Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

Old spaghetti zombie flicks are often known for their cheap effects, bad dubbing and poor direction. An example of this would be none other than Bruno Mattei・s Hell of the Living Dead, a film which probably had half a dozen other names outside of North America. Surprisingly though, despite looking somewhat cheaply made, Lucio Fulci・s Zombie managed to beat the lights out of most other similar flicks made during its time largely due to its infamously excessive gore. Due to the extreme graphic nature of the film, it was pretty obvious that Zombie was no ordinary George Romero wannabe. In fact, the gore factor was considered so intense that barf bags were offered at theatres to patrons who were weak in the midsection. The effects and make-up are pretty good for a film that・s supposedly a B-grade. Unlike the corpses in other similar movies, the ones here appear highly detailed, crawling with slimy maggots and oozing with yucky bodily fluids.

Viewers would undoubtedly notice the notoriously overdone zombie bite to the jugular vein gag. It・s as if the zombies were programmed to know exactly where this vein is located since this seemed to be a favorite body part to chomp on during an attack. Aside from its ultra gruesome flesh chomping scenes, Zombie is perhaps best known for its eerie opening theme as well as a certain eye-puncturing scene that everyone seems to be talking about. Director Fulci does a great job at creating a desolate, creepy atmosphere featuring grime-covered walls, blood stained embalming sheets coupled further alongside the above mentioned theme. Also, with this being another spaghetti zombie title, be prepared to feast your eyes on some nudity to go along with all that gore. Sadly though, acting was never a high point in movies like these. Bad dubbing is yet another common complaint. The plot is pretty typical for a B-grade zombie flick made during the late 70s. Like a bad kung-fu movie, zombie flicks are often predictable with this being no exception.

Starting out with a scene depicting a harmless looking sailboat drifting into New York・s harbor, we are quickly introduced to the movie・s chief protagonists, Ann (Tisa Farrow ) whose missing father owns the boat and her new found reporter friend, Peter ( Ian McCulloch ). Their search for Ann・s missing father leads them to the some cursed island in the Caribbean, populated by a small handful of humans and a huge army of flesh-eating zombies. Apparently there has been some form of weird voodoo related disease that・s been turning most of the island・s once living inhabitants into these mindless flesh eaters. So what・s there to expect from a scenario like this? People getting eaten alive, people running away from zombies, people acting very stupid, plus as a bonus, we also get to see people hurling molotov cocktails at the zombies ( and burning down their hideout while at it ). Everything you find here is pretty much standard fare in such movies. And with this being a Fulci project, you'll know Mattei doesn't stand much of a chance in comparison ( unless you happen to be a hardcore Mattei fan ).

I wouldn・t recommend watching the original VHS format; you・d be better off getting the remastered DVD version. Having seen the movie on both formats, I would go with the less grainy looking DVD despite the numerous complaints about it being of mediocre quality. Definitely a great rental but I wouldn・t buy it if I weren・t a zombie fan. Cult classic or trash? You decide. Overall Grade: C



Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age