AKAZombi 2, Zombie Flesh Eaters, Island of the Living Dead
1979, Directed by Lucio Fulci
This trailer’s soundtrack screams “Early eighties!” even louder than fluorescent socks.
Italian gore master Lucio Fulci throws more blood around in this movie than most horror directors manage in a lifetime. Not that you’d know from the trailer, which appears to be a failed attempt at ‘arty’.
This was one of the infamous ‘video nasties’ banned by on VHS by the UK in the mid-eighties. It was massively popular, however, and as such home-copied tapes were passed around so everyone could see the cool underwater bit where a zombie fights a shark. It was eventually released uncut on DVD a few years ago under the ‘Zombie Flesh Eaters’ title, showing the entirety of the infamous scene where a woman has her eye slowly gouged out by a bit of wood.
This movie isn’t a sequel to anything but was apparently released as “Zombi 2” as an attempt to cash-in on the success of Dawn of the Dead, which was released as “Zombi” in Italy. Despite Zombie being written before Dawn of the Dead. Confusing.
AKAThings from the Dead, Revenge of the Living Dead, Zombie Graveyard
1972, Directed by Bob Clark
Complete with unnecessary funfair music and a voice over from Vincent Cut-Price, it’s yet another rubbish zombie film!
This ultra-low-budget shocker looks dreadful from the trailer, but seems to receive mostly positive reviews. Maybe it has a good plot or something. I wonder if any explanation is given for why the titular Children appear to be in their mid-thirties…
Odd trivia fact: The smiling, bearded chap called Alan went on to write some of Disney’s Mulan.
Favourite bit: Jeffy’s face pulling at the start. It looks like he’s trying to move his face after some heavy dental anaesthetic. IMDB LINK
Sugar Hill
AKAThe Zombies of Sugar Hill, Voodoo Girl
1974, Directed by Paul Maslansky
A blaxploitation film with zombies? You betcha. As long as you count people with half a ping-pong ball stuck to each eye as zombies, of course.
The ‘avenging angel’ is a mainstay of seventies grindhouse cinema plots, and Sugar Hill and her Amazingly Variable Haircut seems to offer an interesting twist to it. Grinning zombies, a pretty lady and buckets of blood - what more could you ask for? I’ll bet good money that Quentin Tarantino has seen this film at least five times.
I was a little disappointed in the lacklustre efforts of the mafia - The kicking they give Sugar’s man looks really half-arsed. I think rather than amassing an army of the undead, Sugar could have seen them all off with a big stick.
Favourite bit: Near the end when a zombie pops up from the bottom of the screen, like it’s been sitting in a giant toaster.
I always thought that zombies shooting laser beams from their eyes would be the coolest thing in the world. Seems I was wrong.
You won’t be surprised to discover that this nonsense was originally a straightforward zombie movie. Apparently early audiences hated it so much that the studio removed most of the zombies, added laser beams and tried to pass it off as science fiction. Doesn’t look like the changes helped the quality much.
Did you recognise Casey Kasem, who provides the voice of Shaggy from Scooby Doo, as the Police expert? I can only hope that in the full movie he sees the zombie, shouts “Zoiks!”, escapes by disguising himself as a French chef, then eats a giant sandwich in one bite.
Favourite bit: The nonsensical voice-over at the start.
