
Zombie Flesh Eaters. Blu Ray.
“Zombie Flesh Eaters” (AKA “Zombie”, ” Zombi 2″, and “WooDoo”) is probably the high point of the Italian “Dawn of The Dead” knock off cycle. According to those involved, the film was conceived before “Dawn…”, and there is evidence to support this in the form of dated early draft scripts, but it was released afterwards and rode the wave of hype and success generated by Romeros film far better than any other which followed.
So, quick plot synopsis: A seemingly abandoned yacht turns up in New York harbour. 2 cops board the vessel to investigate, and are attacked by a bloated zombie, which kills one of the cops). The boat belongs to a Dr, who was last seen in the Antilles islands. The Drs daughter, an investigative journalist, and a couple of other folks decide to go find the mysterious Dr. Upon their arrival in the supposed island paradise they find an infestation of zombies, and must fight to escape to the safety of New York. Or is New York safe….
Sure, it isn’t the deepest of plots, but at least it has a degree of narrative flow, something that could not always be levelled at Fulci’s work (which often exhibited a “dream logic” to its flow. See “The Beyond” as a prime example of this). The plot allows a string of finely realised effects sequences to be staged, such as the infamous “eyeball” sequence, and the frankly outrageous “Zombie vs. Shark” fight scene. This film truly does feature some of Gianetto De Rossis finest effects work, al of which sits far above the standard usually expected of the Italian knock offs.
And the film as a whole looks stunning. Most folks only ever saw this film in butchered “pan and scan” versions on home video, with washed out colours and more often than not print damage. Well, Arrow have done a fantastic job of creating a HD master here, showcasing the wonderful widescreen photography, and excellent production design. Seriously, this film is a class above the vast majority of its “peers”, looking and feeling almost like a Hollywood feature at times. Sound isn’t quite as good, but being shot “silent” with actors speaking multiple languages on set, then being totally overdubbed it is the best that you can expect it to ever be.
And Arrow have gone to town on the extras front, too. There are multiple commentary tracks, all new interviews with Ian McCulloch, a documentary on Italian zombie cinema, features on Gino Di Rossi and Fabio Frizzi, trailers, hidden easter eggs, and a wonderful booklet featuring all new material about the film.
Indeed, this is probably the ultimate package for fans of this cult classic.
5/5 Fiends.
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