A group of teenagers vacationing in the tropics takes a boat out to a seemingly deserted island. They soon find, however, that the island is inhabited by a wealthy recluse (Graff) and his staff. While their host is initially hospitable, he quickly reveals his true purpose: to
hunt down and kill each of his visitors, as he has done with everyone unlucky enough to set foot on his island.
For tropes and specifics relating to the
Mystery Science Theater 3000 version, please check the
episode recap.
This film contains the following tropes:
- Action Girl: Zig-zagged; Betty can flip an attacker effortlessly so long as there's a conveniently uncovered vat of acid for him to land in, but she spends just as much time acting the Distressed Damsel.
- The Alcoholic: Tony, the kids' boat pilot
- Chekhov's Skill: Betty's judo training.
- Dawson Casting: Unclear, but probable; the heroes are implied to be in their late teens or early twenties (Robert Reed was very nearly thirty at the time).
- Gorn: The shot of Balleau impaled through his throat and wrists is quite shockingly graphic, especially for being shown on TV.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Balleau is impaled on the display rack he had purposed for the heroes.
- Hunting the Most Dangerous Game: Well... duh.
- Made of Iron: Balleau's henchman survives being abandoned in leech-infested quicksand, and later shrugs off multiple point-blank gunshots when killing Balleau.
- Non-Action Guy: Pete the Nerdy Nerd
- Smug Snake: Balleau.
- Special Effects Failure: When Betty judo-throws a villain into the vat of acid, it is quite clearly a stuntman wearing clothes that don't fit. The fact that the stuntman then immediately ducks behind the vat so we can't see his face, thus making his wig start to fall off, doesn't help either.
- Together in Death: Balleau's adultrous wife and her lover end up Stuffed Into The Cave together.
- Wax Museum Morgue
- What Do You Mean, It's Not Symbolic?: Balleau is impaled on the display rack he had purposed for the heroes... through his hands, in a classic Crucificion posture.
- You Have Failed Me: happens to both Balleau's primary henchman and to Tony the boat pilot who is paid by Balleau to bring him hunting victims.
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