THE INTRUDER [1975]

PORT CHARLES' OWN DR. RICK WEBBER WRITES, DIRECTS, PRODUCES & STARS IN A LOST FILM THAT AIN'T LOST NO MORE!  The 1975 horror film THE INTRUDER helmed by Chris Robinson was originally shelved by its distribution company and never released on home video.  The film was thought to be lost until one lone print was discovered in 2017 and has subsequently been released by Garagehouse.  While it's always good to discover a film previously thought to be lost, THE INTRUDER is certainly no gem. 

Basically a retelling of Agatha Christie's AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, the film finds a group of (mostly) relatives boating to a remote island in order to find some gold.  Details about the hows and whys are a little sketchy in the film as it now exists.  Someone then starts bumping them off one by one.  A werewolf is suggested at one point; making a closer link to another AND THEN THERE WERE NONE horror film:  Amicus' THE BEAST MUST DIE.  However, the werewolf angle is never mentioned again.

To me, the film feels like there may be some scenes missing or else never filmed.  I'm not sure if that's the case but the murders seem to come suddenly one on top of the other rapid fire without much buildup or space between them.  We don't see most of the actual kills but only the aftermath with some blood liberally splashed around.  Big stars Mickey Rooney and Yvonne DeCarlo are gone

almost before you know it; I'm sure this was a budgetary decision so these stars would only need to be paid a day or two.  But the entire cast of the film is bumped off within a relatively quick 15-20 minutes.  It's also kinda cool that Yvonne DeCarlo (of THE MUNSTERS) and Ted Cassidy (of THE ADDAMS FAMILY) are in the same film!  The movie is by no means unwatchable and, in fact, seems to fly by before you know it.  I just can't shake the feeling that it seems unfinished and that's probably the reason why it was never released back in the day.   Chris Robinson is best known to me as Laura's father (of Luke & Laura fame) on TV soap GENERAL HOSPITAL and starring in the snakey horror film STANLEY as well as depicting AND designing the eponymous monster in Monte Hellman's BEAST FROM HAUNTED CAVE.  Here he takes on not only the direction of THE INTRUDER but also producing, writing AND starring in the film.  It may have proved a little too much to put on his plate unless there are indeed missing scenes that were cut from this only existing print which would improve the flow of the film.  Despite all this, THE INTRUDER is a passably fun time-waster which does have a couple nice twists its tail.