Director: Eddie Romero
Notable Cast: John
Ashley, Pat Woodell, Jan Merlin, Charles Macaulay, Pam Grier, Ken Metcalfe,
Tony Gosalvez, Kim Ramos, Mona Morena
The Island of Dr.
Moreau is a classic in its own sense, thanks to a fantastic concept and
story by the iconic H.G. Wells, but it’s a tale that sometimes finds itself
being translated oddly to film. Many of the official film adaptations of the
story have both their fans and detractors, depending on which version you watch
it leans heavily one way or the other, but there is one thing that the Dr. Moreau story has inspired that is of
particular interest to readers of this site: all of the knock offs in B-cinema.
The Twilight People, the focus of
this review, is one of those knock offs. Featuring some fun animal/people
mashups and a brisk pace, the tone and feel of this 70s film will appeal to
those who love to dig through the annals of cinema history for the strange and
offbeat. For the rest of the cinema watching community though, it might be a
harder sell thanks to a thin script and mixed execution. If anything, the
actual restoration of this film and release on Blu Ray is much better than the
film itself and for those who do find The
Twilight People on the radar, it will be a solid addition to their
collection.
