A cool documentary is screening this weekend. Back in the 1990's Marlon Brando was still living and occasionally popping up in a Hollywood feature, Val
Kilmer was bigger than Brad Pitt, and someone thought it would be a great idea to do yet another adaptation of H.G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau...
Released in 1996 commemorating the 100th anniversary of the publishing of the novel, The Island of Dr. Moreau was the third adaptation of H.G. Wells'
work. 1977 had brought a less than spectacular adaptation starring Michael York, and previous to that was the 1932 cinematic adaptation known as The
Island of Lost Souls (great piece of cnema). The 1996 version was a grand failure of sorts. A major Hollywood film that had numerous crazy rumors flying
around about bizarre group activities, Marlon Brando's strange behavior and requests, other actors in the film disappearing etc, and the lead requesting to
switch his role for a much smaller role, with an actor most people outside of England had never heard of.
The kind people at Cinefamily are screening the new documentary titled Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stalney's The Island of Dr. Moreau.
(That title is just too much though, seriously...). It chronicles original Turkish director Richard Stanley's brush with Hollywood, and the quick disintegration of
his cinematic baby. Stanley was fired in the first day of filming only to return to set the next day disguised as an extra.
The doc is getting rave reviews, and seems interesting enough. The subject matter has always been bizarre and interesting in itself, and since the 90's are
trending right now it only seems appropriate. Director Stanley will be at the Cinefamily and available for conversation which is cool and might entice some of
cinema heads out there who appreciate a great Hollywood story. Click this link for ticket and screening information, and this doc has been all the rage as of
late and availability will be scarce.
