THE SECRET OF BLOOD ISLAND is one of the rarest Hammer Films out there, at least at this moment in time; it was released on VHS but so far hasn't appeared on DVD or Blu-ray. It's a serviceable WW2 thriller, set in a Japanese prisoner of war camp in the jungle and populated by British soldiers. The story has Barbara Shelley as the spy heroine of the hour, whose plane is shot down in the vicinity. She has a hair cut and masquerades as a soldier in the camp, trying to evade the cruelties of the Japanese captors, played by Michael Ripper and Patrick Wymark (wonderfully hissable in yellow face). The film, if I'm truthful, is a little staid and drawn out, with the pace flagging regularly despite the suspense of the premise. It does have a decent cast with the likes of Jack Hedley, Charles Tingwell, Bill Owen, Lee Montague and Glyn Houston all doing their best 'stiff upper lip' performances. Director Quentin Lawrence was best known for his TV work, although he also shot Hammer's CASH ON DEMAND. It's not one of Hammer's best movies, nor is it one of their best war movies, but it has its moments and is better than I was expecting.
Review of The Secret of Blood Island
