IMDb RATING
5.3/10
2.5K
YOUR RATING
Aquatic creatures threaten the existence of a mysterious island.Aquatic creatures threaten the existence of a mysterious island.Aquatic creatures threaten the existence of a mysterious island.
Franco Javarone
- José
- (as Franco Iavarone)
Franco Mazzieri
- François
- (as Francesco Mazzieri)
Jim Alquist
- James (US version)
- (as James Alquist)
Riccardo Petrazzi
- Prisoner on Lifeboat
- (uncredited)
Bobby Rhodes
- Rackham's Servant
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaFuture director--then head of publicity and marketing for New World Pictures-- Jim Wynorski is the one who came up with the title change and tagline, and did additional filming, in order for this to be known as "Screamers" in the US.
- GoofsThe drawing of David Bushnell's 1775 submarine "Turtle" on the wall of the Professor's room is hung upside down.
- Alternate versionsThe U.S. "Screamers" version featured not just a new opening, but several added shots and various audio adjustments throughout the film. These include several breathing sounds to give the film more of a sense of tension. It also abbreviated many scenes in the original Italian version or removed them all together. It also featured mostly new dubbing, with Claudio Cassinelli's voice replaced by an American voice actor (Cassinelli had dubbed himself in English in the original international release of the film, leaving his character with an Italian accent).
- ConnectionsEdited into La regina degli uomini pesce (1995)
Featured review
Island of the goggly eyes
This ambitious film is set in the 19th century, gave a dab of action-adventure with mythology to boot, some shocks of horror and a nod to science fiction if that wasn't enough. "Island of Dr. Moreau" it wasn't entirely, though the initial premise is no doubt given nod to.
The zoom ins, dated synthesizers and blatantly overdubbed sound effects that usually came with campy Italian cinema can give these pictures charm like no other. However, the inconsistent creature effects and cringe worthy miniatures unabashedly shown in close-ups, instead of rolling in the fog or covering up with shadows, were just asking too much from a viewer's imagination. Most of these films have flaws from cheap production to speedy filmmaking, mirroring what was done in the '50s/'60s, but it's just a matter of how many you are willing to overlook (especially by '79). If really easy, this could be more up your alley. If not, take the detour.
The acting and even the English dubbing were of decent and serious caliber to moving this along without being one giant accidental farce; which leads me to believe the producers gave the green light with a tight cast but without realistically scaling back their overzealous production costs. The owner of the island was villainous though a charming and eccentric gentleman, his former Bond-girl (Barbara Bach of "The Spy Who Loved Me") wife was an exquisite treat to look at, and the guest of honor, that got there from a shipwreck, was a commanding and confident presence on screen.
"Island of the Fishmen," aka "Screamers," was not as mystifying as set out to be as an adult fantasy film. Applied to the goals the filmmakers had and their ability to realistically pull them off, the old idiom "less is more" usually works better in these cases, otherwise it's a challenge to step in with both feet and truly let yourself go minus the unintentional smirks. (Also submitted on http://fromblacktoredfilmreviews.blogspot.com/)
The zoom ins, dated synthesizers and blatantly overdubbed sound effects that usually came with campy Italian cinema can give these pictures charm like no other. However, the inconsistent creature effects and cringe worthy miniatures unabashedly shown in close-ups, instead of rolling in the fog or covering up with shadows, were just asking too much from a viewer's imagination. Most of these films have flaws from cheap production to speedy filmmaking, mirroring what was done in the '50s/'60s, but it's just a matter of how many you are willing to overlook (especially by '79). If really easy, this could be more up your alley. If not, take the detour.
The acting and even the English dubbing were of decent and serious caliber to moving this along without being one giant accidental farce; which leads me to believe the producers gave the green light with a tight cast but without realistically scaling back their overzealous production costs. The owner of the island was villainous though a charming and eccentric gentleman, his former Bond-girl (Barbara Bach of "The Spy Who Loved Me") wife was an exquisite treat to look at, and the guest of honor, that got there from a shipwreck, was a commanding and confident presence on screen.
"Island of the Fishmen," aka "Screamers," was not as mystifying as set out to be as an adult fantasy film. Applied to the goals the filmmakers had and their ability to realistically pull them off, the old idiom "less is more" usually works better in these cases, otherwise it's a challenge to step in with both feet and truly let yourself go minus the unintentional smirks. (Also submitted on http://fromblacktoredfilmreviews.blogspot.com/)
helpful•53
- TheHrunting
- Jun 7, 2011
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Island of the Fishmen
- Filming locations
- Neptune's Grotto, Capo Cassia, Alghero, Sardinia, Italy(cave with stalactites)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 21 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was The Island of the Fishmen (1979) officially released in India in English?
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