Zombie (1979)

Strangers searching for a young woman's missing father arrive at a tropical island where a doctor desperately searches for the cause and cure of a recent epidemic of the undead.

Director:

Lucio Fulci

Writer:

Elisa Briganti

Stars:

Tisa Farrow, Ian McCulloch, Richard Johnson

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Tisa Farrow	...	Anne Bowles
Ian McCulloch	...	Peter West (as Ian Mc Culloch)
Richard Johnson	...	Dr. Menard
Al Cliver	...	Brian Hull
Auretta Gay	...	Susan Barrett
Stefania D'Amario	...	Nurse Clara - Menard's Assistant
Olga Karlatos	...	Mrs. Menard

Storyline

A zombie is found aboard a boat off the New York coast which belongs to do a famous scientist. Peter West, a journalist, travels to the Antilles with Ann, the daughter of the scientist. On the way, they meet with with Brian, a ethnologist, and Susan. When they arrive at Matul Island, they find Dr. Menard, and discover a terrifying disease which is turning the islanders into horrifying zombies which devour human flesh and seem indestructible....

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Plot Keywords:

tropical island | zombie | zombie outbreak | virus | end of the world | 

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Taglines:

When the earth spits out the dead.....They will return to tear the flesh of the living. [U.K Video Release.VIPCO Label]

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Genres:

Horror

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for horror violence/gore and nudity

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

English Spanish Italian

Release Date:

18 July 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

Zombie

Filming Locations:

Studio Mafera, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

ITL 410,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Variety Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min 89 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Despite being called "Zombi 2", the film is not a sequel to anything. When Dawn of the Dead (1978) was released under the title "Zombi" in Italy, this film was retitled "Zombi 2" to cash in on the success of the American film. This was done by the studio without Director Lucio Fulci's permission or knowledge, and he often told fans this wasn't a sequel, and that it is it's own film. He was relieved to find out the film's actual title "Zombie" was kept in the American release.

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Goofs

When the homicide detective is questioning Tisa Farrow's character on the boat he says a member of the "coast guard" was killed. The man who was killed on the boat at the beginning was clearly a member of the New York City Police Department.

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Quotes

[first lines]
[repeated line]
Dr. Menard: The boat can leave now. Tell the crew.

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Connections

Followed by Zombie 5: Killing Birds (1987)

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Soundtracks

There's No Matter
(uncredited)
Composed by Fabio Frizzi, Franco Bixio, Vince Tempera, Vittorio Pezzolla
Performed by Linda Lee

User Reviews

Entertaining trash

Lucio Fulci is sometimes an extremely interesting and talented director. His contribution to the Italian thriller franchise Giallo's range from good (The Psychic) to great (Don't torture a duckling). His Gothic gore drenched later works such as The Beyond, City of the Living Dead and House by the Cemetery vary considerably in quality.

Zombie 2 proved to be a stepping stone for the Italian godfather of gore. Prior to this film Fulci's work was not as gory but the rest of his work proved to be. Gore overflowed in conventional thrillers such as New York Ripper and Contraband. Simply put; Fulci had new admirers who demanded his work to be gory.

I hate films like New York Ripper and House by the Cemetery but The Beyond does have a strange Gothic charm about it and City of the Living Dead is an ample horror film with some astonishing gore sequences. Zombie 2 falls somewhere in between City and The Beyond. There are some eye popping gore sequences to behold and the film is energetically made. There are some solid actors and production values are quite good. But this is trash, complete and utter trash. Enjoyable as such, if you're into this kind of thing, you can appreciate the level of talent behind the film. The look is good, make up is great and it's fast paced. Fulci's heart was definitely in this project.

Fulci is a flawed but interesting director in my books, he should have lessened the emphasis on gore in his later films and made more conventional thrillers but his body of work is varied and original.