REMINDER: These reviews will be brief, as there are 31 in total to write this month. The purpose is to give a few brief thoughts about each film and consequently open the door to discussion.
Marino Girolami's 1980 zombie film is quite a mish-mash of a genre film. Mixing both zombies and cannibals in New York City and on a tropical island, the viewer gets what I imagine would be referred to as a cross between Cannibal Holocaust and Fulci's Zombie. This should in no way be considered a staple of the genre, let alone groundbreaking in it's approach. What this movie does do, is mark a period in time where these types of cheddar filled gore fests were really picking up steam. I can imagine a first run audience being genuinely disturbed and disgusted by what they saw. By today's standards the gore and narrative come off as tremendously forced and uninteresting. Don't misunderstand, I am not totally discounting this film as dribble. This concept was done much better quite a few times, but there is some nostalgic enjoyment to be had. Zombie Holocaust is just not the type of viewing experience I found scary, creepy, or suspenseful. While watching a doctor and journalist unearth the mystery of cannibalistic activity in New York City, the overall feeling is much more about “come on let's get to the action,” than “wow this is really interesting.” So, as more than just a passing fan of the zombie genre, I humbly proclaim Zombie Holocaust a carbon copy of much better zombie films of the same ilk; with a few memorably gory moments sprinkled throughout.
Zombie Holocaust
1980
Director: Marino Girolami
Starring: Ian McCulloch and Alexandra Delli Colli
5/10 Farmhouses ~ Chris Conduit
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