There are a lot of different taboos in film, and one of them is killing children on film. For whatever reason, horror films don’t like to cross that boundary, but leave it to the Spanish to break the rules. In this film also known as Island of the Damned, a couple of tourists embark on a nice vacation, only to find one of the scariest things possible, an island full of psychotic children. Who Can Kill a Child is an insane 70’s film.
The movie is directed by Narciso Ibanez Serrador and visually looks good. Despite the age, this film had a lot of lovely shots that will make some people want to leave the couch and take a vacation across distant lands, and all that jazz. I thought it was interesting, but only because the rest of the film seemed to lag until the climax, where things really get going.
The main plot revolves around a British couple and their vacation. They go on a trip to find a ghost town of sorts. The town seems so abandoned that the guests aren’t sure what to do until they see a small child. They follow the kid only to see him beating an old man. The old man is just the first victim we see as the film unfolds to reveal that the children that run the island kill everyone that is an adult, and they have set their eyes on our couple.
The film takes a lot of time developing the obvious. I was tired and falling asleep until I realized that things were going to unhinge. When the crap hit the fan, and our pregnant woman dies, her husband fights the kids and like I said, breaks the ultimate taboo, he takes an automatic gun and shoots the crap out of a slew of kids as he runs away. He then gets on a boat and like a kung fu fighter starts beating the crap out of kids left and right, making sure to leave no stone unturned as he beats the hell out of children. The kids outnumber him, and when police arrive they see things backwards and kill our hero.
Then the kids set their eyes on the police and steal their boats…the last scene could very well set up a sequel. Who Can Kill A Child is insane, if you gut the second part of the film you get 30 minutes of craziness with a great final sequence and ending. If you’re a fan of 1970’s exploitation film, this one is going to be right up your alley. It has everything but the gratuitous sex, so maybe it’s not that great for some. I liked it. I think this film is ripe for a remake, especially since kids getting beaten on screen needs a revival. Those damn kids! Hipsters especially.
Obviously what always spoils this film for me is that the vacationing couple are British, YUK ! ! !, but, other than that, as you said, the film itself is superb and well worthy of its cult status.
ReplyDeleteif it makes you feel better jervaise, they get theirs man, boy do they get theirs; both get it bad...so you win in the end :)
ReplyDeletegreat movie, although a bit slow, I always thought the husband was an ass leaving his pregnant wife on numerous occasions to investigate the missing people.
ReplyDeleteHey Anonymous, what do you expect, he (Lewis Fiander) is a silly British bastard from England ! ! !. By the way, Prunella Ransome wasn`t a bad looking bird (although she was 32 at the time of filming, so, by definition, she was already 14 years past the absolute pinnacle and peak of her physical attractiveness and desirability, i bet when the bird was 18 she was a right little darlin`) its just such a shame she was British rubbish.
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