Dr. Moreau's House of Pain

USA • 2004 • 72m •

• Directed by: Charles Band. • Starring: John Patrick Jordan, Jessica Lancaster, Peter Donald Badalamenti II, Lorielle New, Ling Aum, B.J. Smith, Debra Mayer, Jacob Witkin, Laura Petersen, Jack Kennedy, Steve Quimby, Tony Simmons, Katy Zimmon. • Music by: James T. Sale.

Eric Carson is searching for his brother, an athlete who came to the secret hospital of the legendary Dr Moreau to help him with a rare blood disease. The boy was subjected to Moreau's radical transplant techniques, an operation that turned him into half man/half panther. Eric finds his brother more animal than man when he is captured and subjected to a similar operation. Before his animal side can take over completely, Eric rallies the other manimal experiments to revolt against Moreau and make their way to civilization.

Review:

Director Charles Band has pulled off a terrific bit of sleight of hand in Dr. Moreau's House of Pain. Yes there are Pig People, guts and gore, lots of nudity etc., etc., but what makes this little film special is that Band has made a terrific homage to the film noir films of the forties. Color, (did he use technicolor? the color is perfect), costumes, hair styles and dialogue are all out of 1947, and the actors play their parts as though they were Alan Ladd, Gail Russell and Lizabeth Scott! The premise is silly in this the what, fourth go-round of a Dr.Moreau film, but the execution, (no pun intended), is really top notch and on a par with much more expensive films.

Congrats Charles Band and all who worked on this film. Not to sound too 1940's, but you all did a "swell" job!

Review by rube2424 from the Internet Movie Database.

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