05/12).
- Shout! Factory’s “Elvira’s Movie Macabre Double Feature” DVD also includes The House That Screamed (1969).
Blu-ray comparison available on 
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Collector’s guide
Compare presentation quality and explore notable disc extras across selected editions.
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Fantastique in the Catalan Mediterranean (27:40) -
George Martin, the First Spanish Action Hero (57:22) -
Interview with Director/Co-Writer Mel Welles (2002, 31:11)
| Editions |
Mondo Macabro BD 2025
|
|---|---|
| Extras | Audio Commentary by David Flint Mondo Macabro BD |
| Fantastique in the Catalan Mediterranean - Interview with Ángel Sala Mondo Macabro BD | |
| George Martin, the First Spanish Action Hero - Interview with Xavi Sánchez Pons Mondo Macabro BD | |
| Interview with Director/Co-Writer Mel Welles - Conducted by Pete Tombs Mondo Macabro BD | |
| Stills Gallery - Publicity Mondo Macabro BD | |
| Theatrical Trailer Mondo Macabro BD |