You may also like our review of Woman of Mud. Viewers and cinema goers are asked to imbibe a green liquid and chant the initiation rites oath of Green Blood, which will protect them. (Green liquid available in the foyer next to the Butterkist and Kia Ora, I assume). Then we’re straight in to a sudden murder on a tropical island.

A small glimpse of a human-ish creature is all we get. A ship arrives at what we discover is Blood Island where a mixed group of seafarers are all here with their own motives: family reunions, research, the usual. One looks to meet her father, another to get their mother home. The ship’s captain warns the new arrivals of a curse, green-blooded men escaping into the sea. Now pretty much trapped on the island until the boat returns for them, the travellers meet the suspicious Dr Lorca, (imagine Dr Moreau being played by a fat Cuban cocaine dealer) who refuses to give too many details on why the inhabitants refuse to leave or what caused the death of one of the islanders. But an eerie atmosphere invades the jungle, and there is much tribal whispering. We discover the woman’s father is an alcoholic who is virtally bedridden by drink. Evidence comes to light that son’s mother refuses to leave since the death of her husband, Ramon. Perhaps there is more to Ramons’s death than meets the eye? However investigation reveals upon opening his coffin, no body to be found. Meanwhile the island is stalked by the monster from the opening scene.

This Filipino fest of bloodletting and frights was released in 1969, the main character is not actually a he as such but more of an it, as the monster is a green blooded chlorophyll creature that resembles the Toxic Avenger on a bad day who resides on a remote island and is the result of an experiment gone horribly wrong, once a patient of the MAD DOCTOR referred to in the pictures title.

Lorca is portrayed by Ronald Remy, whilst John Ashley stars as Dr Bill Foster the hero of the tale, with Angelique Pettyjohn in the role of Sheila Willard providing the love interest and glamour in the film. The musical score is the work of Filipino born composer Tito Arevalo, who’s rhythmic, percussive and dramatic music enhanced and punctuated the movies inventive storyline perfectly. It is a mystery to me why this score has not been issued before, it ticks all the correct boxes in the category of a horror soundtrack, but also contains some surprises that are appear in the form of enjoyable lighter moments, these are heard alongside pulsating and infectious up beat tracks which are in a way addictive, as once heard will be played over and over again. The orchestrations are polished, original and interesting, Arevalo throughout experimenting and combining instruments that one would think unlikely bed fellows, but each time the combinations work to great effect creating a consistently good listening experience.

Poster mad doctor of blood island