Last July 26th yours truly went to a New York City theater for a special screening of Lucio Fulci’s “Zombie,” AKA “Zombi 2,” a cult 1979 Italian horror flick that Anchor Bay has already released on DVD (check our review). The occasion of the screening was to celebrate the re-release of “Zombi 2” on DVD using the best source materials available. A packed house hollered, shrieked, laughed and clapped like maniacs during their favorite “Zombi 2” moments. The underwater shark attack and the infamous
‘splinter eye’ death scenes got the biggest reactions. By the time the movie’s classic ending unfolded the crowd stood up and cheered. There might not be too many “Zombie 2” fans out there, but they sure are passionate and enjoy this movie (and most of Lucio Fulci’s body of work) immensely.
Two separate versions of “Zombi 2” have been released on DVD though: a single-disc version published by Blue Underground (the DVD publisher that sponsored the NYC screening) and a two-disc Media Blasters version. Both versions are uncut, feature brand-new video transfers (from the same camera negative print), remastered soundtracks and some extras. This is a review of the 2-Disc Media Blasters version of “Zombi 2.” Check our DVD section’s ‘Z’ page for the Blue Underground version of “Zombie.” In the meantime, here’s a slightly-modified text of the review that I wrote for the now-discontinued Anchor Bay DVD of “Zombie”:
A rudderless boat appears out of nowhere in New York City’s East River, and when cops come on board they’re attacked by a person that takes several bullets before apparently drowning (yeah right!). The daughter of the boat’s owner, Anne Bowles (Tisa Farrow, Mia’s infinitely less-talented sister), is concerned about her father’s well-being while NYC reporter Peter West (British actor Ian McCulloch) smells a potential story. The two pool their resources, take a plane to the Caribbean, rent a boat, meet a couple of fellow travelers (played by Al Cliver and Auretta Gay) and follow the directions left in the abandoned boat that drifted to NYC all the way to an exotic island named Matull. Here they meet a loony doctor named David Menard (Richard Johnson) that has apparently been experimenting with ways to bring the dead back to life. Or is he trying to keep the dead from coming back to life? Regardless, the undead begin rising from the ground and the remaining humans have to seek shelter in Dr. Johnson’s hospital in order to survive the night. But even if the New Yorkers were to make it off Matull alive, will there be anything left for them to go back to?
Originally titled “Zombi 2” because George A. Romero’s “Dawn of the Dead” was released in many foreign territories as “Zombie” (which means calling it “Zombie” in the States is OK because here there was no movie named “Zombie” prior to this one… confused yet??!!), “Zombi 2” has the trademarks of an Italian horror flick (and of director Fulci’s work) that occasionally allow for unintended humor to creep into the narrative. Biting social messages underneath the unrated carnage? Nah that would mean hiring an actual screenwriter! A morale or valuable lesson for viewers to chew on after “Zombie” ends? Nope, we have to get to the eye-through-the-wooden-splinter scene before the start of reel five (Ch. 10). Character development to make us care for the humans left alive on the island? Sorry, but we’d rather show you a cute chick getting naked on-camera before she goes skinny dipping (Ch. 8). “Zombi 2’s” plot is like the flip-side of the recent “Dawn of the Dead” remake in that humans are trying to escape from an island (instead of the other way around) in order to find peace. “Zombi 2’s” classic last scene (‘They’re coming through the door… Arghhhhh!’) is every bit as prophetic and dark as those in George A. Romero’s movies, and funny to boot!
Fulci is no master storyteller, and in “Zombi 2” he’s content with stacking up a handful of disgusting set-pieces and letting them stand on their own (an underwater battle between a shark and a zombie in Ch. 8 is particularly effective). The addition of the Dr. Menard character adds a fantasy element to the unexplained phenomenon of the dead coming back to life. Too bad Richard Johnson’s take on the role is too muted and stiff to make for a delicious villain worth hissing at. But, in a relaxed state of mind and with all rationale thinking thrown out the window, “Zombi 2’s” maddening pace and lack of likable characters works wonders. You don’t really know who will live and who will die. And if you thought the girl that was infatuated with the dog in the new “Dawn of the Dead” movie is the biggest pinhead to ever appear in a horror movie then you haven’t seen what Al Cleaver and Auretta Gay characters do in this flick. You’ll be yelling all kinds of bad things at these two for exhibiting no rational thinking whatsoever!
Fun for the undemanding “Dawn…” fan in need for another bite of cinematic zombie goodness, “Zombi 2” stands out as one of those crazy-cool horror flicks that characterized Italian cinema in the 1970’s and 80’s. It’s no “Beyond” or “Don’t Torture A Duckling” (Fulci’s best cinematic work, IMHO) but it has stood the test of time and cultivated a cult following big enough to warrant two studios (Media Blasters and Blue Underground) re-releasing the movie on DVD for its 25th anniversary. Give it a try and bring some friends over; satisfaction (whether from laughing at the hideous English dub or barfing at the movie’s rotten set pieces and gore) is guaranteed!
The Disc:
At the NYC theater screening of “Zombie” that I attended last July I had a chance to speak with William Lustig, the owner of Blue Underground and a director of low-budget cult flicks himself (“Maniac,” the “Manic Cop” trilogy, “Uncle Sam,” etc.). He told me that both he and the people at Media Blasters were vying for the rights to the camera negative of “Zombi 2,” which would provide the best possible source material for a brand-new digital transfer. Rather than fight each other and drive up the price of “Zombi 2’s” camera negative print though, Lustig told me, both he and the Media Blasters people decided to pool their resources and share the same video/audio sources for both of their DVD transfers. As proof of both DVD studios cooperating with each other Lusting pointed out that the 35mm print used for the theatrical screening of “Zombie” (sponsored by Blue Underground) was supplied by Media Blasters.
Why do I mention this? Because, regardless of which DVD version of “Zombie” you pick up (Media Blasters or Blue Underground) you’re getting a spanking, brand-new Widescreen Anamorphic (2:35:1) Video Transfer that’s as good as money and technology can buy given the age (25 years), budget (under $500,000) and foreign origin (Italy) of the original print. What few grain spots and dirt specs are present in “Zombi 2’s” original print are eclipsed by the pristine colors, razor-sharp resolution and overall excellence of this DVD transfer. Ditto for the English & Italian Dolby Digital 5.1, 2.0 and Mono Soundtracks, which range from very good (the 5.1 mixes) to barely tolerable (the original Mono tracks). The haphazard way in which Italian movies were put together (generic audio effects, badly-dubbed voices, etc.) doesn’t help the Dolby remixes sound as well as they should, but they get the job done. English Subtitles are also included, and boy do they make the Italian version of “Zombi 2” a riot!
That’s it for similarities between the Media Blasters and Blue Underground versions of “Zombi 2” though. Disc One of this 25th Anniversary Edition DVD set recycles the same Commentary Track found in the Anchor Bay edition of “Zombie” featuring the late Ian McCulloch and, uncredited in the Media Blasters release, Diabolik magazine editor Jason Slater. McCulloch is laid back and aloof in what he claimed was his first and only viewing of the movie that made him a star among gore hounds; Slater comes across as a fan boy pleased to be sitting next to a star. There’s also a Zombi 2 Theatrical Trailer (not to be confused with the American Theatrical Trailers in Blue Underground’s “Zombie” DVD), an 11 min. ’Zombi Gallery: Production Stills, Posters and Lobby Cards’ Featurette (lots of pictures unfolding over an electronic score that apes Fabio Frizzi’s spooky score from the movie) and a 12 min. ’Food for the Worms’ Featurette profiling ‘Captain Haggerty’ (the fat zombie onboard the ship that appears in the New York harbor as the movie starts).
Disc Two houses a 98 min. ’Building A Better Zombie’ Documentary that’s six minutes longer than the movie itself. Surviving Italian crew members and one cast member (Al Cliver) recall their experiences making the movie, working for Lucio Fulci, suffering through comparisons with George Romero’s “Dawn of the Dead” movie, etc. Most of the interviewees speak in Italian so English Subtitles are used for viewers to follow along. Split into 10 selectable chapters, this is a better-paced and more interesting documentary than the one Anchor Bay commissioned for the 25th Anniversary Edition of “Halloween” (which dragged toward the end). There’s also a 6 min. ’Raising the Dead’ Featurette profiling Costume Designer Walter Patriarca (one of the few surviving Italian crew people behind “Zombi 2” that speaks English), a 3:30 min. ’An Evening with Dakar’ Featurette (the Dominican actor that played Lucas serenades the viewer with two songs) and a ’Zombie Trailer Reel’ (nine trailers for other Italian horror flicks under Media Blasters’ umbrella). Pheeeew!
bottom line:
Media Blasters has gone all out for this 25th Anniversary Edition of “Zombi 2,” Lucio Fulci’s perversely fun cult flick. An all-new digital transfer, six soundtracks, an in-depth documentary, lots of featurettes and the late Ian McCulloch in a commentary track go a long way to compensate for the missing radio and TV spots (which can be found in the Anchor Bay and Blue Underground DVD’s of “Zombie”). The real star is the movie itself, a twisted and supernatural take on the living dead plot that goes all-out with memorable set pieces and in-your-face gore. Highly recommended.
By - J.M. Vargas
