EvilNed
09-Oct-2006, 10:57 PM
I just got these two films and here are my thoughts on them (Beware, spoilers... If anybody cares about these kind of films):
Zombie Flesh Eaters 2, from hereon Zombi 3, was a letdown for me. I was expecting a real turkey. Something cheesy, over-the-top action. But it was very uneven.
For those of you who don't know, Lucio Fulci began directing Zombi 3 but after finishing about 70 minutes worth of footage he had to quit because he contracted an illness from the climate. Bruno Mattei, who's done many other cheesy zombie flicks (Like Hell of the Living Dead) stepped in and finished what little what was left. About 50 minutes of the film is Fulci, and 40 minutes Mattei.
It's not very hard to spot which parts are directed by Fulci and which are directed by Mattei. Fulci's parts are slow, "atmospheric" and not quite as actionoriented, whereas Mattei's picks up more. There's a scene with an epileptic machete-zombie that there is noway in hell that Fulci directed. Yet, this is also one of the films most enjoyable scenes. I guess that's the problem with this film. Lucio Fulci.
I've never been a fan of Fulci. I find his films slow and boring, with not enough good directing or atmosphere to make it suspensefull, and not enough cheese to make it funny. He's the worst kind of cheese. The bad kind. But Bruno Mattei, that guy is fun. The action picks up, it's more cheese and more fun. They mow down the zombies as if they were just cannon fodder and everything is just so goddamn corny. I could swear in one scene, one of the characters got dragged down and eaten by zombies... But in the next scene, he's back.
The music is also... cheese. It's not good, but it's cheese. Kind of like most italian horror flicks. The film also bears an amazing likeness to Return of the Living Dead. The undead are brought back by toxic, a contaminated body is burnt and the ashes spreads, the zombies talk and run (occasionally, anyway. Not in the scenes Fulci directed), and it shows how both our victims and creators try to deal with the zombies.
Infact, alot of the film is not inspired by the zombie genre, but simply ripped off. As I mentioned, the plot is ripped directly from Dan O'Bannons masterpeice, and the ending is the only ending I've ever seen which manages to ripoff TWO endings. Night of the Living Dead and Zombie Flesh Eaters. The ending sucks by the way.
Overall, the film is way to slow to be taken as some good cheese. But Mattei's parts are sometimes hilarious. The machete-zombie kicks ass. And the zombie birds! And the ****ing dialoge, man! But... When it all comes down to it. The film sucks.
Now, Zombie Flesh Eaters 3 is a different story altogether. This film kicks major ass. It's more cheese and turkey than you ever thought possible. The dialoge is constantly laughable, the plot lacks all sorts of logic, and you'll constantly be laughing out loud. Infact, I dare say that bar Romero's flicks, this is the best zombie film I've ever film. You'll laugh more at this film that you will at Shaun of the Dead or ROTLD.
My favourite scene is when one of the characters spots a native lurking in the jungle (A zombie, but the guy doesn't know that) and FOR NO REASON AT ALL he chases the native down and knocks him out. Why? Why the hell would anyone do that? That native didn't do anything to him! But of course, the zombie bites him and he turns infected.
The male lead is played by a porn star (I'm not kidding), and flashes his abs throughout the film. Very manly. He's a hitchhiker who also happens to be an expert marksman, and has alot more sense than the war vets he's with. The war vets ALL **** upp and get themselves killed somehow. They do so stupid things you wouldn't imagine, which only adds to the laugh factor.
Great film. I love the zombies. The wrestling, boxing leaping super zombies. Best zombies ever. For christsakes, SEE THIS FILM!
Zombie Flesh Eaters 2, from hereon Zombi 3, was a letdown for me. I was expecting a real turkey. Something cheesy, over-the-top action. But it was very uneven.
For those of you who don't know, Lucio Fulci began directing Zombi 3 but after finishing about 70 minutes worth of footage he had to quit because he contracted an illness from the climate. Bruno Mattei, who's done many other cheesy zombie flicks (Like Hell of the Living Dead) stepped in and finished what little what was left. About 50 minutes of the film is Fulci, and 40 minutes Mattei.
It's not very hard to spot which parts are directed by Fulci and which are directed by Mattei. Fulci's parts are slow, "atmospheric" and not quite as actionoriented, whereas Mattei's picks up more. There's a scene with an epileptic machete-zombie that there is noway in hell that Fulci directed. Yet, this is also one of the films most enjoyable scenes. I guess that's the problem with this film. Lucio Fulci.
I've never been a fan of Fulci. I find his films slow and boring, with not enough good directing or atmosphere to make it suspensefull, and not enough cheese to make it funny. He's the worst kind of cheese. The bad kind. But Bruno Mattei, that guy is fun. The action picks up, it's more cheese and more fun. They mow down the zombies as if they were just cannon fodder and everything is just so goddamn corny. I could swear in one scene, one of the characters got dragged down and eaten by zombies... But in the next scene, he's back.
The music is also... cheese. It's not good, but it's cheese. Kind of like most italian horror flicks. The film also bears an amazing likeness to Return of the Living Dead. The undead are brought back by toxic, a contaminated body is burnt and the ashes spreads, the zombies talk and run (occasionally, anyway. Not in the scenes Fulci directed), and it shows how both our victims and creators try to deal with the zombies.
Infact, alot of the film is not inspired by the zombie genre, but simply ripped off. As I mentioned, the plot is ripped directly from Dan O'Bannons masterpeice, and the ending is the only ending I've ever seen which manages to ripoff TWO endings. Night of the Living Dead and Zombie Flesh Eaters. The ending sucks by the way.
Overall, the film is way to slow to be taken as some good cheese. But Mattei's parts are sometimes hilarious. The machete-zombie kicks ass. And the zombie birds! And the ****ing dialoge, man! But... When it all comes down to it. The film sucks.
Now, Zombie Flesh Eaters 3 is a different story altogether. This film kicks major ass. It's more cheese and turkey than you ever thought possible. The dialoge is constantly laughable, the plot lacks all sorts of logic, and you'll constantly be laughing out loud. Infact, I dare say that bar Romero's flicks, this is the best zombie film I've ever film. You'll laugh more at this film that you will at Shaun of the Dead or ROTLD.
My favourite scene is when one of the characters spots a native lurking in the jungle (A zombie, but the guy doesn't know that) and FOR NO REASON AT ALL he chases the native down and knocks him out. Why? Why the hell would anyone do that? That native didn't do anything to him! But of course, the zombie bites him and he turns infected.
The male lead is played by a porn star (I'm not kidding), and flashes his abs throughout the film. Very manly. He's a hitchhiker who also happens to be an expert marksman, and has alot more sense than the war vets he's with. The war vets ALL **** upp and get themselves killed somehow. They do so stupid things you wouldn't imagine, which only adds to the laugh factor.
Great film. I love the zombies. The wrestling, boxing leaping super zombies. Best zombies ever. For christsakes, SEE THIS FILM!