A group of friends make a new acquaintance in Julie (Tisa Farrow) while vacationing in Greece; as they travel by boat, she convinces them to make a stopover on an island where she's supposed to meet some friends. But when they get there, the local town is deserted, and there are no real clues as to what happened. When night falls, they will start falling victim to the depraved monster responsible.
I'll get some of my minor beefs out of the way so I can get to the good stuff. It drags in some places, although the build-up of suspense that would have been created by director Joe D'Amato is largely diminished by a music score that most of the time is just plain bad.
That said, this movie doesn't make a tired old plot seem fresh and new, but what it does do is create a real sense of mystery and foreboding. The deserted island truly does look intimidating. The exotic locale is most welcome; the scenery and location work are impressive and it's all very well photographed by Enrico Biribicchi. Characters are reasonably likable; however, it's George Eastman, definitely very creepy here, that comes off the best as the hulking killer.
What really makes this movie are the outrageous scenes - one in particular is very memorable - taking place near the end, which I dare not spoil for those yet to see this. Gore fans are bound to get a real kick out of these.
This foray into horror for the late prolific sleaze director D'Amato is overall a worthy viewing for die-hard fans of the genre. Suffice it to say, it definitely has its moments.
7/10