Doomwatch (1972)

An outsider visits a remote isolated village that has seemingly shunned the modern life. Doctor Del Shaw, an investigator from the British ecological watchdog group nicknamed Doomwatch, is sent to the island of Balfe, to file a report on the effects of a recent oil tanker spill.First of all, I am not familiar with the show on which this is based. So I can't speak to how accurately they stuck to those themes and whatnot. But I suspect that there is not really a need to do that.Overall, it is a good science fiction or horror story, but not a great one. There are not many memorable scenes, and this just is not going to be on anyone's must-see list. Clearly it would make a good double feature with "The Wicker Man", but that is the best thing I can think to use it for.

The television series that predated the film was for its time one of the first to use ecological awareness as the driver for a series. It stated baldly that the misuse of science and technology is rotting the foundations of life; the air we breathe, the land we walk on, the sea that surrounds us. The first series particularly was gripping and shocking.For the film the Doomwatch team of the television series take a lesser part and Ian Bannen becomes the 'star' of the movie. At first it appears to be going towards a zombie film but the director Peter Sasdy keeps a restraining hand on the narrative so it exerts a firm but steady hold on the viewer. It becomes instead a domestic drama which shows the human cost of environmental spoliation. Ian Bannen gives a fine performance as he seeks answers on the unwelcoming and dour island. There is good acting all around, though the George Sanders role is not worthy of his talents, and modest but effective make up effects.The scene near the end where Bannen is confronted by the 'monsters' is sad and moving. This is not a monsters amok scene but one filled with bewilderment, pain and despair. The end of the film is bleak but appropriately so. There are no easy answers. Early on in the film there seemed a possible romance between Bannen and Judy Geeson but that is nullified by the greater drama around them. A low budget film but more unsettling than other megabuck films on the same theme.

An environmentalist group ( a la early 70s ) somewhat sensationally named "Doomwatch" takes an interest in some peculiar goings-on on a small island near the UK. As a disclaimer, we never saw the BBC series so we don't have any previous notions to compare this film against but, having said that, the film is an enjoyable, cautionary tale about pollution and official stonewalling. Some people have lamented over the film's obviously modest - read: small - budget, but in our opinion this does not handicap the effort. If anything, it serves to highlight what can be achieved by the use of good writing, good acting, and good directing. Though not a horror film per se, its moody atmosphere and imaginative makeup does blur the line between suspense and horror quite effectively, and does actually manage to make you care about the people in it, most notably the character of Dr. Shaw. It's been pointed out that this film does bear a certain resemblance to "The Wicker Man", but in our opinion this has been overstated; yes, in both films an investigating official is stranded on a small island with lots of local strangeness, but that's about the only common ground between the two. Both are enjoyable, but for totally different reasons. Bottom line: while "Doomwatch" may not be a great film, it is a pretty good one. Try it.

This one feels a lot like the beginning of Wickerman, with out all the singing.An investigator from Doomwatch, goes to an island to investigate strange occurrences and come up against a wall of close mouthed villagers. He picks up hints that all is not well.Monsters. Monsters!Now this movie was made in 1972, and follows a British TV show of the same. (Which of course desperately needs a US DVD release.) Oddly, the Environmental cause for some of the things, is Genetically Engineered Food. A current Hot Potato Political Topic that has Industry Giants spending Millions of Dollars to quash any Ballot Initiatives for Food Labeling. On the other side, Nuclear Waste is briefly used as a red herring, but Nobody, and I mean Nobody, seems worried about Nuclear Waste.A Cool and Fun movie, just slightly on the weak side.