Island of the Doomed
- Year: 1967
- Country of origin: West Germany, Spain, USA
- Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi
- Director: Mel Welles
- Length: 88 min
- IMDb rating:
What was the terrifying secret of the vampire tree?
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.
Criticism
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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)
Selected disc options for Island of the Doomed
| Extras | Mondo Macabro BD-ALL/US 2025 | Shout! Factory DVD-1/US 2007 |
|---|---|---|
| Audio Commentary by David Flint | has extra | |
| Fantastique in the Catalan Mediterranean - Interview with Ángel Sala | has extra | |
| George Martin, the First Spanish Action Hero - Interview with Xavi Sánchez Pons | has extra | |
| Interview with Director/Co-Writer Mel Welles - Conducted by Pete Tombs | has extra | |
| Elvira Segments | has extra | |
| Stills Gallery - Publicity | has extra | |
| Theatrical Trailer | has extra |
Blu-ray comparison available on 
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).
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Ultimate Edition
Combine the best digital presentation with a selection of choice extras for the ultimate edition.
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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)
| Presentation |
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 |