Call yourself a Zombie Master? Then you know that Zombi 2 is ESSENTIAL VIEWING!
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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!
Review by The Zombie Master Lee Roberts
2006
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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