🎯 Quick Overview
Trailer
- Director: Sergio Martino
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi
- Release year: 1979
- Runtime (length): 1h 40min
- IMDb rating: 5.2/10 (2.7K votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes: Audience: 31%
😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained
Shipwreck survivors land on an island where a guy turns people into fish-monsters so they can find treasure in sunken Atlantis, because… science?
🍿 Island of the Fishmen: Detailed Plot Synopsis
Shipwrecked on a Mysterious Isle
The story begins in 1891 when a prison ship sinks in the Caribbean. Among the few survivors, a doctor, Lt. Claude de Ross, and a handful of convicts wash ashore on a seemingly deserted, uncharted island. Their initial exploration reveals the island is not as empty as it first appears, harboring strange dangers and hidden secrets.

Encountering the Island’s Rulers
As the survivors venture further, they encounter a compound ruled by the enigmatic Edmond Rackham. He lives with the beautiful Amanda Marvin and her father, Professor Ernest Marvin, a scientist. Rackham invites the shipwrecked men to stay, but tensions quickly rise as the convicts plot escape and the doctor grows suspicious of their hosts and the island’s true inhabitants.

The Secret of the Fishmen
Dr. de Ross investigates the strange happenings on the island, including the mysterious disappearances of the prisoners. He discovers Professor Marvin is conducting grotesque biological experiments, transforming humans into amphibious fish-like creatures. Rackham is exploiting these ‘fishmen’ for his own nefarious purposes.

Atlantis and the Voodoo Priestess
Rackham’s ultimate goal is revealed: he is using the fishmen to plunder the lost treasures of the sunken city of Atlantis, which lies deep underwater near the island. Meanwhile, a voodoo priestess named Shakira is also present, performing rituals and seemingly aware of an impending prophecy concerning the island’s fate.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained
🎬 Cast & Characters
- Lt. Claude de Ross (Claudio Cassinelli): A shipwrecked military doctor who becomes the protagonist investigating the mysteries of the island and its mutated inhabitants.
- Edmond Rackham (Richard Johnson): The ruthless island owner and primary antagonist who exploits the professor and the fishmen to plunder the treasures of Atlantis.
- Amanda Marvin (Barbara Bach): The beautiful daughter of Professor Marvin, she has a psychic connection to the fishmen and becomes the love interest for Lt. de Ross.
- Prof. Ernest Marvin (Joseph Cotten): A disgraced biologist held captive by Rackham and forced to perform experiments transforming humans into amphibious creatures.
- Shakira (Beryl Cunningham): A voodoo priestess associated with Rackham who adds a mystical element and foresees the island’s destruction.
- José (Franco Javarone): One of the few shipwrecked prisoners to survive the initial dangers and remain a key companion to Lt. de Ross.
💬 Memorable Quotes
- Amanda Marvin: “You must leave the island immediately. He doesn’t like visitors.” – Amanda warns the shipwrecked survivors shortly after meeting them, hinting at the dangers on the island.
- Edmond Rackham: “I have found the lost city of Atlantis at a depth of over 2,000 feet. I am using the fish-men as a means of getting at the lost treasures.” – Rackham reveals his true motive and plan to Claude de Ross, explaining his use of the mutated creatures.
- Lt. Claude de Ross: “These fish-men aren’t descendants… they’re genetically altered people!” – Claude realizes the horrific truth about the creatures after investigating Professor Marvin’s laboratory and experiments.
- Prof. Ernest Marvin: “These transformed humans can help save the world… by creating people who can live off the ocean’s resources.” – Professor Marvin offers his twisted scientific justification for the mutations, a motive Rackham uses to manipulate him.
💰Box Office
- Budget:
- Domestic Gross:
- Worldwide Gross:
💥 Island of the Fishmen Reviews
Personal Review
Okay, I went into ‘Island of Mutations’ (or ‘Screamers,’ depending on your version!) expecting pure schlock, and while it delivers the cheese, it’s surprisingly watchable. Seriously, the fish-men outfits are peak ’70s rubber suit goodness. They wobble and glower, and I love them. The plot is a wild ride, throwing everything at the wall – shipwreck, mad scientists, Barbara Bach being amazing, voodoo, *and* Atlantis? It’s confusing but never boring. The ending, with the volcano erupting while fish-men attack and people try to escape, is just pure chaos and I was absolutely hooked. It’s a perfect bad movie night watch.
- Who would enjoy:
- “Fans of classic creature features (like Creature from the Black Lagoon)”
- “Viewers who enjoy Italian exploitation cinema from the 70s and 80s”
- “Followers of director Sergio Martino or actors like Barbara Bach and Joseph Cotten”
- “Enthusiasts of mad scientist, lost world, or Atlantis-themed adventure films”
- “Those seeking a blend of sci-fi, horror, and adventure with low-budget charm”
- Content warnings ⚠:
- “Sci-fi/Body Horror themes (human mutation)”
- “Violence and Gore (more prominent in the US ‘Screamers’ cut)”
- “Scenes depicting black magic/voodoo rituals”
- “Contains a scene depicting the killing of an actual animal (bird)”
Professional Reviews
- Based on user reviews: “Sergio Martino blends genres wildly in this Italian adventure-horror mashup. While the fish-men costumes are delightfully rubbery and the plot gets pretty convoluted with voodoo, Atlantis, and mad science, it’s undeniably entertaining. The location shooting and Barbara Bach are highlights, even if the pacing can drag slightly before the explosive finale. A fun, cheesy B-movie experience.
- Based on user reviews: “Comparing the original ‘Island of the Fishmen’ to Roger Corman’s ‘Screamers’ cut reveals stark differences. The Italian version is a more deliberate, atmospheric adventure leaning into *Dr. Moreau* themes with some horror. The ‘Screamers’ cut adds gore and speeds things up, changing the tone. Both have charm; the original feels more cohesive despite its flaws and dated effects, offering solid, old-fashioned creature feature fun.
Audience Reactions
People loved the outrageous creature design and the wild mix of genres.: The movie is a cheesy, entertaining B-movie adventure with memorable monsters and a convoluted but fun plot.
Overall Consensus: A flawed but highly entertaining Italian genre blend, enjoyed for its cheesy monsters, ambitious plot, and cult status, despite dated effects and inconsistent pacing.
Awards
🛠️ Behind the Scenes
- “The US version, titled “Screamers”, was heavily re-edited by New World Pictures, adding a new prologue, additional gore footage, and often replacing the original English dubbing.”
- “Future director Jim Wynorski, then head of publicity for New World Pictures, was responsible for the “Screamers” title and the infamous tagline “They’re men turned inside out!”, which was completely misleading about the film’s content.”
- “Some US theaters exhibiting “Screamers” reportedly spliced in separate footage from the misleading trailer featuring a woman being chased by a monster to satisfy irate customers expecting the promised gore.”
- “The movie was filmed in Sardinia, Italy, utilizing some of the same locations and sets, including the main house, as Lucio Fulci’s horror classic “Zombi 2″, which was shot concurrently with some overlapping cast members like Richard Johnson.”
- “The drawing of an early submarine (David Bushnell’s 1775 ‘Turtle’) displayed on the wall in Professor Marvin’s room is clearly hung upside down.”
🖥️ How to Watch Island of the Fishmen?
Seeking to watch ‘Island of Mutations’? Originally titled ‘L’isola degli uomini pesce’ and released in the US as ‘Screamers’, this cult Italian creature feature can often be found available for purchase or rental on platforms like Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV. Availability varies by region and platform, so check major digital retailers. Look for restored versions, as mentioned in reviews, which may offer different cuts of the film.

🎥 Similar Movies
If you enjoyed Island of the Fishmen, you might like these similar films:
- The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977): Directly inspired by the H.G. Wells novel, featuring a mad scientist on an isolated island creating human-animal hybrids.
- Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954): The iconic Universal monster film that heavily influenced the visual design and concept of the fish-men creatures.
- Zombi 2 (1979): An Italian horror film from the same director (Sergio Martino worked on both in different capacities), released the same year, sharing some cast members and even filming locations.
- Humanoids from the Deep (1980): Another Roger Corman/New World Pictures aquatic monster exploitation film from the same era, featuring similar creature designs and B-movie sensibilities.
- The Shape of Water (2017): Features a Gill-man-like creature and explores themes of human connection to aquatic beings, albeit with a vastly different tone and artistic approach.
🛒 Island of the Fishmen Related Products
- Island of the Fishmen (Restored Blu-ray): Own the uncut, original Italian version of the film in high definition. See the movie as director Sergio Martino intended, with improved picture quality.
- The Island of Dr. Moreau / Island of the Fishmen Blu-ray Double Feature: A double feature Blu-ray pairing the classic H.G. Wells adaptation with the Italian film it heavily inspired. A great way to compare and contrast the two versions of the ‘mad scientist on an island’ trope.
- Vintage ‘Screamers’ Movie Poster Print: A high-quality reprint of the iconic, misleading, but unforgettable US ‘Screamers’ movie poster featuring Barbara Bach and the Fishman. Perfect for display.
- Creature from the Black Lagoon Action Figure: While not a Fishman, this collectible figure pays homage to the classic movie monster that heavily influenced the design of the creatures in ‘Island of the Fishmen’. Highly detailed and poseable.
🎧 Soundtrack
Island of the Fishmen features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:
- “Main Title” – performed by Luciano Michelini
- “Island Theme” – performed by Luciano Michelini
- “Fishmen Attack” – performed by Luciano Michelini
- “Atlantis Underwater” – performed by Luciano Michelini
You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.
🤨 FAQ
It’s an Italian science fiction horror adventure film from 1979 about shipwreck survivors who land on a mysterious island. They discover a mad scientist creating amphibious human-fish hybrids (‘Fishmen’) under the control of a ruthless man exploiting them to find treasure in the lost city of Atlantis, all while a volcano threatens the island.
Yes, ‘Screamers’ is the heavily re-edited and re-titled American version of the original Italian film ‘L’isola degli uomini pesce’ (‘Island of the Fishmen’). The ‘Screamers’ cut added new footage, including a gory opening scene and altered pacing, leading to significant differences between the versions.
While often marketed as horror, especially the ‘Screamers’ cut with its added gore and misleading tagline, the original ‘Island of the Fishmen’ is more accurately described as a blend of science fiction, adventure, and horror, with a focus on exploration, mad science, and pulp action rather than pure terror.
The film stars Claudio Cassinelli as Lt. Claude de Ross, Barbara Bach as Amanda Marvin, Richard Johnson as Edmond Rackham, and features veteran actor Joseph Cotten as Professor Ernest Marvin. The US version, ‘Screamers’, also added brief appearances by Cameron Mitchell and Mel Ferrer.
The film was primarily shot on location in Sardinia, Italy, specifically in Neptune’s Grotto near Alghero for the cave scenes, and various lush island settings. Interiors were filmed in Rome. Additional sequences for the US ‘Screamers’ version were filmed in California and Hawaii.
This infamous and misleading tagline was created by New World Pictures for the US release titled ‘Screamers’. It refers to a short, gory sequence added to the American cut that is not present in the original Italian film and does not accurately represent the main plot or creatures of the movie, which are fish-human mutations.
🔥 Bonus Content
Brandon’s Cult Movie Reviews: ISLAND OF THE FISHMEN
Want to know if ‘Island of the Fishmen’ is worth watching? Dive into this cult film review! It really captures the bizarre charm (and maybe questionable effects) of this wild Italian creature feature.
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