The Treasure of the Living Dead (1982)
"La tumba de los muertos vivientes" (original title)

An expedition searching for treasure supposedly buried by the German army in the African desert during WW II comes up against an army of Nazi zombies guarding the fortune.

Director:

Jesús Franco

Writer:

Jesús Franco (screenplay)

Stars:

Manuel Gélin, France Lomay, Jeff Montgomery

Cast

Cast overview:
Manuel Gélin	...	Robert Blabert
France Lomay	...	Erika (as France Jordan)
Jeff Montgomery	...	Ben
Myriam Landson	...	Kurt's Wife
Eric Viellard	...	Ronald (as Eric Saint-Just)
Caroline Audret	...	Sylvie
Henri Lambert	...	Kurt (as Henry Lambert)

Storyline

During World War II, a small German squadron was assigned the task of carrying a shipment of Nazi gold across the African desert. Along the way, the squadron was ambushed by the Allies, and only one American soldier, Robert, survived. Years later, Robert tells his story to a German treasure hunter named Kurt, who promptly murders him. Robert's son, upon learning of his father's death, vows to travel to Africa and find the lost gold himself. While the desert is hazardous enough by itself, the dangers lurking around this oasis are more than any of the treasure hunters ever imagined.

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Plot Keywords:

desert | treasure | gold | oasis | nazi | 

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

21 April 1982 (France)

Also Known As:

Oasis of the Zombies

Company Credits

Production Co:

Eurociné

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Ban the Sadist Videos! (2005)

User Reviews

Hey, it's better than "Resident Evil"!

Okay, I'll just assume I'm entering a comment for the version of the movie I saw (though who really cares about accuracy with something like this?). "Oasis of the Zombies" has a sketchy, multiple-version history that is finely indicative of director Jess Franco's low-budget, schlockmeister style. I have never really cared much for this Spanish horror hack (though I do think "The Awful Dr. Orloff" is a well-done chiller), but what can I say..."Oasis" holds a weirdly special place in my genre heart. The reviews across the board are mostly condemning if not outright cursing this POS' existence, and I can see where they're coming from--make no mistake, this IS the bottom rung of the zombie ladder. Yet at the same time, this film engages me in some odd way--yes, it is two movies spliced together (sometimes quite badly), but I don't find it boring, or even all that bad. Granted, I've never seen a decent print of the film, the night scenes are either too muddy or too bright (yes, a few take place in broad daylight), the characterizations poor, and the zombie 'action' less than stunning. In the small subgenre of Nazi Zombie Films, "Oasis" falls between the Good ("Shock Waves") and the Ugly (Jean Rollin's "Zombie Lake"). 74 minutes into this 85-minute film, we get the signature image of zombies shambling up a dune against an orange sunset (or sunrise?), and it's the only moment of atmospheric artistry to be found. Still, for those who are inured to this kind of low-end Euro-dreck (myself included), "Oasis" is worth a look--in many ways, it is conceptually interesting enough to be a good remake candidate.