Plot of Isle of the Dead
Imagine a Syfy‑Asylum zombie flick narrated by Monty Python’s leftover corpse — brisk, absurd, and shamelessly gory. Ten years ago, a top‑secret U.S. Army bioweapons lab on a remote tropical island went pear‑shaped: a viral outbreak turned soldiers and scientists into ravening zombies. Only one man survived — Colonel Aiden Wexler (played by DC Douglas).
Fast forward a decade: a US Navy SEAL strike team, led by the tough as leather Lt. Paul Gibson (Joey Lawrence), is dispatched to find missing recon elements and assess the situation. CIA scientist Mikaela Usylvich (Maryse Mizanin) accompanies them. When they reach the island, they discover—surprise!—Wexler is alive and still experimenting. Wexler has improved the virus so his zombies can talk, plan assaults, even shoot guns. Worse, Mikaela turns out to be his daughter.
Isle of The dead
The team must race through zombie‑infested labs and tunnels, dodge both shambling hordes and Dr. Wexler’s twisted agendas, and reach extraction before their military superiors bomb the island. If they fail, goodbye Eden. Tally‑ho, corpses everywhere.
The Wesker Effect: DC Douglas as Colonel Aiden Wexler
In scene‑after‑scene of escalating undead ridiculousness, DC Douglas delivers Colonel Aiden Wexler with all the gravitas of Wesker but the panicked charm of a man who’s lived too long surrounded by the walking dead. His Wexler is equal parts scientific genius and madman, still conducting experiments to create ever more intelligent zombie minions. The role was brought to life from Douglas’s own pitch to The Asylum—he co‑developed the project alongside writers Jacob Cooney and Brandon Trenz.
Cast and Creators
- Joey Lawrence as Lt. Paul Gibson – leading the SEAL assault with less hair and more firepower.
- Maryse Ouellet Mizanin as Dr. Mikaela Usylvich – the CIA bio‑weapons specialist who kicks zombies and suddenly realises her dad’s controlling the apocalypse.
- DC Douglas as Colonel Aiden Wexler – the lone survivor and zombie whisperer with delusions of grand experiments.
- Todd Cattell as Captain Chuck Caesar – part of the SEAL squad in over their heads.
- Supporting cast includes Paige Lauren Billiot (Cheryl), Kyle Butenhoff (Pugh), Josh Crotty (Kurts), Akanimo Eyo Jerome, Sydney Viengluang Duggan, plus various zombie extras.
Behind the Scenes
- Director: Nick Lyon — known for whipping together Asylum genre flicks in record time (filmed in roughly 12 days).
- Writers: Jacob Cooney & Brandon Trenz — co-wrote the script with DC Douglas collaborating, specifically shaping it as a loving nod to the Resident Evil games.
- Producers: David Michael Latt, David Rimawi, Paul Bales — the Asylum team behind Z Nation and Mockbusters.
- Cinematography: Laura Beth Love — created a moody, grimy aesthetic on a shoestring.
- Music: Christopher Cano & Chris Ridenhour.
- Production Company: The Asylum (Slightly Distorted Productions).
Pithy Monty Python‑style Summary
Colonel Wexler survives a jungle biotech fiasco, waits ten years, and then unleashes zombies with IQs. A squad of SEALs and one CIA lab geek storm the place. They shoot, run, and occasionally ask “bloody hell, what’s he doing now?” until they reach extraction—or get vaporised. It’s ridiculous, brisk, and gloriously undead.
Why It Matters (Even If It Doesn’t)
It may not rewrite zombie cinema, but Isle of the Dead is a rapid‑fire homage to Resident Evil, starring the franchise’s longtime voice of Wesker in a role that winks at that legacy. It’s low‑budget B‑movie charm fueled by genuine affection for zombie lore. And of course, zombies with guns. Who wouldn’t watch that?
Credits at a Glance
- Title: Isle of the Dead (2016, Syfy / The Asylum)
- Director: Nick Lyon
- Screenplay: Jacob Cooney & Brandon Trenz (with input from DC Douglas)
- Producers: David Michael Latt, David Rimawi, Paul Bales
- Cinematography: Laura Beth Love
- Music: Christopher Cano & Chris Ridenhour
That is all. Hope your undead fans enjoy the brain‑nibbling.
