Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.5

Zombi Holocaust 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 24, 2023

Marino Girolami's "Zombi Holocaust" (1980) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of 88 Films. The supplemental features on the release include audio commentary was recorded by critics David Flint and Adrian Smith; new program with editor Alberto Moriani and Enzo G. Castellari; new program with composer composer Giacomo Dell'Orso; vintage trailer; and more. In English or Italian, with optional English subtitles. Reigon-Free.

In the 1970s, Italian directors shot numerous zombie and cannibal films that went as far as they could with their graphic visuals without getting into serious legal trouble. However, in some countries, several of these films were still banned because they were deemed too violent and disturbing. As of September 2023, in the United Kingdom, some of these films still cannot be shown or sold fully uncut.

Interestingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, the more these films were censored or banned over the years, the bigger the group of people who wanted to see them became. While the expansion was noticeable during the VHS era, it was simply impossible to miss during the DVD era when different labels around the world started producing various ‘definitive’ releases featuring reconstructed and fully uncut versions of the most controversial films.

However, the more attention these films were given, the clearer it became that very few of them were worthy of their reputation. Indeed, it turned out that many were much more effective in years past when they looked rough and hazy and were able to unintentionally stimulate the mind to imagine what could not be shown legally. In other words, too often the upgrade in visual quality translated into a downgrade in atmosphere and storytelling quality. *

One such film that was a lot more effective when it looked rough and hazy is Marino Girolami’s Zombi Holocaust. After it was restored in 4K, Zombi Holocaust looks as good as any other major studio film from the 1980s or 1990s. But because there is so much more to see now, it also looks very cheap, almost like a rushed side project that was meant to provide practical experience and boost the confidence of several actors who planned to appear in proper studio film. It is sad, but most definitely true.

The story of Zombi Holocaust is a mish-mash of tiny ideas that Italian films about zombies and cannibals promoted during the late 1970s and 1980s. (For example, the following four films cover just about all of the material Girolami and writers Fabrizio De Angelis and Romano Scandariato produced: Nightmare City, Anthropophagous, Cannibal Holocaust, and Eaten Alive). In a hospital in New York, a deranged person begins stealing body parts from corpses that are used for educational and research purposes. Soon after, Dr. Peter Chandler (Ian McCulloch) and reporter Lori Ridgeway (Alexandra Delli Colli) discover a trail that leads them to a remote island where a maniac who has convinced himself that he is God has established a most unusual working relationship with the members of a primitive tribe that practice cannibalism.

Zombi Holocaust very quickly reveals that it plans to impress only with its graphic visuals. Unfortunately, these graphic visuals are quite poorly shot and edited and never manage to produce the type of atmosphere that materializes in similarly themed gems like Zombie a.k.a. Zombie Flesh Eaters. Needless to say, reaching its final credits very much feels like an endurance test.

Nico Fidenco’s electronic score is very good but not right for Zombi Holocaust. It should have been used in a much stronger genre film, which could have been a post-apocalyptic thriller or a giallo as well.

*This writer does not promote a reset that would bring film aficionados and collectors back to the VHS era. However, some Italian genre films that are as graphic and cheaply made as Zombi Holocaust unquestionably looked more attractive during the VHS era. Or at least they were far more successful in fooling many people that they were better films.

**The restored in 4K version of Zombi Holocaust is approximately 90 minutes long (1:29.08). It can be seen with original English and Italian lossless audio tracks. Only the latter has optional English subtitles.

Zombi Holocaust 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

88 Films' release of Zombi Holocaust is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray is Region-Free. The Blu-ray is Region-B "locked".

Please note that some of the screencaptures that appear with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc, including the actual color values of this content.

Screencaptures #1-34 are from Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #37-40 are from 4K Blu-ray.

Zombi Holocaust has been recently restored in 4K and can be viewed with HDR/Dolby Vision. I viewed the entire native 4K presentation with HDR and then sampled various areas of the 1080p presentation, which is also offered on a separate Blu-ray release.

This film undoubtedly looks the best it ever has. Certain areas of it look so striking now that this becomes quite obvious in native 4K and 1080p. However, because the film was shot with a very modest budget, you should expect to see plenty of fluctuations in terms of density and clarity. Depth does fluctuate as well, but I think that the unevenness is easier to see as a byproduct of particular lensing choices, which is precisely what it is. Unsurprisingly, in some areas, grain exposure could be quite loose. Generally speaking, daytime and nighttime footage looks equally pleasing. However, in some areas, darker nuances are better exposed than they are in other areas. I did not encounter any traces of problematic digital corrections. Image stability is good. Color balance is stable, and I think that in most areas it is very good. However, in some areas yellow and green become a tad too strong, and it begins to look like the latter makes it difficult for blues to establish a presence. I suspect that this will not be an issue for most viewers. The HDR grade helps in a few areas, especially in during the New York footage, but it does not strengthen the overall balance. I did not see any large cuts, debris, marks, blemishes, warped or torn frames to report in our review.

Zombi Holocaust 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the Italian track.

I viewed the entire film with the English track, which features plenty of overdubbing. As it is almost always the case with these types of tracks, there is unevenness and some flatness. Dynamic intensity is very modest and the surprisingly nice soundtrack does not produce any memorable contrasts. Clarity is good. I did notice some extremely light background hiss trying to sneak in, but you should not worry about it because it never becomes distracting.

Zombi Holocaust 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - this audio commentary was recorded by critics David Flint and Adrian Smith. The commentators spend plenty of time discussing the stylistic identity of Zombi Holocaust, whether it is an authentic sequel to another famous genre film, New York City as the preferred destination for various Italian cult films, the film's distribution history in Europe and America, etc. I must mention that I had to turn up the volume of my system quite a bit so that I could hear everything that was being said.

• Trailer -a remastered vintage trailer for Zombi Holocaust. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - this audio commentary was recorded by critics David Flint and Adrian Smith. The commentators spend plenty of time discussing the stylistic identity of Zombi Holocaust, whether it is an authentic sequel to another famous genre film, New York City as the preferred destination for various Italian cult films, the film's distribution history in Europe and America, etc. I must mention that I had to turn up the volume of my system quite a bit so that I could hear everything that was being said.

• Trailer -a remastered vintage trailer for Zombi Holocaust. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• "Girolami Holocaust" - in this program, editor Alberto Moriani discusses his background and personal and professional relationship with Marino Girolami. Enzo G. Castellari, son of Girolami, also discusses his father's desire to invent new genres and working methods. Also, there are some interesting comments about Lucio Fulci and his status as the king of zombie films. The program was produced by Eugenio Ercolani. In Italian, with English subtitles. (20 min).

• "Our Life, Our Music" - in this program, composer Giacomo Dell'Orso discusses his career in the Italian film industry and relationship with Nico Fidenco, who is credited for creating the soundtrack for Zombi Holocaust. Singer Edda Dell'Orso, who contributed to many of Ennio Morricone's classic soundtracks, participates in the program as well. The program was produced by Eugenio Ercolani. In Italian, with English subtitles. (43 min).

• "To Die and Rise in Rome" - in this program, Marcello Avellone, director of Specters and Maya, explains what the presence of death is essential in a legit horror film. Mr. Avellone also discusses his professional relationship with Ricardo Freda and the few genre films they made together. The program was produced by Eugenio Ercolani. In Italian, with English subtitles. (16 min).

• "Eaten Alive: The Rise and Fall of the Italian Cannibal Film" - this program examines the emergence of the Italian cannibal film, the qualities that define it, and its evolution. Included in it are clips from interviews with screenwriter Antonio Tentori, author Shelagh Rowan-Legg, author and critic John Martin, and director Umberto Lenzi, among others. In Italian and English, with English subtitles where necessary. (86 min).

• Q&A With Ian McCulloch - in this filmed Q&A session, actor Ian McCulloch discusses his background and involvement with various genre films over the years. The session was filmed at the Manchester Festival of Fantastic Films in 2009. In English, not subtitled. (51 min).

• Restoration Reel - this short featurette provides several before-and-after comparisons highlighting the work that was done during the recent 4K restoration of Zombi Holocaust. With music. (4 min).

• Poster - an A3 fold-out poster with artwork by Devon Whitehead and original Italian poster artwork.

• Booklet - an illustrated booklet featuring new writing on Zombi Holocaust by Martin Beine and Rachael Nisbet, as well as technical credits.

Zombi Holocaust 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Zombies and cannibals cannot be on the same team, or can they? If Lucio Fulci was coaching them, perhaps they could have made a good team and appeared in a nice genre film. Zombi Holocaust borrows from a lot of familiar places, but it is quite the endurance test. It has a wonderful soundtrack that could have been very effective in another Italian genre film, but this was not enough for me to enjoy it. This 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack introduces a brand new 4K restoration of the film with an outstanding selection of bonus features. RECOMMENDED only to the fans.