Isle of the Snake People (1971)

Evil scientist runs a veritable army of LSD crazed zombies.

Directors:

Juan Ibáñez (as Jhon Ibanez), Jack Hill

Writers:

Jack Hill (screenplay), Juan Ibáñez

Stars:

Boris Karloff, Julissa, Carlos East

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Boris Karloff	...	Carl van Molder / Damballah
Julissa	...	Anabella Vandenberg
Carlos East	...	Lt. Andrew Wilhelm (as Charles East)
Rafael Bertrand	...	Capt. Pierre Labesch (as Ralph Bertrand)
Tongolele	...	Kalea
Quintín Bulnes	...	Klinsor (as Quintin Bulnes)
Santanón	...	Dwarf (as Santanon)
Martinique
Julia Marichal	...	Mary Ann Vandenberg (as July Marichael)
Yol Duhalt

Storyline

The inhabitants of a small, remote island have been practicing voodoo rites and worshipping an evil priest named Damballah for years, but the local law officials generally turn a blind eye to this death cult's bizarre activities. Captain Labesch arrives from the mainland, determined to crack down on the island's lawlessness and clean up the ineffectual, hard-drinking police force. He appeals for assistance from wealthy plantation tycoon Carl Van Molder, who owns nearly half of the island and wields a great deal of influence over the population. Van Molder has made the study of parapsychology his life's work and believes in the secret powers of the mind. He warns Labesch not to interfere with this forgotten island's ancient ways. Also visiting is Van Molder's niece, Annabella, a temperance crusader who wants her uncle to help fund the International Anti-Saloon League. She falls in love with handsome police lieutenant Andrew Wilhelm, despite his fondness for rum. Meanwhile, beautiful ...

---

Plot Keywords:

island | cult | voodoo | snake | human sacrifice | 

---

Genres:

Horror | Mystery

---

Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

Mexico USA

Language:

Spanish English

Release Date:

March 1971 (USA)

Also Known As:

Isle of the Snake People

Filming Locations:

Santa Monica, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Azteca Films,Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was one of a group of films made primarily in Mexico with all of Boris Karloff's scenes being shot on a soundstage in Hollywood. This would be Karloff's next to last feature.

---

Quotes

Anabella Vandenberg: Modern science has shown that alcohol is responsible for ninety-nine point two percent of all the world's sins.

---

Crazy Credits

In the closing credits, Boris Karloff is billed twice, once as Damballa and then as Carl van Molder.

---

Connections

Referenced in Ghostbusters (2016)

User Reviews

Damballah-walla-walla!

Echoing narration informs us about the "diabolical" new threat of voodoo on the island of "Korbai" near Haiti and a laughing, sneering midget in sunglasses cuts the head off a (real) chicken. Then Anabella (played by Julissa), a member of the International Anti-Saloon League informs some soldiers that, "Modern science has proved that alcohol is responsible for 99.2% of all the worlds sins!" She arrives on the island with others to visit her uncle Carl von Molder (Boris Karloff or his masked double).

Meanwhile, blue-faced zombies are overrunning the island. Voodoo cultists kill soldiers with a blowgun, strangulation and machete and regularly resurrect the dead with the help of the dwarf (who whips them). Rabid zombie women eat a man and one soldier adopts one as his girlfriend to scratch his back and fan him. ("Imagine a beautiful woman that can't talk. Every man's dream!") The niece has an extremely bizarre dream of her evil double suggestively sucking on a (real, live) snake before kissing her (?)

Little of this movie makes sense and the ending stinks, but it has some weird, senseless stuff to recommend. It's one of four much-hated movies Karloff did in 1968 before his death, constituting his final film work.