This seems to me to be unjustly neglected among Lewton's oeuvre; likewise, Boris Karloff's performance here is one of his most underrated. I've always loved the film and, while I concede that it moves rather slowly, the atmosphere it conjures up is simply marvelous (Jack Mackenzie's cinematography is outstanding) - with the island setting recalling I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE (1943), but given added strangeness by being played out against a backdrop of war.<br /><br />Its central situation - that of a stranded group of people fighting the elements (in this case, the plague) and a dangerous enemy (the vampire-like Vorvoloka who saps their energies) - has been done to death since, but at the time it was still relatively fresh (and may well have been inspired by John Ford's classic Western STAGECOACH [1939], especially in the way the heroine is shunned by some members for her 'corrupting influence'). The vampire lore put forward here is certainly one of the most original approaches to this perennial theme in classic horror cinema - and its presentation is undoubtedly among the most literate and engrossing ever. Actually, the film looks forward to "The Wurdalak" - the episode in Mario Bava's compendium-film BLACK SABBATH (1963) which stars Karloff himself! <br /><br />The film also takes care to throw in a favorite Poe element - premature burial - for good measure; of course, this added flourish pays off in spades in the form of a terrific - and quite unsettling - finale. Besides, the deliberate pace does allow for well-rounded characterizations (in all the major parts): especially interesting is the relationship between the Greeks (Karloff and the sinister Helene Thimig allowing superstition to get the better of them, thus distrusting and ultimately threatening innocent Ellen Drew), and also that between paganism (as represented by Jason Robards Sr., who lights a pyre to appease the old gods so that they ward off the plague) vs. science (as represented by Ernst Deutsch, who eventually succumbs to the disease himself). Unusual for horror films at the time - but typically for Lewton - special consideration is given to the feminine roles: the afore-mentioned Drew and Thimig, but even more so Katherine Emery (playing a character suffering from a particular 'ailment' and who comes to the fore during the climax, lending it unexpected irony - especially with Karloff's final remark, "I've seen the Vorvoloka!").<br /><br />Unfortunately, the side of the disc which houses this title is completely bare-bones: the most regrettable aspect to this Box Set, apart from the somewhat disappointing transfers (including this one), is the fact that ISLE OF THE DEAD does not have an accompanying Audio Commentary; for a rarely-seen film like THE GHOST SHIP (1943), which is not even really horror to begin with, that's quite understandable - but Karloff's involvement and the vampiric theme here should have provided ample material for discussion (is it possible there are few admirers of this one, then - Lewton himself, reportedly, considered it "a complete mess"?!)...