7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.4 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.9 |
Strangers looking for a woman's father arrive at a tropical island where a doctor desperately searches for the cause and cure of a recent epidemic of the undead.
Starring: Tisa Farrow, Ian McCulloch, Richard Johnson (I), Al Cliver, Auretta GayHorror | 100% |
Foreign | 30% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
Italian: Dolby Digital 5.1 EX
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 EX
English: Dolby Digital Mono (Original)
Italian: Dolby Digital Mono
English SDH, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Thai
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
I’m sure there’s a natural explanation.
If anyone is looking for the perfect example of ruthless, unafraid, hardcore Horror cinema, this is it. Zombie is a gore-driven spectacle the likes
of which
are rarely seen even in the Horror genre. The movie has no qualms about allowing the camera to linger on shots of incredible grotesqueness, whether
torn flesh, gushing blood, rotten bodies, or popping eyeballs. It's insanely gory, but it's not exactly frightening. Zombie, or perhaps better
known as Zombi 2, as in the unofficial "sequel" to George Romero's Dawn of the Dead which was called Zombi in other parts of the
world (whew! The titles alone are more complicated than the movie) is arguably Director Lucio Fulci's (The New York Ripper) most cherished work. Not for the squeamish and,
perhaps, not even for some dedicated Horror fans, the movie is an infamous example of style over substance and gore over plot to the point
that the film was banned in parts of the world, a misguided effort which undoubtedly played a role in actually raising its profile and expanding its fan
base rather than minimizing its exposure.
That's gonna hurt.
Zombie sports an even and good-looking transfer from Blue Underground. Of course it's not as pristine and perfect as a new release movie, but the print is clean, the image is stable, and the 1080p resolution brings out colors and fine detail like no home video edition before it. Whether various wood textures around the movie, facial and clothing intricacies, or the fine detailing on decaying bodies and gore, the movie has never looked better, more stable, more ominous and terrifying. Color balance is strong, whether the gaudy red flooring and seating at the airport as seen relatively early in the movie or the pastel shades adorning various period clothes. Blood red is vibrant and satisfying as it sprays, leaks, and cakes on various surfaces, particularly around zombie mouths. Very slight black crush appears to be cause for minor concern, but banding, background blocking, and other negatives are not. Grain is generally light but spiky on occasion. The print is clean, free of any unwanted defects, hairs, or other distracting elements. This is another good quality release from Blue Underground.
Zombie chews into Blu-ray with a DTS-HD MA 7.1 lossless soundtrack. It should come as no surprise that it's not exactly the most satisfying and robust listen ever to pour forth from home theater speakers, but it adequately and admirably gets the job done nevertheless. Range is slightly limited and the back channels don't carry much in terms of musical support, but the movie's score is clear and clean through the entire range. The surround channels don't carry much else, either; light ambience and a few action effects are about all she wrote. Even gusty winds in one scene remain more or less the property of the front speakers. Various gunshots throughout the movie are suitably potent, whether pistol or rifle blasts. Likewise, tribal beats and other native-inspired music lack a real strong low end kick, but the effect is nevertheless adequately robust. Lastly, dialogue is clean and center-based throughout. This is a quality presentation that lacks the muscle of newer tracks, but it's just fine given the nature and age of the material.
Zombie contains supplements on both discs. The meaty parts, aside from the commentary, are all found on disc two. Disc one otherwise
features only a look at a few of the film's promotional materials.
Disc One:
Zombie does everything it can to elicit a reaction. Its insanely ambitious and grotesque violence and its palpably intense and overwhelmingly negative atmosphere both yield a sense of despair, which only enhances the movie a great deal. Unfortunately, there's not much else to it. Zombie is a visceral, superficial experience. It's a great success if "success" is defined by drenching the screen in violence and really showing its audience what a zombie plague might actually look like, but if "success" means having some substance behind the madness, then the movie is not a success. This is the ultimate "take it or leave it" sort of movie, one that will turn on as many viewers as it will turn off. Chances are, most will know whether or not they will like it before they even see it. Blue Underground's Blu-ray release of Zombie features good video and audio presentations to go along with plenty of supplements. Recommended to fans and newcomers who like their movies bloody.
Zombi 2 / Zombie Flesh Eaters
1979
Zombi 2 / Zombie Flesh Eaters / 4K Remaster / Cover A: Bridge
1979
Zombi 2 / Zombie Flesh Eaters / 4K Remaster / Cover C: Worms
1979
Zombi 2 / Zombie Flesh Eaters / 4K Remaster / Cover B: Splinter
1979
Zombi 2 / Zombie Flesh Eaters
1979
Paura nella città dei morti viventi | Standard Edition
1980
Quella villa accanto al cimitero
1981
E tu vivrai nel terrore - L'aldilà | Glow in the Dark Cover | Limited Edition to 3000
1981
Zombi Holocaust / Doctor Butcher M.D.
1980
Standard Edition
1985
Un gatto nel cervello | Glow in the Dark Cover & Mini Portrait of Lucio Fulci Limited Edition to 3000
1990
Dèmoni 2... l'incubo ritorna | Standard Edition
1986
Alien Contamination | Limited Edition Slipcase to 1000
1980
1980
1981
Non si sevizia un paperino
1972
Le notti del terrore
1981
1968
Also Includes = I Eat Your Skin and Blue Sextet
1970
Buio Omega
1979
Lo squartatore di New York
1982
1980
Let Sleeping Corpses Lie / Non si deve profanare il sonno dei morti
1974
Limited Edition of 3000 | Zombi 4 | Oltre la morte
1989
1980