4 Star

The Original Eco Warriors.

From the guys that brought us the ace Doomwatch series comes the feature film directed by Peter Sasdy (Countess Dracula) which continues in the excellent vein of the TV series, bringing us pure Science and Fiction as the team tackle environmental issues and big corrupt dirty dealings right up to the top echelons of the government.

The film starts with scenes of a clean-up operation after an oil spill on an isolated island in the south English Channel. Now it is a year later and the old team are on the case to see the ecological effects of this man made disaster. Also we see a young lifeless girl in the arms of an adult and being buried in the woods near a sign for the Bothy.

Headed by Dr. Quist (John Paul, The Desperados) he sends his college Dr. Del Shaw (Ian Brennan, Gandhi) to investigate the lead additives added to the oil and the detergent used on the clean-up and also collect samples for analysis back at their lab.

Del heads down to the coast and gets a small boat to take him over to the island. The island has been isolated for hundreds of years and the locals of the small fishing village of Bulfe keep themselves to themselves.

Firstly Dr Shaw has to find a place to spend the night as only intends this to be an overnight stay.

But what he runs into is suspicion and downright hostility even from the vicar (Joseph O’Conor, Oliver!) wants nothing to do with this outsider, so he tries the local constabulary with Constable Hartwell (Percy Herbertt, The Bridge on the River Kwai) who also wants nothing to do with him, but does direct him to the Bothy where he does find a room. He also finds the school teacher Victoria Brown (Judy Geeson, The Eagle Has Landed) who has only been on the island for two years.

He starts collecting water samples and flora and fauna also, with gull eggs an important element. All the while collecting he feels the eyes of someone on him, a man with a shotgun who is always out of reach to confront him.

The samples are sent back and they show that something is wrong and cannot be explained by the oil or the detergent. So Del decides to stay longer and makes a big show of it when on the phone to Dr Quist.

He instinctively knows there is something more going on in Bulfe than is being shared, he tries to get Victoria to help but she is worried for her job and refuses. Del discovers that there is a restricted area just off the coast on the other side of the island and he sets about investigating and finds out that the navy had dumped low level nuclear waste there.

Would these combined effects be the reason for people, especially the males of the community, becoming belligerent and more violent and therefore being locked away by their families?

Can Del and the Doomwatch team workout what is going on in Bulfe, can science work it out? Or has the deep rooted beliefs of the villagers, that they are cursed by God for their seclusion really coming true?

With this restoration we can now enjoy the ground breaking writings of Dr. Christopher “Kit” Pedler and author Gerry Davis in lovely Blu-ray, if you remember the series or are new to it via the series re-release this is an ace addition to you Sci-Fi collection.

Available to Order Online Now.