Zinda Laash (The Living Corpse) is the first vampire film produced in Pakistan.
Being based on Bram Stoker's 1897 novel, it has similar themes to other Nosferatu-type flicks...mainly the 1950's Dracula film from Britain.
It was considered a lost film, before a degraded copy was discovered, and restored into the version we have today.
The plot revolves around a mad scientist, who is trying to formulate the elixir of life.
When he believe he successfully concocts it, he uses himself as a guinea pig, and consumes it.
But it effectively just renders him a vampire.
Immediately turning his assistant, as well.
Some time later an investigator shows up to see if the house is haunted, like the townsfolk claim.
He is met by the doctor, who instantly becomes infatuated with his girlfriend.
The doctor's assistant, meanwhile, tries to seduce him...and the man ends up being bitten by her.
Now, his brother is trying to figure out what happened to him.
As his girlfriend- who is being kept from his disappearance- starts being courted by the vampire doctor.
Becoming bitten, herself.
Now she too is a vampire.
And the man's brother is left trying to convince the girl's family that this is all the work of such a creature.
However, as a scientific rationalist, her brother finds it all very hard to believe...and, thus, demands explicit evidence.
In fact, he accuses the man's brother of being affected by evil, when he suggests they must pierce her heart, in order to drain the tainted blood, so that they can save her soul.
He remains in denial even after a child is found drained of blood, and his own daughter claims she is being seduced toward oblivion by her thought-to-be dead aunt.
Chocking it all up to his daughter's own wild fantasies.
Fortunately for him, his brother in law intervenes right before he and his daughter are about to be turned. themselves.
Now, no longer your typical doubting thomas...he is a true believer.
And the two men set off, together, in order to try and kill the doctor, so as to break the curse, and save humanity.
But while they're out hunting...the doctor get's to his wife.
So, the mission becomes an extra urgent matter.
As they must not only survive long enough to outwit the demonic doctor...but do so before he get's the opportunity to turn his wife into a vampire, as well.
The ending is actually a lot more action packed than I was expecting it to be.
Though the conclusion is pretty standard.
What stands out the most, is the soundtrack...in the most hilariously awesome way.
It goes from what you'd typically find in a Hollywood flick, to more traditional Pakistani pop tunes (that transition, at times, into modern swing), to old time songs you'd expect to hear in a slapstick film, to tribal African rhythms, epic orchestral pieces, and even some 8-bit funk music that seems like it would be more at home in an NES game.
I'm not sure if some of this was added during the restoration, for the tv broadcast...or if it's actually part of the original soundtrack.
But, damn, is it ever all over the place.
Some of it is clearly out of place- and seems to have been overlaid after the fact.
As you can imagine, on top of being a mystery-thriller horror, the film does have a bunch of musical segments, as well.
They act like interjected music videos- that don't do much for the plot- rather than they do pander to an audience that might not have been interested in the film otherwise.
Although these sequences are drawn out, they are spaced out far enough, so as to not become overbearing on the pace of the film.
When all is said and done, it's pretty basic in it's production values, though it has an appropriate atmosphere and manages to keep your attention throughout.
And, honestly, it's nice to see something like this coming from a culture you wouldn't generally expect it from.
5 out of 10.
