The Making of Island of Death

 

 

 

 

 

"...There is always a story behind every movie ever made, and sometimes the story behind the movie is more interesting than the story in the movie itself and Island of Death is no different, because at the time I made Island of Death I was almost a novice director.

 

I had a vast experience in tv shows, I have done drama and game shows and music and everything else on tv, with a very rudimentary means of the seventies because I was working on greek tv , and greek tv was black and white and if we wanted to go anywhere close to lavish than meant shoot b/w in 16mm film

 

But I have already shot a movie. It was called "Death has blue eyes" and in some way that movie was the forefather of all the other movies I've ever made..."

 

Nico Mastorakis

 

  ...You worked in TV where I understand you had trouble with the governments of the day before moving into film. The film has so many notorious scenes in it I was wondering if it was a snub to the government to show that you could not be censored?

 

Perhaps a subconscious get back at the censors who dominated my life in the seven years of military dictatorship, maybe also because the media in Greece have always been censored. There was a sense of freedom, making a movie which would not depend on local laws. Little I knew at the time that in some countries like England, the system was more strict, totalitarian and irrational!...

 

What’s the Greek tourist board’s view of the film? Were they helpful in getting it made?

 

At the time we made the film, no one on the island (except for those working in the production) knew what kind of film we were making. The island, of course, was no stranger to nudity and weirdness,

even John and Bo Derek had made such a movie in Mykonos. The people there have always been wonderful and, even in a movie which is packed with death and perversion, they see the potential of their island’s promotion.

 

Can you tell me about any plans for a remake or sequel?

 

IOD2 is on the way, hopefully I’ll finish the script in a month or so and shoot it in the fall. But this will not be anything like the original. Besides, even TV has pushed the envelope in sex and perversion, let

alone some morons, around the world, who have toyed around with subjects as paedophilia simply to break barriers. No, IOD2 will have a much more inner, more frightening violence and much more

substantial evil to show. After all, I’m forty years older and prone to make movies who, despite their subject matter, will be able to even play the festival circuit...