Wonderful character development!

Simply A Masterpiece

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

The acting in this movie is really good.

An English couple visit a small Greek island and start a veritable frenzy of sex and murder. The point seems to be to punish what they see as perversions, but they turn out to be a hot bed of perversion themselves. Can't say I like this film, any film that contains multiple murders, bestiality, incest, forced sodomy and tons of nudity and also manages to be pretty dull is doing something fundamentally wrong.

"Island of Death" focuses on Christopher and Celia, newlyweds on a honeymoon on the Greek island of Mykonos; well, I suppose you could say honeymoon, if your idea of honeymooning includes bestiality, rape, urolagnia, murder, and other sadistic debaucheries.What can one say about this film, really? I've seen a lot of exploitation films, and this is the cream of the crop if we're talking schlock factor in terms of mere content. As I watched the film, I continually wondered what all involved were thinking when they made it, which is a question for the ages that will likely never be definitively answered. While the capturing of these horrific acts lacks the grit and realism of what you find in a film like "Cannibal Holocaust," the logistics of "Island of Death" are truly abhorrent. One may not get the sense of it because the presentation is not always entirely serious or especially raw, but you know you're in for a ride when the first scene features the protagonists having sex in a phone booth, ending with the man climaxing while on the phone with his mother.There is not much plot here, really—just a stringing together of murder targets at the hands of the central protagonists/villains. At times, I was reminded very much of Oliver Stone's "Natural Born Killers," minus the social commentary. That said, the film does have some artistic thought put into it, at least in terms of presentation. A stylish use of camera shutters and still photographs as transition pieces really give the film a unique flair, and the cinematography is lush and professional. The Mediterranean sets photograph nicely, and the film's sunny disposition is in stark contrast with virtually everything else about it. Jane Lyle plays the doe-eyed British wife nicely here, while Robert Behling is convincing as her abusive partner. In true exploitation fashion, both bear a considerable amount of flesh here, so if that's your thing, there's that (I can say Behling was one hell of a hunk, and he shows off virtually everything in this flick, as does Lyle).The film has earned a reputation as being one of the most widely-banned films in the world, which is unsurprising. It is severely politically incorrect, perhaps even more so today, and yet is rife with contradictions; for example, the main characters savagely murder a flamboyant gay couple for being perverted, and yet engage in various sexual dalliances, one of which includes penetrating a goat. One truly is at a loss for words.Overall, "Island of Death" is an engaging film if for no other reason than the audience is perpetually baffled (and horrified) as to what the two fresh-faced leads are going to do next. For as nihilistic and utterly grotesque as the content of the film is, it is not nearly as hard-hitting as one would expect it to be. I suppose this may have to do with the hokey '70s soundtrack, or the fact that the debauchery becomes normalized through the characters' consistent making light of it, which is probably the scarier answer. In any case, it's a revolting film; provocative, sometimes darkly funny, and so completely and utterly bizarre that one will likely never completely forget it. 8/10.

English couple Celia and Chris travel to a picturesque Greek island to spend their holiday killing perverts (of which, fortunately, there are vast numbers on this island - you know the type of perverts I mean - homosexuals, lesbians, rapists, hippies, drug addicts, middle aged women...) It seems to have slipped Celia's and Chris' notice that they themselves are far worse perverts than their victims, what with their vaguely incestuous relationship (they are brother and sister), Chris having sex with goats, urinating on people - oh, and killing people.This sleazy little exploitation movie is very much a product of its "video nasty" era. It is professionally put together, nicely photographed, with attractive and sunny scenery, and an attractive leading lady who frequently sheds her clothes (collar and cuffs don't match, by the way). Unfortunately she, along with everyone else in the film, can't act to save her life, and the meretricious content of the film doesn't have the saving grace of a moral, a decent payoff, or even any sense. It is perhaps worth watching as a kind of twisted travelogue, or even just to experience it but, make no mistake, it is not a very good film. Not even if you savour bad films.

Though the concept is dated, 'Ta Paidia Tou Diavolou' (a.k.a. 'Island of Death' or 'Devils in Mykonos') could have been a better film if the story had layers and the execution did not have a B-grade feel. The movie itself seems to primarily rely on violence and shock value rather than story (which is perhaps secondary). Christopher and Celia are initially depicted as a likable romantic couple who are visiting a Greek Island. Director Nico Mastorakis does not waste time in showing that this couple is insane. However, what I felt missing was the answer to the question why? Christopher is a psychopath who engages in acts of bestiality, rape, murder, torture and he likes to photograph them but what's the story behind this sick fascination? Celia is his partner in crime and the secret behind their relationship is revealed in the end but here too the big why question remains unanswered. As a result, most of the violence appears gratuitous. However, Mykonos is portrayed quite beautifully. It makes me want to visit the place on a holiday. The acting ranges from average to bad but Jane Lyle is good in some sequences, especially when her facial expression changes from fear to a cold smile. Slightly campy, this exploitation film has obtained cult status but it could have easily been a better film had more attention been given to the story and execution.