ZOMBIE
HOLOCAUST (1979)Director Marino Girolami
Media Blasters/Shriek Show
ZOMBIE
HOLOCAUST (1979)1979 was a primo year for Italian horror. Besides Joe D'Amato's BUIO OMEGA, Lucio Fulci's ZOMBIE, and Ruggero Deodato's CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST, there emerged a one-shit wonder from director Marino Girolami called ZOMBIE HOLOCAUST (gee, wonder which films influenced this one?!).
Co-written by frequent Fulci producer
Fabrizio de Angelis, ZOMBIE HOLOCAUST is a wholly entertaining hybrid of the
up-and-coming cannibal and zombie subgenres. Alessandra Delli Colli stars as
Dr. Lori Ridgeway, a physician at a NYC hospital plagued by a mystery madman
who steals body parts of cadavers. When the culprit is found and subsequently
scared into jumping out of a window (the mannequin used loses its arm in the
process), Dr. Peter Chandler (ZOMBIE star Ian McCulloch) aids Lori in her investigation
of a strange tribal marking on the body. Tracing it back to the island of Molukk,
Peter and Lori enlist reporter Susan Kelly (Sherry Buchanan) and her explorer
boyfriend George on their journey. How it all ties back to the madman at the
hospital is a mystery, but the group uncovers a mad scientist, a cannibal tribe,
and a gaggle of badly made-up 
zombies
along the way.
There may not be a better introduction to the cannibal subgenre than ZOMBIE HOLOCAUST. It isn't plagued by the almost requisite animal violence seen in most entries, and while it delivers the gore in spades, it also piles on the cheese by the pound! And despite the provocative title, there are only about six or seven zombies in the entire movie. The zombie makeup is some of the weakest ever seen on the screen, but the special effects are still amazing stuff. Eye gougings, brain transplants, and more outrageous bloody shenanigans are in store for the viewer, but the most unbelievable scene has a motorboat propeller plunging into a zombie head!!
Media
Blasters' original Italian cut is still as ridiculous as all get out, what with
the half-assed dialogue, obligatory nude scenes performed at the drop of a hat,
and a jaw-dropping mix of cannibals, zombies, and mad scientists, but this version
restores many talky scenes that slow down the picture. The score by Nico Fidenco
isn't very memorable, save for some recycled cues from EMANUELLE AND THE LAST
CANNBIALS. Many U.S. viewers were introduced to Girolami's island tale through
a drastically altered version. The Terry Levine-distributed DR. BUTCHER M.D.
(MEDICAL DEVIATE), besides sporting one of the best titles in exploitation history,
slimmed down the talky scenes, lost the Fidenco score and replaced it with an
ann
oying,
but catchy electronic synthesizer score, and, most infamously, inserted scenes
at the start of the film originally directed by Roy Frumkes for his unfinished
anthology film TALES TO RIP YOUR HEART OUT. The perfect disc would include both
the Italian cut of the film, ZOMBIE HOLOCAUST, and the noteworthy altered American
cut, DR. BUTCHER M.D., but this isn't a perfect world. Personally, I prefer
the DR. BUTCHER cut, but ZOMBIE HOLOCAUST is still an enjoyable romp well worth
seeing once, and which doesn't lose its appeal after multiple viewings.
The widescreen transfer (presented in 1.85:1) starts off dark and grainy through the credits, but brightens and sharpens thereafter. The print stays grainy throughout the presentation, but this could be a problem with the source material. The Dolby Digital mix sounds good, with no problems with dialogue and music present. There is a strange drop in volume before the closing credits, but it's not problematic.
Shriek Show's jam-packed DVD editions
continue. While the supplements this time aren't nearly as interesting for collectors
as earlier discs, there's still something for everyone here. There are two interviews
presented here. First up is special effects artist Maurizio Trani. Thi
s
particular interview is quite awkward; Trani repeatedly claims he never saw
the film and seems a tad derogatory towards interviewer Kit Gavin. Next is Roy
Frumkes, who details the history behind the inclusion of his TALES footage in
DR. BUTCHER and eventually goes off on a tangent about other experiences in
filmmaking. It's informative and Frumkes seems like a genuinely nice guy. Frumkes
also contributes a commentary over the original footage he gave to distributor
Terry Levine. The footage is pretty cheesy stuff, and one wonders how the finished
film would have fared.
A
deleted scene highlighting an encounter between the cannibal tribe and Peter
and Lori isn't integrated back into the film because it wasn't part of the original
ZOMBIE HOLOCAUST print. It is, however, part of the DR. BUTCHER print, and parts
of the new score can be heard in this scene. This scene may have been deleted
from ZOMBIE HOLOCAUST because the surroundings of the scene are quite obviously
not a jungle island, and it would not have blended well with the rest of the
film because of this.
Two trailers for ZOMBIE HOLOCAUST
are included, the American DR. BUTCHER M.D. preview and the German ZOMBIES UNTER
KANNIBALEN preview. Alas the International trailer present on many of Shriek
Show's discs is nowhere to be found. Hmmm.... Also included are trailers for
upcoming Shriek Show releases EATEN ALIVE and BURIAL GROUND, and recent releases
JUNGLE HOLOCAUST and BEYOND THE DARKNESS. Talent bios for Ian McCulloch, Donald
O'Brien, and Marino Girolami are listed on the back cover, but are included
in the collector's booklet insert, not on the disc. Also in the booklet is a
marvelous account of 'The Deuce' circa 1979 by "Shock Cinema" contributor
Chris Poggiali. Easter Egg hunters will be pleased to find one on the Special
Thanks page. Press up to highlight Edwin Samuelson's name (webmaster of DVD
Maniacs), press enter, and we are treated to English language credits for ZOMBIE
HOLOCAUST (the credits on the actual film are in Italian).
All in all, yet another nice package from Shriek Show. The region one debut of guilty pleasure extraordinaire ZOMBIE HOLOCAUST will no doubt please hardened fans and anyone wishing to take a peek at this trashy gem. (Casey Scott)