Island of Horrors

1970 1h 23m JA

💀

4.8

SKIP

★4.8TMDB · 9

CrimeDramaThrillerHorror

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Two women are ferried to a small prison colony on the remote and barren prison island, where they and their fellow inmates are forced to perform perilous slave labor along the island’s treacherous cliffs, overseen by both an unforgiving sun and a crew of abusive male wardens. Meanwhile, the arrival of a newcomer among the island’s administrators, a disgraced policeman who is also the son of Nagasaki’s governor, creates dissension between the officials that, along with an untimely outbreak of bubonic plague on the island, ultimately sets the stage for a daring escape attempt on the part of the prisoners.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Cast

Masakazu Tamura
Santarô Isahaya
Maya Kitajima
Okiyo
Reiko Kasahara
Oran
Hiroko Sakurai
Osen
Yuki Aresa
Omasa
Genshū Hanayagi
Ukifune
Kazuo Katō
Gunjûrô Segoshi
Saburo Date

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Toshiaki Kunihara
Writers: Shozaburo Asai
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

83 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

56 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Part of the "Daiei "Ero Guro/Unique Historical Drama Line"" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Toshiaki Kunihara, shot by Senkichirō Takeda. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Hajime Kaburagi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Hiroshi Yamada shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Masakazu Tamura and Maya Kitajima and Reiko Kasahara carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Toshiaki Kunihara directs. Senkichirō Takeda behind the camera. Hajime Kaburagi scores. Hiroshi Yamada cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

183 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
256 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "Daiei "Ero Guro/Unique Historical Drama Line"" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Toshiaki Kunihara, shot by Senkichirō Takeda. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Hajime Kaburagi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Hiroshi Yamada shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Masakazu Tamura and Maya Kitajima and Reiko Kasahara carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt0288152 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 9 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Senkichirō Takeda
Original score: Hajime Kaburagi
Editing: Hiroshi Yamada
Runtime: 83 min · 1h 23m
Status: Released
Original language: JA
IMDB: Island of Horrors (1970)

Part of

Daiei "Ero Guro/Unique Historical Drama Line"

From 1968 to 1969, Daiei released a series of low-budget exploitation films, which it named the "Ero Guro/Unique Historical Drama" Line". This consisted of two series: the "Woman's Secret" series and the "Kanto Woman" series. Later, after their merger with Nikkatsu in 1970, two more films were released in the series.