Call yourself a Zombie Master? Then you know
that Zombi 2 is ESSENTIAL VIEWING!
This horror movie review by Lee of Zombi
2 ( known as Zombie in the United States)
and the picture collection gets you started down the "Zombie Master"
path!
Theatrical
Release: 1980 DVD Release: 2004 (2-Disk S.E.) Written by: Elisa Briganti Directed by: Lucio Fulci
Starring:
Tisa Farrow as Anne Bowles Ian McCulloch as Peter West Richard Johnson as Dr. David Menard Al Cliver as Brian Hull Auretta Gay as Susan Barrett
I discovered years ago that a person could be a horror movie
fan and not be a fan of zombies (GASP). Yes I know, it was a hard pill
for me to swallow too, but zombie fans are part of a special breed of
horror fan. Friends and loved ones seem to worry a little more
about us. But our loyalty to the genre is unmatched.
New zombie films are always
judged by standards displayed in only a small handful of classic zombie
films (you can count them on one hand). Zombi 2,
AKA Zombie, by legendary Italian horror director
Lucio Fulci, is one of the few zombie horror movies that all new comers
are compared to.
History:
When Dario
Argento released Dawn
of the Dead in Europe, it was re-titled Zombi.
It was an instant hit so Fulci, hoping to cash in on the Romero/Argento
success, re-shot the opening and closing sequences and released his
film as a sequel - hence the title Zombi 2. Other
than having zombies, however, there is no similarity between the two.
When the film was released in the states it was simply titled Zombie.
Story:Zombie
starts with a
crewless boat sailing recklessly off the New York coastline. Two harbor
patrolmen investigage the deserted vessel, and while searching the boat
they are attacked by a zombie who gets knocked overboard
(the reason for this becomes apparent at the end of the movie).
Anne Bowles (Tisa Farrow) is the
daughter of the owner of the boat and she wants to know what has
happened to her father. She meets up with journalist Peter West (Ian
McCullough) and they decide to investigate. The investigation leads
them to the island of Matul in the Antilles where they meet Dr. David
Menard (Richard Johnson), friend and co-worker of Anne’s
father. Dr. Menard, not wanting to believe in voodoo,
is desperately trying, and failing, to find a cure to a disease that is
bringing the dead back to life.
With Zombie, or Zombi
2 if you prefer, Lucio Fulci introduces us to some of the best
looking zombies in the genre. With special effects from
maestro Giannetto De Rossi and music by Fabio Frizzi and Giorgio
Cascio, Fulci was able to create a dark and decaying
atmosphere that leaves the viewer with a sense of
hopelessness.
Lucio Fulci is known as the “Godfather
of Gore” and Zombie helped him
achieve that title. Zombies coming up from the grave should look as if
they have been in a grave - and Fulci believed that also. Fulci also
believed that the human eye was meant to be stabbed,
crushed, or mutilated in some fashion. Zombie
has a great “eye-stabbing” scene that will make you
cringe no matter how many times you watch it. But my favorite effects
scene has to be the zombie picnic that Dr.
Menard’s wife is invited to.
The
2-disc Anniversary Edition is by far the best digital
transfer to date of Zombi 2. It includes
mini-docs that take you behind the scenes, it contains the original
Italian language track with English subtitles along with multiple
trailers, and it has a great commentary by actor Ian McCullough.
Although not for everyone (i.e.
the squeamish, those prone to nightmares, etc.), Zombie
is a must see for anyone longing to become a Zombie
Master themselves. Question
or comment about Zombi 2? Contact us!
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Story: Zombie
starts with a
crewless boat sailing recklessly off the New York coastline. Two harbor
patrolmen investigage the deserted vessel, and while searching the boat
they are attacked by a zombie who gets knocked overboard
(the reason for this becomes apparent at the end of the movie).
