Shock Waves

Island of the Nazi Monsters

A group of tourists in the Miami area tour the sea in a rundown cruiser with an uncertain destination. They end-up on a strange island with a dilapidated resort-facility and a recluse German (Peter Cushing). Horror ensues.

“Shock Waves” (1977) takes the basic plot & tone of “The Lost Continent” (1968) and combines it with the creative ‘Death Corps’ element. There are also bits from “Let’s Scare Jessica to Death” (1971), “Haunts of the Very Rich” (1972) and “Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things” (1972), not to mention similarities to the contemporaneous “Empire of the Ants.”

There's a good eerie air that morphs into ghastly reality. The 70's atmosphere and cast are highlights, as is the spooky electronic score. Brooke Adams as Rose has an exquisitely sculptured face, but is otherwise fairly un-curvy. Redhead D. J. Sidney is also on hand as an older woman, maybe 12 years older than Rose.

The skeletal Cushing in his post-Hammer years is a professional and performs well. It takes years of training and practice to be able to play such a character with the corresponding ominous lines without giggling.

The set-up is entertaining enough, but the second half unfortunately devolves into redundant scenes on the island (zombies rising from the water and people fleeing in the woods or bog). While there are minor shock waves at the beginning, it’s a misnomer. So, while “Shock Waves” is worth checking out, I’ll take “The Lost Continent” and “Humongous” (1982) over it. They’re both all-around more entertaining for this type of fare.

The movie runs 1 hour, 25 minutes, and was shot mostly in Florida as follows: Biscayne Bay for the beach scenes, Coral Gables for the abandoned hotel; and Palm Beach. The wreck of the ship was shot at Bimini Islands, Bahamas, which is about 60 miles due east of Miami.

GRADE: B-/C+