Mad Collector of Blood Island

[raycastile]

BAGHAGBUGGABOOABLABLAGHHH!!!

I am the Mad Collector of Blood Island.

Only a madman would waste so much time and money on something so trashy, so stupid, so low.

In fact, I'm madder than ever.

Now that we have established the proper scholarly tone, let's proceed with a guided tour of Blood Island memorabilia.

What the heck is Blood Island?  It is a fictional isle in the Philippines, a magnet for mad scientists and mutant monsters.  The "official" Blood Island movies were produced from 1959 through 1970 by Hemisphere Pictures.  Most were directed by Gerry de Leon and produced by Eddie Romero and Kane Lynn.

These films are like nothing else you have seen.  They can be genuinely gripping and stupifyingly silly, exotic and sleazy, charming and shocking.  When I think of "drive-in movies," I think of these.

If you have read Denis Gifford's "A Pictorial History of Horror Movies," you have been exposed to Blood Island.  (And yes, the sand IS radioactive.)  Remember that cool picture of the ugly, fanged, skeletal monster crawling on the beach?  That is Blood Island's most famous resident, the Chlorophyll Monster.

Here's a garage kit of him:
http://www.monstersinmotion.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/15_177/products_id/12142

Unfortunately, I don't own that kit.  But I do own almost all the junk you're about to see.  It's mostly movie paper, with a couple extra doohickies thrown in.

The Blood Island saga began in 1959 with "Terror is a Man."  It borrows its basic plot from Dr. Moreau:  an obsessed scientist on a secluded island experiments with changing animals into humans.  But the film is anything but a cheap rip-off.  "Terror is a Man" is surprisingly intelligent, stylish and suspenseful.

Here is the original U.S. one-sheet:




You can see that the marketing de-emphasizes the fantasy elements and makes it seem more like a steamy melodrama.




Is this a monster movie or Peyton Place?

But the "bell" gimmick is straight out of William Castle:




Make no mistake, this is a monster movie!  Hemisphere later reissued the film under the title "Blood Creature" to capitalize on the success of the subsequent Blood Island films.  The reissue poster is more in keeping with the gleefully trashy tone of the later films.




Here is the monster.  He's actually pretty cool.




(No, that's not the Chlorophyll Monster.  He would come later.)


"The Blood Drinkers" (1966) does not take place on Blood Island, but it is generally considered part of the series.  Again directed by de Leon, "The Blood Drinkers" offers a unique take on vampires.  It feels surprisingly modern and "hip," alternating between full-color and color-tinted scenes to create a dream-like atmosphere.

Here is the U.S. one-sheet:




Yes, that image is also in Denis Gifford's book.


With the next film, "Brides of Blood" (1968), de Leon and Romero returned to Blood Island proper.  But the serious, gothic tone of the first two films gave way to a more campy, exploitive style.

Just look at the gloriously cockamamie U.S. one-sheet:




Let's take a closer look at that hand-scribbled monster:




That drawing looks only a little less realistic than the actual creature suit:




(No, that's still not the Chlorophyll Monster.  Be patient, he's coming...)


Here is the Spanish one-sheet.  What a creepy image!  Much more stylish than the U.S. poster. 




The ape monster looks nothing like the creature in the movie.  He is obviously based on artwork from one of the King Kong posters.




Yech!  Don't you want to see that movie?


"Brides of Blood" is the first of what became known as the "Blood Island Trilogy."  Made back-to-back, all three films star John Ashley and have recurring supporting actors.

The big gimmick for "Brides of Blood" was the "wedding ring give-away."  To find out more about it, let's look at the press kit:

Front


Back


Inside



Theater managers were encouraged to order hundreds of plastic "wedding" and "engagement" rings to give to every "unmarried female" in the audience.  Hemisphere made a special trailer to advertise the rings.




Now here is my favorite piece in my entire Blood Island collection.  Two authentic "Brides of Blood" promo rings sealed in their original baggie, included with the press kit.




How amazing is it that something like that would survive until now?


Here is the press kit without the contents so you can see the cool art depicting Christopher Lee from "Blood Fiend," a movie paired with "Brides" on a double bill.




I think I'll take a break here and let everybody stop for refreshments.  We'll pick up this tour later with more Blood Island posters, press kits and knick knacks.  And we'll finally meet the Chlorophyll Monster.

If you want to prepare yourself, here is a pretty good primer on the Blood Island series:
http://www.bleedingskull.com/features/bloodisland.html

Molakaw na ko!

[Monsterkid71]

Uuuum............me no see any pics?

[poseablemonster]

I've been getting into these films over the past year.  I agree; these are the epitome of "drive-in" trashy films, and I can't help enjoying them! 

[neonnoodle]

I love the Blood Island flicks, they were on TV (all cut to shreds!) in the 70's and oh, that was what late-night TV was really all about...great thread and great stuff!

Here's my review of one of the films over at imdb...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063255/usercomments-8

[poseablemonster]

Great review, Rodd.  Thanks for the link.

[kklloo]

Great Post!

[Unknown Primate]

I remember getting the little packets of "green blood" at the box office upon entrance to Mad Doctor of Blood Island at the Muncie (or Ski-Hi) Drive-In in Indiana way back when.  You've got me craving the Blood Island flicks.  Ever seen Beast Of The Yellow Night?

[typhooforme]

Raymond, What a strange and cool co-inky-dink.  I have been on a Blood Island kick lately!  And TERROR IS A MAN is on its way in the mail right now!  And just for added fun, I watched THE TWILIGHT PEOPLE--speaking of Dr. Moreau!  Hadn't seen these in many years, and it's fun to watch the blood--or chlorophyll--spill in the tropical jungle hell that is.....BLO-OOO-OOOD ISLA-AAA-AND!

[raycastile]

BAGHAGBUGGABOOABLABLAGHAHH!!!

It is time to resume our tour of beautiful Blood Island.

The goal of this thread is to show off my junk.  And if, along the way, you should happen to develop a deeper appreciation for the Blood Island films, well then...who cares.  The point is to show off my junk.  So let's get on with it.

It's time to meet the infamous Chlorophyll Monster.  Most people who run into him get their limbs hacked off and their face chewed into a pulpy mess.  Will this happen to you?  Very likely.  So please keep a safe distance.

Chlory debuted in the second installment of the Blood Island trilogy - "Mad Doctor of Blood Island" (1969).

Here he comes now.



Returning leading man John Ashley is an American doctor investigating the mysterious Dr. Lorca, played by "The Blood Drinkers" vampire star Ronald Remy.  Lorca is performing blood experiments on human guinea pigs, using radioactive chlorophyll extracted from the mutant plants introduced in "Brides of Blood."  His primary test subject is Don Ramón, a leukemia patient that sought Dr. Lorca's help.  The chlorophyll treatment cured the leukemia, but with unexpected side effects.  Ramón began to mutate, sprouting fangs and claws.  He flesh dissolved into dripping green goo.  He lost his mind, escaped Lorca's laboratory and began roaming the countryside, tearing apart anyone he encountered.

He's like an exotic 60s version of the Incredible Melting Man.

"Mad Doctor of Blood Island" is my favorite film of the Hemisphere Pictures "Blood" series.  It retains some of the gloom and doom of the much classier "Terror is a Man," but adds buckets of squishy gore, gratuitous nudity, an iconic monster and introduces a wonderfully arch villain in Dr. Lorca.  It's trashy, campy and tasteless, but also strangely gripping, sad and creepy.  That's Blood Island!

And now for my junk.

Here is the U.S. one-sheet for "Mad Doctor of Blood Island."




That image sums up the movie very nicely.




It was paired with a Christopher Lee movie titled "Blood Demon."




See?  All this and Christopher Lee, too.  You can't go wrong with that.


Here is the press kit:

Front



Back



The girl with the snake must be from "Blood Demon."  In the upper left corner, you can see the Chlorophyll Monster gnawing on what's left of a woman's face.  I would tell you who she is, but that would be a spoiler.

Here is the inside:




You can see the gimmick for this film: do you dare drink the GREEN BLOOD?  As has been noted, theaters handed out packets of green liquid that the audience was supposed to drink during a cheesy prologue depicting the "weird rites of the green blood."  I hear the stuff tasted disgusting, but that's the price you pay for initiation into a secret brotherhood.  Unfortunately, a pack of the stuff did not come with the press kit!  Darn.

The soundtrack album for "Mad Doctor" was released just this past year by Elysee Productions.



Here is the site where you can order it:
http://www.elyseeproductions.com/place_order.htm

Here is an audio sample from the site:
http://www.elyseeproductions.com/music/mad_dr_samp1.mp3

Of course, I've been listening to the music while typing this thread.  At least I was.  Now I'm listening to Halloween Hootenanny.  But I digress.

Pictured in the CD booklet is the holy grail of Blood Island collectibles.  The Chlorophyll Monster jiggler.




This was an "official" toy produced by Hemisphere Pictures at the time of the film's original release.  I don't know if it was sold or just given away as a promo item.  It looks like they based the lower torso and legs on the Ben Cooper caveman jiggler.  I think this photo was taken from an ebay auction.  I vaguely remember seeing that listing and not knowing what to make of it.  But Sam Sherman of Hemisphere confirms in the CD booklet that this item is for real.  He says he has not seen one since the movie's original release.  But that disclaimer would not stop me from pestering him about where I can find one.

Yes, someday I will add this jiggler to my pile of Blood Island junk!

[raycastile]

BAGHAGBUGGABL - cough! cough! choke! ack, excuse me...ahem!

It is time to shut down this popsicle stand.  But first let's look at the final chapter in the Blood Island "trilogy."

"Beast of Blood" (1970) is perhaps the best known film of these series, thanks to its classic poster art.  People might not know the film, but they know that image of the monster tearing its own head off.

Here is the U.S. one-sheet:






With art like that, the movie just gets in the way.

John Ashley returns, again fighting the evil Dr. Lorca (this time played by Eddie Garcia).  Lorca has captured Don Ramón and cut off his head, just to keep him in his place.  But having his head cut off is not enough to keep the Chlorophyll Monster down.  If you've seen Re-Animator, you get the picture.

Unfortunately, Chlory only gets to do his thing at the beginning and end of the film.  More monster mayhem would have helped.  Directed this time by Eddie Romero instead of Gerry de Leon, "Beast of Blood" is more action-oriented than its predecessors.  Still, it brings the trilogy to a fine conclusion.

"Beast of Blood" was released on a double bill with "Curse of the Vampires," a 1966 vampire film directed by de Leon and starring Eddie Garcia.  A followup to "The Blood Drinkers," the plot of "Curse of the Vampires" has no connection to Blood Island.  But like "The Blood Drinkers," fans tend to think of it as part of the series.

Here is the press kit:




From listening to Sam Sherman's DVD commentaries, it seems Hemisphere Pictures marketed the vampire and Blood Island films together as part of an ongoing "Blood" series.  They also included "Brain of Blood," a 1972 Al Adamson film with almost no connection to Blood Island.  It does use the "Mad Doctor" soundtrack music, Blood Island cast alumni, and it has "Blood" in the title.

I'm pretty sure my first exposure to the Blood Island films came from Denis Gifford's book, but I also have vivid childhood memories of seeing this Super 8 film at K-mart:




Boy did that box art fascinate me!  What a weird monster.  He doesn't just chase the girls.  He harasses them by ripping off his own head and using it to taunt them.  What does he do next, tear out his own guts and smear it all over them?  I stood in the K-mart aisle pondering these questions as I stared at this little box.

Now here is perhaps the coolest poster in my Blood Island collection.

It is a HUGE Italian four-sheet of "Beast of Blood."  This thing is bigger than life-size!




I wouldn't dare display that poster on the wall.  I'd be afraid he'd come out of the paper and get me.

John Ashley and Eddie Romero went on to make two unofficial quasi-Blood Island films: "The Beast of the Yellow Night" and "The Twilight People."  But these were made outside Hemisphere Pictures and are generally not considered part of the official "Blood" series.  More importantly, I don't own any paper on them, so we need not discuss them.

That brings our tour to a close.  The Mad Collector of Blood Island is crawling into his underground laboratory to inject himself with some green blood.  I'll let you know what happens.

[Toy Ranch]

Very cool, Raymond.  I've seen that one and I loved it too (although it didn't inspire me to seek out every collectible or promotional item that was ever produced in the world for it ).  That's a great collection of memorabilia for Blood Island.  If I ever see that jiggler, I'll be sure to buy it and ransom it to you for a fortune let you know about it.

[Unknown Primate]

Love the artwork!

[chrisnurse]

Oh man, those posters are top notch! Love 'em!

[Bogey]

The madness must be contagious.  Mad!?  Mad!?  I must be mad also as I am considering ordering the above cd and have never even heard of the movie.