Zombie. Zombi 2. Island of the Living Dead. Zombie Flesh Eaters. Though it is known by many different names there is no doubting that this is one of the most well-known films in the zombie genre. My first exposure to it was roughly 8 years ago, as I scoured the shelves of a local Blockbuster for a horror film. The tag line – “We are going to eat you!” – sounded so bad that I just had to try it. As someone who loved the Romero films, I thought it was a decent, if rather throwaway piece of shock entertainment.
So with the impending Blu-ray release I thought I’d give it a second try and see if it’s worthy of restoration.
Straight away it is clear that the film has had a lot of care and attention lavished upon it. The first time I watched this film the visuals were muddy and the sound dull. This is no longer the case, with a pin sharp picture and restored English audio. I’ll touch upon the extras later, but so far so good. I’ve seen far more popular films transferred to Blu-Ray with far less love.
How does the film itself stack up though? You should already not be expecting the highest levels of writing and acting. I’ve seen far worse though, with the cast on a par with anything in a Romero film. There is some rather suspect dubbing, but the cast give it a good crack!
The real star of this film however is the zombies, and the grotesque attacks that follow. I consider myself pretty well versed with gore in films, but I have to admit I averted my gaze a couple of times which just goes to show how you’ll never beat physical effects, and how good a job Gino De Rossi did over 30 years ago.
One of the most famous scenes, including a woman and a splinter of wood, is very well done. The Conquistadors are awesomely horrible, and I can’t say I ever thought I’d see a zombie attack a shark! The budget may not have been high but the ideas are both entertaining and horrible. Exactly what you want.
I was very impressed by some of the camera work, especially the use of New York Harbour at the beginning. There are some lovely shots and great framing. The music also deserves mention, with a simple but haunting soundtrack, that sets the scene wonderfully. After a decent start things do take a while to get going, but it once it does it’s full on. The ending is also suitably downbeat fashion.
There’s a good set of documentaries and interviews along with the usual trailers and sound options. For me the standout is “Aliens, Cannibals and Zombies”, which is an interview with lead actor Ian McCulloch. Listening to him talk about his history and his experiences during and after is very interesting. His candour is striking, with his comments on the films and crew enlightening and refreshing. Clearly grateful, he still doesn’t shy away from giving his opinion. McCulloch has loads of anecdotes, such as how he struggled to take Fulci seriously due to his Benny Hill resemblance. Other pieces worth watching are an interview with make-up and special effects maestro Gino De Rossi and an overview of the zombie genre – The Rise and Fall of the Italian Zombie Film.
If you have any interest at all in zombie films, or horror films in general, you really should make an effort to watch Zombie Flesh Eaters. From a technical standpoint it is above many other films of the time, and I must admit I think it has a certain charm. Though it is hardly comparable to the best drama or action films, that would be missing the point. The transfer to Blu-ray is great and the extras informative. Romero’s Dead films are rightly held in high regard, but there are others that warrant attention. Zombie Flesh Eaters is one such film, and deserves to rise from the grave.
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