As a big fan of B-movies, I've felt I've always that I have a cast-iron constitution when it comes to watching cinematic crap. That is until the day a friend happened to find a copy of Curse of the Screaming Dead in the bargain bin (big surprise) at our local video store. Wow! This truly has to be one of the most technically incompetent movies ever released to video. Terrible lighting, bizarre sound mixing, non-existent acting, half-assed editing, plus a plethora of other ineptitudes add up to make this movie as laughable as it is forgettable. A dismal, black-hole of a film.
30 Reviews
"You can't polish a turd"
shanek-229 November 2000
This film was originally released as Curse of the Screaming Dead then Troma picked it up and rebadged it Curse of the Cannibal Confederates. I bought both videos. Both are bad.
What is interesting is how a company like Troma repackages the film. They re-edit the film placing zombie footage from later in the film in place of the original front titles, and anywhere else the film seems a little slow. Unfortunately the zombie footage isn't good.
It also appears that they play entire reels in a different order. A recipe for disaster in most films but in this one you really can't tell.
Both films are bad and no amount of re-editing could save it.
I don't recommend watching these films back to back or at all, but if you must, do what I did, watch them simultaneously and marvel at the futility of it all.
I think the only positive thing about this film is it was made by a group of people who weren't filmmakers (it appears) but just a bunch of friends, more power to you.
What is interesting is how a company like Troma repackages the film. They re-edit the film placing zombie footage from later in the film in place of the original front titles, and anywhere else the film seems a little slow. Unfortunately the zombie footage isn't good.
It also appears that they play entire reels in a different order. A recipe for disaster in most films but in this one you really can't tell.
Both films are bad and no amount of re-editing could save it.
I don't recommend watching these films back to back or at all, but if you must, do what I did, watch them simultaneously and marvel at the futility of it all.
I think the only positive thing about this film is it was made by a group of people who weren't filmmakers (it appears) but just a bunch of friends, more power to you.
May be the "Manos" of Zombie Movies
lovecraft23123 March 2008
Six bad actors...Er, friends (including a character named "Blind Kiyomi") are out in the rural South on a deer hunt, only to find an old diary of sorts. Well, one of them takes it, and the next thing you know, a horde of Undead Confederate Soldiers come for revenge.
In my many years of watching horror, I can think of many that were bad. Some (Such as House of the Dead, Feardotcom, Captivity, and The Crater Lake Monster) are so bad, they actually made me feel physical pain. "Curse of the Screaming Dead" (aka. "Curse of the Confederate Cannibals"-oh Troma) is one of those movies.
The acting isn't just bad, it's amateur local commercial bad. The zombies are among the most unconvincing I've ever seen. The score is atrocious. The gore is cheap beyond words. We are treated to zombies consuming flesh-in a scene that drags on for far too long. The list goes on.
It may sound like a "so bad it's good" affair, but it's not.
A shame in a way, as the idea of Confederate Soldier Zombies is actually pretty cool. Unfortunately, this movie doesn't work in the end, and it's torture to sit through. Avoid.
Update: Actually, now that I think about it, the score isn't too bad. The movie itself...still crap.
In my many years of watching horror, I can think of many that were bad. Some (Such as House of the Dead, Feardotcom, Captivity, and The Crater Lake Monster) are so bad, they actually made me feel physical pain. "Curse of the Screaming Dead" (aka. "Curse of the Confederate Cannibals"-oh Troma) is one of those movies.
The acting isn't just bad, it's amateur local commercial bad. The zombies are among the most unconvincing I've ever seen. The score is atrocious. The gore is cheap beyond words. We are treated to zombies consuming flesh-in a scene that drags on for far too long. The list goes on.
It may sound like a "so bad it's good" affair, but it's not.
A shame in a way, as the idea of Confederate Soldier Zombies is actually pretty cool. Unfortunately, this movie doesn't work in the end, and it's torture to sit through. Avoid.
Update: Actually, now that I think about it, the score isn't too bad. The movie itself...still crap.
The Worst Film Ever Made?
hausrathman7 January 2004
In "The Curse of the Screaming Dead" three irritating friends and their equally annoying girlfriends venture into the woods on a hunting expedition. They eventually find the ruins of a church and an abandoned cemetery filled with the graves of tortured Confederate soldiers. After the most annoying member of hunting party steals the diary of the Confederate commander, the Confederates rise from the grave and take their revenge.
I hate to kick a little film when its down, but the audience would have definitely been better served if real zombies had eaten the film makers before they completed this little monstrosity. Like "The Blair Witch Project," this movie was filmed in the woods of Maryland. However, any similarity ends there. Blair Witch exhibited wit and imagination, both of which are absent from this movie. That isn't to say that the story itself wasn't workable. It was. We've all seen many variations on this tale. (Think "Night of the Living Dead" with a little "2000 Maniacs" thrown in for good measure.) It doesn't take much technical prowess to make a story this simple work, but the film makers fall short. Way short. The ineptness of this film is almost beyond description, but let me try....
The acting is terrible, or, as a previous reviewer properly noted, nonexistent. I say this knowing that even Laurence Olivier would have problems delivering some of these lines. Overall, the zombie fare better than the living. All the zombies have to do is moan painfully -- like the audience. Thematically, the film is a mess too. The dead rise because one of the living has "stolen their pain." As one goofy character helpfully explains, the dead know their physical possessions rightfully belong to the living but they jealously hold onto their pain. Hmmm. Okay. Then why do they rise when the diary is stolen? Wouldn't that count as a physical possession rightfully belonging to the living? And why do the dead want to jealously hold onto their pain? You'd think they seek peace in death. Oh well. I guess I'm asking too much from a film where characters step out of a frame with a dead, leafless winter forest behind them into a frame with a lush, green summer forest behind them.
As one scans the reviews on the internet movie database, one frequently sees the words "Worst Film Ever Made." That title has been unjustly applied to many films. However, I believe this film rivals the famous "Manos: The Hands of Fate" as the worst film ever made. If the film makers were clever, they would have submitted the film to Mystery Science Theater 3000. Had MST3K devoted an episode to this movie, it would now be a true cult classic and they would be making more money.
Then again, maybe the film makers thought they made a good film.
Nah. No one's that crazy - except maybe the characters in this film.
Can't wait to see "Night of Horror."
I hate to kick a little film when its down, but the audience would have definitely been better served if real zombies had eaten the film makers before they completed this little monstrosity. Like "The Blair Witch Project," this movie was filmed in the woods of Maryland. However, any similarity ends there. Blair Witch exhibited wit and imagination, both of which are absent from this movie. That isn't to say that the story itself wasn't workable. It was. We've all seen many variations on this tale. (Think "Night of the Living Dead" with a little "2000 Maniacs" thrown in for good measure.) It doesn't take much technical prowess to make a story this simple work, but the film makers fall short. Way short. The ineptness of this film is almost beyond description, but let me try....
The acting is terrible, or, as a previous reviewer properly noted, nonexistent. I say this knowing that even Laurence Olivier would have problems delivering some of these lines. Overall, the zombie fare better than the living. All the zombies have to do is moan painfully -- like the audience. Thematically, the film is a mess too. The dead rise because one of the living has "stolen their pain." As one goofy character helpfully explains, the dead know their physical possessions rightfully belong to the living but they jealously hold onto their pain. Hmmm. Okay. Then why do they rise when the diary is stolen? Wouldn't that count as a physical possession rightfully belonging to the living? And why do the dead want to jealously hold onto their pain? You'd think they seek peace in death. Oh well. I guess I'm asking too much from a film where characters step out of a frame with a dead, leafless winter forest behind them into a frame with a lush, green summer forest behind them.
As one scans the reviews on the internet movie database, one frequently sees the words "Worst Film Ever Made." That title has been unjustly applied to many films. However, I believe this film rivals the famous "Manos: The Hands of Fate" as the worst film ever made. If the film makers were clever, they would have submitted the film to Mystery Science Theater 3000. Had MST3K devoted an episode to this movie, it would now be a true cult classic and they would be making more money.
Then again, maybe the film makers thought they made a good film.
Nah. No one's that crazy - except maybe the characters in this film.
Can't wait to see "Night of Horror."
as bad as it sounds
matthewjgeary23 August 2005
saw this movie when i was about ten years old. it was terrible. a blind girl shooting cannibals? i don't think so. this movie is worth watching just for the comedy factor. it contains all the awful stereotypes unique to bad horror.
its hard not to appreciate the visual effects. such as the same 'exploding' paper mache cannibal head on a broom handle every time a cannibal confederate zombie is shot. if you're having a 'bad' movie night - this movie is a must have.
the whole premise of the movie is not overly stupid compared with the subject matter of some other horror movies. it is the execution that is appalling. the budget must have been the change from the purchase of a hot dog.
i saw this movie again June 2006 - as i thought my previous comments may have been a little harsh. - They were not. This movie really is that bad.
its hard not to appreciate the visual effects. such as the same 'exploding' paper mache cannibal head on a broom handle every time a cannibal confederate zombie is shot. if you're having a 'bad' movie night - this movie is a must have.
the whole premise of the movie is not overly stupid compared with the subject matter of some other horror movies. it is the execution that is appalling. the budget must have been the change from the purchase of a hot dog.
i saw this movie again June 2006 - as i thought my previous comments may have been a little harsh. - They were not. This movie really is that bad.
Too bad for words
anthracks29 August 2001
I honestly cannot express to you in strong enough terms, DO NOT SEE THIS MOVIE. I am normally a fan of B movies...I thought "Plan 9 From Outer Space" was hilarious, and "Return of the Living Dead" rests firmly as my favorite movie of all time.
But this work of unspeakable badness is just not worth seeing. There are points that are laughably bad, either due to the acting, camera work, writing, or god awful costuming and makeup, but for 99% of the time, it is just junk.
I don't want to go into detail on individual bad points--to do so would remind me of the movie, something I do NOT want. Don't listen to the other reviews that tell you it's a fun B-film, cause it isn't. The guy who called it a Z-film is right on. I'm ashamed to even have been born in the same year that produced this affront to mankind.
Summary: Worst movie ever. Don't watch it.
But this work of unspeakable badness is just not worth seeing. There are points that are laughably bad, either due to the acting, camera work, writing, or god awful costuming and makeup, but for 99% of the time, it is just junk.
I don't want to go into detail on individual bad points--to do so would remind me of the movie, something I do NOT want. Don't listen to the other reviews that tell you it's a fun B-film, cause it isn't. The guy who called it a Z-film is right on. I'm ashamed to even have been born in the same year that produced this affront to mankind.
Summary: Worst movie ever. Don't watch it.
Cheesy and amateurish zombie flick.
HumanoidOfFlesh7 August 2009
The confederate zombies shall rise again!A group of unlucky teenagers decide to go camping in the woods.Kiyomi the Blind hears strange bells.Mel goes off to investigate and finds an old church and forgotten graveyard.The other campers soon join him and they find a case with a perfectly preserved Confederate flag and a diary.They decide to leave the stuff there,so as not to offend the dead Confederate soldiers buried in the graves,but Mel steals the diary.It's the beginning of nightmare as zombie soldiers rise from their graves looking for human flesh...The first half of "The Curse of the Screaming Dead" is deadly dull.The acting is incredibly bad,the dialogue is panned and the film looks gloriously cheap.When the zombies attack they're pretty crappy.Most of them are wearing Halloween masks and plaid shirts.The film becomes more amusing and exciting during the second half,when finally zombies do appear.5 out of 10 for this low-budget piece of trash.
So bad it's good? How about, so bad it's unbearable.
capkronos1 October 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Distributor Troma did their usual routine with this horrid excuse for a movie by giving it an appealingly campy re-release title ("Curse of the Cannibal Confederates"), so that people will want to watch it. Don't be fooled. Apparently the Troma Team also re-edited this film in hopes of adding some more action to the slower passages. Well, it didn't work. This one falls into the sub-category of 'zombie soldier' flicks which also includes a mostly lousy series of 'Nazi zombie' flicks such as OASIS OF THE ZOMBIES and ZOMBIE LAKE. While OASIS and LAKE are indeed horrible, they at least had some 'Z Movie' entertainment value (cheesy gore, nudity, laughs) to them. This one has no entertainment value whatsoever. It's thoroughly inept, as you'd expect a good-bad movie to be, but at the same time it's so tedious, slow, obnoxious and boring, the unintentional comedy becomes overshadowed by the sheer monotony of it all.
Some zombies rise from their graves in a church cemetery. The next day a group of thoroughly annoying people show up in the same area in their RV. The men, there for a hunting trip, are unshaven, long-haired hippies whose hobbies include sucking down cheap beer, shooting forest critters with exploding bullets and ragging on klepto Mel (Christopher Gummer) for stealing a ring and a motorcycle. The girls; shrill, unbearably annoying and whiny "feminist" Sarah (Rebecca Bach, rockin' a Farrah Fawcett haircut) and two Asian women who are sisters (one of whom is blind), bitch about how lame hunting and beer are. They change into bikinis, step out of the RV and then immediately put their hiking clothes back on for some strange reason. I guess that was a pitiful excuse to show a little skin. Everyone grabs their backpacks and rifles and start trekking through the woods. With all the whining, arguing and talking going on, half the forest animals have probably high tailed it out of the county before they get five feet into the woods. After hearing church bells off in the distance, Mel decides to go ahead and scout the area by himself. He ends up making it to the cemetery and to an old, crumbling church. There he finds a suitcase with a confederate flag and diary inside. He takes the diary and rejoins his friends. Even though everyone hears strange noises (bells, firing rifles, etc.) coming from seemingly nowhere, they decide to drag their cooler of beer and tents close to the cemetery to camp out for the night.
After nearly 40-minutes of unbridled boredom and horribly, awkwardly acted, written and edited dialogue scenes, the group see some strange flashing lights off in the distance by the church. That night, zombies dressed in Confederate uniforms rise from their graves and attack. The guys fight them off with their rifles and some fireworks. They also learn you can only kill them by shooting them in the head (original, huh?), which leads to lots of cheap dummy heads catching fire and exploding. Everyone manages to escape, but at daylight find themselves lost in the woods, unable to find their vehicle. When the local police chief shows up, he theorizes that a grave digger had dug up the graves, removed the corpses, tied strings to them and then hung them from trees and made them dance like puppets. I kid you not. That's exactly what he says. Night falls again, zombies attack and kill the deputy, the chief and Bill (Jim Ball). So here it is an hour into the film and we finally get some actual blood and guts, as the zombies yank out the insides of their victims and chow down. And like the rest of the movie, it's dull, gratuitous and the takes are way too long, plus there are these horrid groaning and slurping sounds that sound more like sound bites from a porn movie than a horror flick.
The survivors of that attack; Wyatt (Steve Sandkuhler), Sarah, Mel, Lin (Judy Dixon) and "Blind Kiyomi" (Mimi Ishikawa) then run off into the darkness, fight off more zombies and make it to an abandoned farmhouse. More zombies show up there and try to get inside. It is at this time I noticed they must have run out of Confederate uniforms for the flesh-eaters because some of them are dressed like farmers in flannel shirts and jeans, others are wearing trench coats and one is wearing what appears to me a "Member's Only" jacket. Will our heroes finally pull their heads out of their asses and realize they need to hand the diary back over to the undead soldiers to save themselves? I doubt you'll care by that point. I sure as hell didn't.
Every single aspect of this borefest is terrible, from the sloth-paced plot to the sound recording. The acting is atrocious, the dialogue is horrendous, the editing cuts are incompetent, it's full of continuity errors and the makeup fx are mostly "Halloween make-up kit" variety. Most of the zombies simply have white faces with some black undereye shading. A few of them have skull-like masks, which look slightly better but still suck. Undoubtedly the worst aspect of this particular film is the lighting. Most of the action takes place at night and since the movie is so impenetrably dark it's hard to tell what the hell is going on half the time.
Some zombies rise from their graves in a church cemetery. The next day a group of thoroughly annoying people show up in the same area in their RV. The men, there for a hunting trip, are unshaven, long-haired hippies whose hobbies include sucking down cheap beer, shooting forest critters with exploding bullets and ragging on klepto Mel (Christopher Gummer) for stealing a ring and a motorcycle. The girls; shrill, unbearably annoying and whiny "feminist" Sarah (Rebecca Bach, rockin' a Farrah Fawcett haircut) and two Asian women who are sisters (one of whom is blind), bitch about how lame hunting and beer are. They change into bikinis, step out of the RV and then immediately put their hiking clothes back on for some strange reason. I guess that was a pitiful excuse to show a little skin. Everyone grabs their backpacks and rifles and start trekking through the woods. With all the whining, arguing and talking going on, half the forest animals have probably high tailed it out of the county before they get five feet into the woods. After hearing church bells off in the distance, Mel decides to go ahead and scout the area by himself. He ends up making it to the cemetery and to an old, crumbling church. There he finds a suitcase with a confederate flag and diary inside. He takes the diary and rejoins his friends. Even though everyone hears strange noises (bells, firing rifles, etc.) coming from seemingly nowhere, they decide to drag their cooler of beer and tents close to the cemetery to camp out for the night.
After nearly 40-minutes of unbridled boredom and horribly, awkwardly acted, written and edited dialogue scenes, the group see some strange flashing lights off in the distance by the church. That night, zombies dressed in Confederate uniforms rise from their graves and attack. The guys fight them off with their rifles and some fireworks. They also learn you can only kill them by shooting them in the head (original, huh?), which leads to lots of cheap dummy heads catching fire and exploding. Everyone manages to escape, but at daylight find themselves lost in the woods, unable to find their vehicle. When the local police chief shows up, he theorizes that a grave digger had dug up the graves, removed the corpses, tied strings to them and then hung them from trees and made them dance like puppets. I kid you not. That's exactly what he says. Night falls again, zombies attack and kill the deputy, the chief and Bill (Jim Ball). So here it is an hour into the film and we finally get some actual blood and guts, as the zombies yank out the insides of their victims and chow down. And like the rest of the movie, it's dull, gratuitous and the takes are way too long, plus there are these horrid groaning and slurping sounds that sound more like sound bites from a porn movie than a horror flick.
The survivors of that attack; Wyatt (Steve Sandkuhler), Sarah, Mel, Lin (Judy Dixon) and "Blind Kiyomi" (Mimi Ishikawa) then run off into the darkness, fight off more zombies and make it to an abandoned farmhouse. More zombies show up there and try to get inside. It is at this time I noticed they must have run out of Confederate uniforms for the flesh-eaters because some of them are dressed like farmers in flannel shirts and jeans, others are wearing trench coats and one is wearing what appears to me a "Member's Only" jacket. Will our heroes finally pull their heads out of their asses and realize they need to hand the diary back over to the undead soldiers to save themselves? I doubt you'll care by that point. I sure as hell didn't.
Every single aspect of this borefest is terrible, from the sloth-paced plot to the sound recording. The acting is atrocious, the dialogue is horrendous, the editing cuts are incompetent, it's full of continuity errors and the makeup fx are mostly "Halloween make-up kit" variety. Most of the zombies simply have white faces with some black undereye shading. A few of them have skull-like masks, which look slightly better but still suck. Undoubtedly the worst aspect of this particular film is the lighting. Most of the action takes place at night and since the movie is so impenetrably dark it's hard to tell what the hell is going on half the time.
Potential without hope
masondixonkid22 January 2010
I first watched this movie back in 1986 when I was 9 years old and thought it was great. Well 24 years later the name of the movie popped back in my head and I knew I had to track it down. Upon re-watching this flick I was absolutely floored at how atrocious it is. This is truly a completely inept movie. Everything from the cinematography to the acting to the sound is utterly pathetic. It's pretty obvious it was not produced by professionals, but a group of friends who wanted to do something fun. And it is fun, it's just not good. I still watch it from time to time because I am a die hard zombie fan. The one thing about the movie that is truly good is the plot behind it. The idea of stealing the diary of a confederate general from the church which in turn brings back the dead soldiers who kill and devour those who stole it is great. If you can get past all the other things that cripple this movie, it's worth watching just for the plot. The group who made this movie did have a pretty cool and original idea for a zombie flick. The problem was, they didn't have the resources to make it what it could of been.
it ain't easy to make magic
MrUFOman21 July 2006
Its funny reading negative comments posted by some of the previous viewers of curse of the cannibal confederates, I never knew so many people were film critics and production experts.sure the movie is very poorly executed and production values are minimal at best,yes the lighting is abysmal and the acting is wooden and forced but its amazing how some people watch a b movie in order to judge or complain,what did you think it was? Titanic 2? I guess its fun to pick apart these things but some of the comments seem as lame as the production, do you really think the film would be more believable with weathered headstones or uniforms? sure it was annoying when the close up insert shots of an outdoor daytime scene were shot indoors with an unlit background that didn't match the daytime master shot,but thats show biz folks.sometimes these people make a comedy without knowing it...thats how you have to watch these things...just appreciate that those people worked days or weeks on this thing for little or no money and you get to enjoy their "cinema".so I say watch COTCC...for the heck of it
The sort of thing that gives crap movies a bad name.
BA_Harrison23 December 2012
I usually get very heated when my friends and colleagues question my taste in films: I passionately explain that unlike mainstream Hollywood movies, my preferred viewing—low-budget 'trash'—is unpredictable, unique, and challenging, and that even the most seemingly worthless of films can yield unexpected delights.
However, that is not the case with Curse of the Cannibal Confederates, a film so completely wretched that it is utterly indefensible.
Risible production values, acting so bad that it doesn't even qualify as amateurish, thoroughly obnoxious characters, atrocious sound, laughable effects, a terrible script: this one is a stinker on practically every level. Even some graphic scenes of gut-munching prove totally boring thanks to Tony Malanowski's lifeless direction.
Do yourself a favour: on this occasion, go for the big-budget blockbuster. Even the blandest of PG-13 CGI-fests has got to have more to offer than The Curse of the Cannibal Confederates.
However, that is not the case with Curse of the Cannibal Confederates, a film so completely wretched that it is utterly indefensible.
Risible production values, acting so bad that it doesn't even qualify as amateurish, thoroughly obnoxious characters, atrocious sound, laughable effects, a terrible script: this one is a stinker on practically every level. Even some graphic scenes of gut-munching prove totally boring thanks to Tony Malanowski's lifeless direction.
Do yourself a favour: on this occasion, go for the big-budget blockbuster. Even the blandest of PG-13 CGI-fests has got to have more to offer than The Curse of the Cannibal Confederates.
Cheese in a box
chelle-3526 July 2007
So terrible it should have won some kind of award. Between Mel's (Christopher Gummer) angry, over dramatic character and Blind Kiyomi's (Mimi Ishikawa) simplistic views on life and love... well.. I was riveted. We rented it for 99 cents, and kept it for an extra week. Sometimes crap is so smelly you just have to throw it into the art category.. there is no other explanation.
Unbelievably cheap effects.. I have seen better on You Tube. There was some kind of fireworks scene superimposed over a fake zombie head, before it explodes. COULD this be where the new ideas of distracting zombies with fireworks (Land of the Dead) was born? Effects like this are hard to find... the explosion of the Matchbox police car alone leaves the viewer in disbelief.
If you enjoy watching B movies with pitiful effects, poorly developed characters, painful dialogue and actors you will never ever see again, you will love Curse of the Screaming Dead. Whatever you do, don't take a bathroom break during the ten minute scene when Mel takes a walk through the woods... you won't want to miss that!
Unbelievably cheap effects.. I have seen better on You Tube. There was some kind of fireworks scene superimposed over a fake zombie head, before it explodes. COULD this be where the new ideas of distracting zombies with fireworks (Land of the Dead) was born? Effects like this are hard to find... the explosion of the Matchbox police car alone leaves the viewer in disbelief.
If you enjoy watching B movies with pitiful effects, poorly developed characters, painful dialogue and actors you will never ever see again, you will love Curse of the Screaming Dead. Whatever you do, don't take a bathroom break during the ten minute scene when Mel takes a walk through the woods... you won't want to miss that!
An Excellent Zombie Flick... Southern Style
Alienator26 March 2006
When one sits down to watch a movie with a name such as 'Curse of the Cannibal Confederates', it is quite safe to assume that the film that the viewer is about to watch is not exactly Oscar material. However, it doesn't mean the film cannot be enjoyable and entertaining! 'Curse of the Cannibal Confederates' is the Troma re-release of Tony Malanowski's 'The Curse of the Screaming Dead'. Rumor has it that 'Curse of the Screaming Dead' is actually a sequel/remake to the little-seen 1981 film 'Night of Horror' (also directed by Tony Malanowski). No matter, viewing of the so-called "first film" will have no effect on one's enjoyment or understanding of the film at hand.
'Curse of the Cannibal Confederates' opens with a group of rednecks and their respective girlfriends traveling through the backwoods of Maryland on a hunting trip. Upon arrival, our campers decide to search for a new campsite; a change of pace from the years prior. Whilst in search of this new destination, and in between various squabbles amongst the couples, Kiyomi (Mimi Ishikawa) begins to hear strange bells, undetectable to the rest of the group. Her seemingly "macho" boyfriend Mel (Christopher Gummer) wanders off in search of the source of these noises and in the process he discovers a small Confederate burial ground. In the desolate ruins of a church adjacent to the burial ground he finds a strange diary kept by one of Confederate soldiers. Mel steals the diary and alerts the others of the desolate burial ground. Soon, strange events begin to take place surrounding the campers... and the Confederate burial ground.
'Curse of the Cannibal Confederates' is the sort of film which is just plain enjoyable to watch. The plot was simple, yet quite good and original. Tony Malanowski took a simple zombie film and added a slight twist to it, including an intriguing motive for the rise of the dead. The main characters were wonderful and each possessed their own unique personality. They all interacted excellently with one another - not to mention the dialogue was hilarious! The makeup and gore effects were very well done and at times, quite disturbing (plenty of gratuitous gore). Despite great characters, great makeup, and an interesting plot, one thing did at times come as a minor nuisance: the lighting problems. In many of the scenes (night scenes especially) it was quite difficult to see what was going on, not to mention the fact that the cinematography wasn't exactly excellent. Although the lighting and cinematography problems were present, they seemed, as stated earlier, minor. In fact, in a few scenes the lighting gave it quite a vintage/drive-in vibe, which seemed to add some grainy character to this entertaining zombie-romp.
Troma has yet again unearthed another wonderful B-movie on DVD... and a fine release it is. A well-done zombie movie with an original plot and great characters to boot. If you're looking for a fun time and you're a fan of low-grade zombie movies, then 'Curse of the Cannibal Confederates' is definitely worth your viewing.
'Curse of the Cannibal Confederates' opens with a group of rednecks and their respective girlfriends traveling through the backwoods of Maryland on a hunting trip. Upon arrival, our campers decide to search for a new campsite; a change of pace from the years prior. Whilst in search of this new destination, and in between various squabbles amongst the couples, Kiyomi (Mimi Ishikawa) begins to hear strange bells, undetectable to the rest of the group. Her seemingly "macho" boyfriend Mel (Christopher Gummer) wanders off in search of the source of these noises and in the process he discovers a small Confederate burial ground. In the desolate ruins of a church adjacent to the burial ground he finds a strange diary kept by one of Confederate soldiers. Mel steals the diary and alerts the others of the desolate burial ground. Soon, strange events begin to take place surrounding the campers... and the Confederate burial ground.
'Curse of the Cannibal Confederates' is the sort of film which is just plain enjoyable to watch. The plot was simple, yet quite good and original. Tony Malanowski took a simple zombie film and added a slight twist to it, including an intriguing motive for the rise of the dead. The main characters were wonderful and each possessed their own unique personality. They all interacted excellently with one another - not to mention the dialogue was hilarious! The makeup and gore effects were very well done and at times, quite disturbing (plenty of gratuitous gore). Despite great characters, great makeup, and an interesting plot, one thing did at times come as a minor nuisance: the lighting problems. In many of the scenes (night scenes especially) it was quite difficult to see what was going on, not to mention the fact that the cinematography wasn't exactly excellent. Although the lighting and cinematography problems were present, they seemed, as stated earlier, minor. In fact, in a few scenes the lighting gave it quite a vintage/drive-in vibe, which seemed to add some grainy character to this entertaining zombie-romp.
Troma has yet again unearthed another wonderful B-movie on DVD... and a fine release it is. A well-done zombie movie with an original plot and great characters to boot. If you're looking for a fun time and you're a fan of low-grade zombie movies, then 'Curse of the Cannibal Confederates' is definitely worth your viewing.
Confederate zombies
bloody-314 March 2000
This is a z grade zombie flick. Confederate soldiers rise from their graves, attack people and eat them to the sound of munch, chew and gulp on the soundtrack. How the soldiers' uniforms are still intact after being in the ground for over a hundred years is beyond me.
Bad, Bad, Bad.
drhackenstine22 December 2005
Warning: Spoilers
A group of yucky looking people in a van are going on a camping trip. The place they pick is a graveyard for dead confederates. Soon, they are attacked by living dead soldiers. Irritating and incompetent in the first half, gory irritating and incompetent in the second. You have to wait a while to see the good stuff, but it's there. However, this film is a pain to get through, even if you are in the mood for some good B movie horror while drinking some beers. The muddy looking film has some of the stiffest, most lifeless (not the zombies) actors, and the production is awful. Flaws run all over the place, with scenes alternating between day and night through the whole picture. In one scene it happens when two characters are having a small conversation. The ending is bad and the dialog is just meaningless babble. Sometimes with low-budget horror all those flaws can work, but here it doesn't. Hardcore zombie fans may wanna see it just to see how bad it really is. Troma re-released it. The version I saw was under the title Curse Of The Canninbal Confederates. Features gut-munching and gore, but it has been done better elsewhere. One Star.
Best cannibal confederate movie I've ever seen!
Sandcooler19 January 2014
I'm not really the type to start nitpicking about technical problems in no-budget, Z-grade horror flicks, but dear Lord is this thing inept. This might just be the most poorly edited feature film I have ever seen. Is it daytime, is it nighttime? Are they in the woods, in a graveyard, in an open field, at Wal-Mart? Why is he looking over there, isn't the character he's talking to in the opposite direction? Why do they leave five seconds between every line? The main characters might be alcoholic rednecks but nobody thinks that slow. This movie plays ping-pong with your mind, you're constantly thinking it's you who's seen the previous shot wrong but the movie just turns out to be that badly made. Is it entertaining though? Well, I've got to say it kinda is. The first half hour is pointless filler, but it's funny pointless filler. I've never seen a group of horror movie "friends" hate each other so damn much. Why the hell do these six people who clearly can't stand one another (every pre-zombie second of this movie is bitching and gossiping about whoever's not there at the time) go on a camping weekend together, did they lose a bet with their real friends? When the zombies come things get pretty exciting, there are a lot of special effects to laugh at and some of the zombies (the few ones you can see, ever heard of lighting you guys?)are pretty decent-looking, I've seen worse zombie movies. With a bit more money, time and basic knowledge on cutting this could have been fully watchable, now it's something that at least manages to cater to the all important "this looks horrible, let's watch it"-crowd. And hell, I'll always be grateful to star Steve Sandkuhler (of "Night Of Horror" fame!) for giving me my nickname, so there's that.
Fun yet incredibly scary fact: director Tony Malanowski stopped directing after this movie, he became...an editor. Lord have mercy.
Fun yet incredibly scary fact: director Tony Malanowski stopped directing after this movie, he became...an editor. Lord have mercy.
Only slightly less awful than the director's earlier, Night Of Horror
Zbigniew_Krycsiwiki31 October 2017
This movie sucks. Oh, my Christ, does it suck, but it doesn't suck quite as badly as its predecessor, Night Of Horror, as things actually happen in this one. Granted, not much happens, and it's usually too dark to tell what is going on, but least * something * happens, and the movie seems to move by much quicker than its predecessor. The ruins shown in several scenes are interesting looking, and give the film the slightest bit of atmospherics, but Night Of Horror had a couple more unintentionally amusing lines.
Not exactly a remake, as is sometimes claimed, as Night Of Horror is about a dim, grimy guy recounting an experience about camping with friends, and ghosts of confederate soldiers haunting them for help in burying their leader's skull. This film is about a group ( played by much of the same cast ) camping in the woods, who are attacked by confederate cannibal zombies. There is an explanation as to why this is happening given toward the end, but by that point in time, my mind was wandering so much that I can't recall what that explanation was.
Even morseo than its predecessor, day changed to night, and back and forth, many times throughout this one. Does this film also take place over the course of one night, or about nineteen?
The alliterative cursed cannibal Confederates look like Herk Harvey's ghouls in 1962's infinitely better Carnival Of Souls, which only made me wish I was watching that film again.
Let's not forget those chewing sounds. Those horrible, ridiculously loud, unsynchronised chewing sounds, present throughout a lot of the final act, which only serve to induce nausea in viewers, both of them.
The cut I watched has ' Curse of the Cannibal Confederates, 1987 ' , immediately followed by ' Curse of the Screaming Dead, 1982 ' , even the film doesn't know when it was released, or its title. As with Night Of Horror, judging by the hairstyles, and clothing, I'm guessing this was filmed in the mid 70s, and sat unreleased for a number of years.
This film, like the director's previous film, Night Of Horror, both appear to have been filmed in the 1970s, and sat unreleased for a number of years before being released, if they were ever publicly released at all, prior to Troma getting hold of both of them in the 1980s, as all of the opening and closing credits are obviously added in much later.
Not exactly a remake, as is sometimes claimed, as Night Of Horror is about a dim, grimy guy recounting an experience about camping with friends, and ghosts of confederate soldiers haunting them for help in burying their leader's skull. This film is about a group ( played by much of the same cast ) camping in the woods, who are attacked by confederate cannibal zombies. There is an explanation as to why this is happening given toward the end, but by that point in time, my mind was wandering so much that I can't recall what that explanation was.
Even morseo than its predecessor, day changed to night, and back and forth, many times throughout this one. Does this film also take place over the course of one night, or about nineteen?
The alliterative cursed cannibal Confederates look like Herk Harvey's ghouls in 1962's infinitely better Carnival Of Souls, which only made me wish I was watching that film again.
Let's not forget those chewing sounds. Those horrible, ridiculously loud, unsynchronised chewing sounds, present throughout a lot of the final act, which only serve to induce nausea in viewers, both of them.
The cut I watched has ' Curse of the Cannibal Confederates, 1987 ' , immediately followed by ' Curse of the Screaming Dead, 1982 ' , even the film doesn't know when it was released, or its title. As with Night Of Horror, judging by the hairstyles, and clothing, I'm guessing this was filmed in the mid 70s, and sat unreleased for a number of years.
This film, like the director's previous film, Night Of Horror, both appear to have been filmed in the 1970s, and sat unreleased for a number of years before being released, if they were ever publicly released at all, prior to Troma getting hold of both of them in the 1980s, as all of the opening and closing credits are obviously added in much later.
A curse worse than any, for it's viewer
PeterMitchell-506-56436425 March 2013
This is one of those horror movies you wait until the last ten minutes for the gore to happen, but when it does, it's beautiful. It's too much, you could say. The story is quite a surprise, and we do get to know a bit of the characters while spending a bit of time in their RV, or at other times, while the women wait for their men to return. One of them, a blind Asian chick, constantly nagging and bitching to her boyfriend, got on my goat, a bit. The men who stop in this graveyard, make the fateful mistake of stealing a diary and war medals, thus bring the dead zombie soldiers back to life to retrieve the diary and medals and and also to devour them, which is shown in one of the most sickest displays of violence I've ever witnessed on film. The hideously repulsive violence, just devalues it. The film even comes with a warning in regard to the gore. From here you have to wait patiently, while enduring the bickering, arguing, and bitching of a bad script, or I should lazy, from such amateur actors, you want to shoot em. So gore lovers, be warned. Terrible.
Better than it should be
slayrrr6665 November 2008
Warning: Spoilers
"Curse of the Cannibal Confederates" is definitely a lot of fun and really enjoyable.
**SPOILERS**
Traveling together in a minivan, Wyatt, (Steve Sandkuhler) Mel, (Christopher Gummer) Sarah, (Rebecca Bach) Bill, (Jim Ball) Lin, (Judy Dixon) and Kiyomi, (Mimi Ishikawa) manage to find their destination and head off to their campsite. Getting lost in the surrounded woods, they stumble upon an abandoned cemetery, which gives some of them the frights and urge the others to leave it be. Returning back to camp, they realize one of them has removed a special diary from one of the tombs from the cemetery, and immediately afterwards, are set upon by a horde of ravenous creatures that are intent on killing and eating them. Learning that the dead and buried Confederate soldiers from the Civil War were in the tomb and have risen to seek their revenge on them for removing the diary as part of a curse issued due to their treatment, they try to get away from the creatures before succumbing to them.
The Good News: This one was actually really fun and enjoyable. One of the best features is that, while there's not a lot of action to it, it manages to stay enjoyable and watchable for most of it's running time. When it gets to the cemetery sequences, these are moved along nicely by the inherent creepiness of the area, which is exploited for all it's worth by having the group arrive around dusk and leaving a lot of them to take place around the darkened ruins, with the dilapidated headstones, ever-present fog and the ghostly bells wailing in the distance leaving an effective air and atmosphere around them. Then it goes into the campfire scenes, and these manage to stay exciting as well before it gets to the attack the attacks themselves aren't exactly terrible either, actually nicely done and have some sense of urgency to them despite the low-budget being on display for these scenes. The main one in the forest at dawn is pretty good, and the assault on the house at the end is fine if a little short, with a much better dash to get there fending them off that leads to some tense moments. The campfire one is still the best, though, for it's the one where it introduces a logical and extremely effective weapon into the handling of zombies, the use of exploding bullets when aiming for the head. It's hard to imagine a better weapon than this to use against them, which is both logical and generates some really great explosive moments, leading it into a winner of a concept that is used well throughout the film. These attacks also serve another good point in getting the gory goods onto the screen, which is fantastic. Long, loving close-ups are afforded of these scenes as the zombies rip into the bodies with glee, some content to sloppily eat the flesh while others pull out intestines and other pieces to consume, leading to some rather great moments as they put the cannibal portion into use. The zombies also deserve some good praise, as the ones who don't look cheap are very nicely designed, with some looking completely rotted and mangled from being dead, with deformed heads that are pretty much the exact opposite of what's to be expected from these. The last plus is their eerie, effective resurrection scenes. Nowhere near the best, the sight of the glowing-white hands emerging from the heaving Earth and heading off while others are doing the same around them is a pretty nice sight and makes for some worthwhile scenes. Overall, all of these elements here help the film.
The Bad News: There wasn't a whole lot of flaws to this one. One of the biggest ones is the fact that there's not a lot of excitement in the beginning of this one. The film takes a while to get into and rather has a couple of scenes to offset that boredom, but the first attack doesn't come until nearly an hour has occurred, and that's an eternity for some to get over. The endless scenes of them wandering around the forests or the group yelling at each for their actions, not exactly endearing a lot of excitement into the film. They're not exactly boring, as it somehow manages to keep these interesting, but then there's not a whole lot for those who prefer the more adrenaline-fueled entrants. The other flaw here is the fact that this one tends to let it's low-budget take over at times. This is most obvious in the gore, which looks cheap, especially within the scenes of them chewing on their kills, with the incessant and unneeded slurping sounds playing over the visuals being of particular annoyance. The fuzz around many of the night-time scenes also gets rather annoying, and when it goes to close-ups on many of the zombies, it's obvious most have tattered Civil War regalia and white paint on, nothing more and it comes off looking really cheap. These here are the film's main flaws.
The Final Verdict: A lot more fun than expected, this is definitely something that may surprise some who aren't expecting it. Give this one a shot if you're into the low-budget zombie genre or a die-hard Troma fanatic, otherwise then heed caution with it as it does tend to favor those who enjoy those types specifically.
Rated R: Graphic Violence and Language
**SPOILERS**
Traveling together in a minivan, Wyatt, (Steve Sandkuhler) Mel, (Christopher Gummer) Sarah, (Rebecca Bach) Bill, (Jim Ball) Lin, (Judy Dixon) and Kiyomi, (Mimi Ishikawa) manage to find their destination and head off to their campsite. Getting lost in the surrounded woods, they stumble upon an abandoned cemetery, which gives some of them the frights and urge the others to leave it be. Returning back to camp, they realize one of them has removed a special diary from one of the tombs from the cemetery, and immediately afterwards, are set upon by a horde of ravenous creatures that are intent on killing and eating them. Learning that the dead and buried Confederate soldiers from the Civil War were in the tomb and have risen to seek their revenge on them for removing the diary as part of a curse issued due to their treatment, they try to get away from the creatures before succumbing to them.
The Good News: This one was actually really fun and enjoyable. One of the best features is that, while there's not a lot of action to it, it manages to stay enjoyable and watchable for most of it's running time. When it gets to the cemetery sequences, these are moved along nicely by the inherent creepiness of the area, which is exploited for all it's worth by having the group arrive around dusk and leaving a lot of them to take place around the darkened ruins, with the dilapidated headstones, ever-present fog and the ghostly bells wailing in the distance leaving an effective air and atmosphere around them. Then it goes into the campfire scenes, and these manage to stay exciting as well before it gets to the attack the attacks themselves aren't exactly terrible either, actually nicely done and have some sense of urgency to them despite the low-budget being on display for these scenes. The main one in the forest at dawn is pretty good, and the assault on the house at the end is fine if a little short, with a much better dash to get there fending them off that leads to some tense moments. The campfire one is still the best, though, for it's the one where it introduces a logical and extremely effective weapon into the handling of zombies, the use of exploding bullets when aiming for the head. It's hard to imagine a better weapon than this to use against them, which is both logical and generates some really great explosive moments, leading it into a winner of a concept that is used well throughout the film. These attacks also serve another good point in getting the gory goods onto the screen, which is fantastic. Long, loving close-ups are afforded of these scenes as the zombies rip into the bodies with glee, some content to sloppily eat the flesh while others pull out intestines and other pieces to consume, leading to some rather great moments as they put the cannibal portion into use. The zombies also deserve some good praise, as the ones who don't look cheap are very nicely designed, with some looking completely rotted and mangled from being dead, with deformed heads that are pretty much the exact opposite of what's to be expected from these. The last plus is their eerie, effective resurrection scenes. Nowhere near the best, the sight of the glowing-white hands emerging from the heaving Earth and heading off while others are doing the same around them is a pretty nice sight and makes for some worthwhile scenes. Overall, all of these elements here help the film.
The Bad News: There wasn't a whole lot of flaws to this one. One of the biggest ones is the fact that there's not a lot of excitement in the beginning of this one. The film takes a while to get into and rather has a couple of scenes to offset that boredom, but the first attack doesn't come until nearly an hour has occurred, and that's an eternity for some to get over. The endless scenes of them wandering around the forests or the group yelling at each for their actions, not exactly endearing a lot of excitement into the film. They're not exactly boring, as it somehow manages to keep these interesting, but then there's not a whole lot for those who prefer the more adrenaline-fueled entrants. The other flaw here is the fact that this one tends to let it's low-budget take over at times. This is most obvious in the gore, which looks cheap, especially within the scenes of them chewing on their kills, with the incessant and unneeded slurping sounds playing over the visuals being of particular annoyance. The fuzz around many of the night-time scenes also gets rather annoying, and when it goes to close-ups on many of the zombies, it's obvious most have tattered Civil War regalia and white paint on, nothing more and it comes off looking really cheap. These here are the film's main flaws.
The Final Verdict: A lot more fun than expected, this is definitely something that may surprise some who aren't expecting it. Give this one a shot if you're into the low-budget zombie genre or a die-hard Troma fanatic, otherwise then heed caution with it as it does tend to favor those who enjoy those types specifically.
Rated R: Graphic Violence and Language
Zombie Gem-of-a-Movie!!
n-hungness22 February 2007
OK, if you've watched this film in its entirety, you probably really really hate it, or you liked it. I fall into the latter group of viewers, for I not only watched the entire movie, but I love it for being sooo bad. Let's be honest, it's a really corny zombie movie with terrible special effects and even more terrible acting. And it's the only zombie movie I've ever seen in which a zombie weeps tears. This review isn't meant to convince you to love it, but rather it is meant to persuade you to keep an open mind if you're thinking about renting this one and to remind you to take the movie as is - a low budget zombie movie. If you set your standards too high on this one, you loose all the fun out of it.
Plot - A group of campers find a mysterious graveyard out in the middle of the woods and inadvertently awaken the dead, who happen to be buried Confederate soldiers. The usual zombie attack ensues and the campers struggle to keep away from the undead menace. One overall problem with this plot is that it is very slow-moving. There are several minutes in the movie when you see nothing but someone walking around the woods without saying a word. Several long such episodes could've been shortened to quick key shots.
Movie mechanics - The film is terrible in technique. The acting is almost hilarious and the lighting inconsistency is a bit annoying. But these flaws in the film production make this little flick a gem. I was so horrified at the way the movie was filmed, I couldn't keep my eyes off of it. I was fascinated by it. It was raw. It was like someone picked up a camcorder and decided to make a movie one morning. It is simply fascinating.
Special effects - The special effects are very simple and ridiculous to the point of being comedic. In several shots in which zombies were supposed to be getting blown up by fireworks, the filmmakers decided to superimpose actual fireworks footage over the zombies. The effect was not only initially confusing, it was humorous. I will say the gore effects were satisfying. Every zombie movie has to meet a certain level of gore, and there is one scene in this movie in which someone gets eaten by a group of zombies, and the scene is literally 3-5 minutes long of nothing but watching the zombies eat the body and hearing the munching and crunching of the zombies. Again, the effect of this scene ended up being humorous. The makeup is equivalent to what you can find when you go to your friend's Halloween party. Nothing but white make up for the zombies.
Why should I watch this movie? - This movie is low, and I mean LOW, budget. It resembles a family home video that was recorded back in the late 70's. It is simply a fascinating piece of work, and leaves you asking yourself why the crap anyone would have made a movie like it. But it was done all in good effort, and even included a gratuitous scene of a zombie feast.
What might keep me away from renting this one? - The gore level is not hardcore for zombie fans. While it satisfies the minimum requirement, there simply wasn't enough of it scattered throughout the movie to make the other parts of the movie somewhat interesting. Instead, there are really only 1-2 scenes of real gore. Anyone who needs a lot of gore throughout a movie, this one's not for you. Also, there is zero skinappeal. You only get a few shots in the beginning of the chicks in skimpy swimwear, but that's all folks. The movie is also ridiculously long. It could've been condensed a bit.
The proper way to watch this movie - When you're all alone, sit down with a six-pack (or whiskey, if you prefer) and pop some popcorn and watch this little gem under slight to moderate intoxication. This movie will not only be amusing, you might really really like it. I naturally love low budget crappy movies, so I am very glad I own a copy of this one. It has the proud honor of being perhaps one of the worst movies I had ever seen. And this makes it all the more lovable!
Plot - A group of campers find a mysterious graveyard out in the middle of the woods and inadvertently awaken the dead, who happen to be buried Confederate soldiers. The usual zombie attack ensues and the campers struggle to keep away from the undead menace. One overall problem with this plot is that it is very slow-moving. There are several minutes in the movie when you see nothing but someone walking around the woods without saying a word. Several long such episodes could've been shortened to quick key shots.
Movie mechanics - The film is terrible in technique. The acting is almost hilarious and the lighting inconsistency is a bit annoying. But these flaws in the film production make this little flick a gem. I was so horrified at the way the movie was filmed, I couldn't keep my eyes off of it. I was fascinated by it. It was raw. It was like someone picked up a camcorder and decided to make a movie one morning. It is simply fascinating.
Special effects - The special effects are very simple and ridiculous to the point of being comedic. In several shots in which zombies were supposed to be getting blown up by fireworks, the filmmakers decided to superimpose actual fireworks footage over the zombies. The effect was not only initially confusing, it was humorous. I will say the gore effects were satisfying. Every zombie movie has to meet a certain level of gore, and there is one scene in this movie in which someone gets eaten by a group of zombies, and the scene is literally 3-5 minutes long of nothing but watching the zombies eat the body and hearing the munching and crunching of the zombies. Again, the effect of this scene ended up being humorous. The makeup is equivalent to what you can find when you go to your friend's Halloween party. Nothing but white make up for the zombies.
Why should I watch this movie? - This movie is low, and I mean LOW, budget. It resembles a family home video that was recorded back in the late 70's. It is simply a fascinating piece of work, and leaves you asking yourself why the crap anyone would have made a movie like it. But it was done all in good effort, and even included a gratuitous scene of a zombie feast.
What might keep me away from renting this one? - The gore level is not hardcore for zombie fans. While it satisfies the minimum requirement, there simply wasn't enough of it scattered throughout the movie to make the other parts of the movie somewhat interesting. Instead, there are really only 1-2 scenes of real gore. Anyone who needs a lot of gore throughout a movie, this one's not for you. Also, there is zero skinappeal. You only get a few shots in the beginning of the chicks in skimpy swimwear, but that's all folks. The movie is also ridiculously long. It could've been condensed a bit.
The proper way to watch this movie - When you're all alone, sit down with a six-pack (or whiskey, if you prefer) and pop some popcorn and watch this little gem under slight to moderate intoxication. This movie will not only be amusing, you might really really like it. I naturally love low budget crappy movies, so I am very glad I own a copy of this one. It has the proud honor of being perhaps one of the worst movies I had ever seen. And this makes it all the more lovable!
beyond b grade
honeylaser16 July 2001
This movie was a great example of how to make a completely stupid and b grade horror flick. I think the only reason one should hire it is to pick out all the mistakes.
Why were the gravestones clean and readable, not covered in moss or any other growth? Uniforms? huh?
Why were the gravestones clean and readable, not covered in moss or any other growth? Uniforms? huh?
Enjoyably awful micro-budget zombie horror clunker
Woodyanders31 October 2011
Warning: Spoilers
A band of Civil War soldiers come back to life as flesh-eating zombies and terrorize a group of friends embarking on a deer hunt deep in the woods. Boy, does this hilariously horrendous schlocker possess all the right wonderfully wretched stuff to qualify as a real four-star stinkeroonie: Incredibly ham-fisted (non)direction, exceptionally atrocious acting from a thoroughly lame no-name cast of rank amateurs (Mime Iskikawa cops the top thespic dishonors with her insufferable turn as whiny blind babe Kiyomi while Christopher Gummer likewise grates on the nerves something fierce as obnoxious toolbox Mel), a numbing plethora of tiresome bickering amongst the extremely irritating and hence utterly unsympathetic characters, crummy make-up (several of the zombies wear chintzy dime-store rubber masks), a droning and annoying redundant score, a meandering narrative that plods along at a painfully poky pace, grainy, shoddy, dimly lit eyeball-straining cinematography, a slight script, zero tension or spooky atmosphere, painfully tin-eared dialogue, and ineptly staged zombie attack set pieces. However, this movie nonetheless deserves some credit for not wimping out on the hardcore gruesome gut-munching gore, with special extra kudos in order for the grotesque slurpy sound effects. A tasty slice of prime celluloid Velveeta cheese.
I LOVE THIS FILM!!!! THE BEST EVER
abby83557 July 2003
I absoulety loved this film. THIS FILM ROCKS. I bought and loved it. It was worth my money. The acting was great and the confederate soliders were hot. I loved the effects. I love civil war horror movies. If you like this movie i also recommend The Supernaturals. Another great civil war horror zombie flick. I love the cannibalistic scenes. I would have love them to have eaten me. Wink wink. The south will and shall rise again. The costumes are realistic looking. The best film ever done by Troma Videos. I would love to hear from other fans of this movie.
Curse of the Screaming Dead (1982)
stevencraigvankooten15 April 2007
Warning: Spoilers
(Curse of the Cannibal Confederates) Contains no ski, some gore. A group of friends go on a road trip that ends with them disturbing some confederate soldier spirits, who decide to attack them and feed on their flesh. - - - This was the first time I'd seen a zombie movie that was actually dull. There's plenty of screen time for the gut munchers, but, despite a decent idea, the movie is sabotaged by the director and actors. There's no talent in this one and it even wears thin once you start heckling it. I don't think I've ever seen a movie so devoid of content as this one. Not entertaining and thoroughly avoidable.
0 out of 4
0 out of 4
Well, It's Better Than the Original At Least
Michael_Elliott9 June 2017
The Curse of the Screaming Dead (1982)
* (out of 4)
A group of six Southern friends head into the woods for some good deer hunting when they stumble upon a cemetery. Soon a Conferate solider returns from the grave and brings along some others as the zombies attack our deer hunters.
Director Tony Malanowski made NIGHT OF HORROR in 1981. That film was about a group of friends who were attacked by Confederate soldiers. That movie was downright awful on pretty much all levels and THE CURSE OF THE SCREAMING DEAD is a remake of that. Malanowski said he saw the various errors in the original film so when he got a higher budget he wanted to set out and make something better.
THE CURSE OF THE SCREAMING DEAD, released by Troma as CURSE OF THE CANNIBAL CONFEDERATES, is a pretty bad movie in its own right but at the same time there's no question that it's a major improvement on the original. If the director's main goal was to make a better movie this second time around then he succeeded as this one looks a lot better and I'd argue that it also felt like an actual horror film since we are given some gore and zombies.
The film still suffers from its low-budget nature and there's no question that the film is a bit too slow for its own good. I'd also argue that the characters themselves aren't all that interesting. As I said, the one bonus here over the original is that we are given some added gore scenes and for the most part they are actually very good. The gore is realistic and looks effective enough, although I must admit that the munching sound effects made me giggle at times.
* (out of 4)
A group of six Southern friends head into the woods for some good deer hunting when they stumble upon a cemetery. Soon a Conferate solider returns from the grave and brings along some others as the zombies attack our deer hunters.
Director Tony Malanowski made NIGHT OF HORROR in 1981. That film was about a group of friends who were attacked by Confederate soldiers. That movie was downright awful on pretty much all levels and THE CURSE OF THE SCREAMING DEAD is a remake of that. Malanowski said he saw the various errors in the original film so when he got a higher budget he wanted to set out and make something better.
THE CURSE OF THE SCREAMING DEAD, released by Troma as CURSE OF THE CANNIBAL CONFEDERATES, is a pretty bad movie in its own right but at the same time there's no question that it's a major improvement on the original. If the director's main goal was to make a better movie this second time around then he succeeded as this one looks a lot better and I'd argue that it also felt like an actual horror film since we are given some gore and zombies.
The film still suffers from its low-budget nature and there's no question that the film is a bit too slow for its own good. I'd also argue that the characters themselves aren't all that interesting. As I said, the one bonus here over the original is that we are given some added gore scenes and for the most part they are actually very good. The gore is realistic and looks effective enough, although I must admit that the munching sound effects made me giggle at times.
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