31 Days of Halloween: Day 2

Zombi 2 (1979) Director: Lucio Fulci

Zombi 2, AKA Zombie, AKA Zombie Flesh Eaters, AKA Woodoo, is, as three out of the four titles suggest, a zombie movie.  It was originally released as Zombi 2 even though it is not actually a sequel to any film.  George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead was released in Europe under the title "Zombi" around the time of this film's production.  So to cash in on the success of Romero's film, the producers marketed Fulci's zombie flick as a sequel, even though they have nothing in common aside from both having the dead rising from the grave.

Lucio Fulci is infamous for the high level of gore and violence in his films.  He is known as the "Godfather of Gore," a title shared by splatter film director, Herschell Gordon Lewis.  (Lewis may be best known today for his film, The Wizard of Gore [1970], being featured in Juno [2007])  Zombi 2 is one of Fulci's most well known pictures, carrying his signature level of gore.  Blu-ray.com's review of Zombi 2 opens by stating it 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.

Essentially, there are two things this movie is known for; the blood and guts, and the fact that there is a scene where a zombie fights a shark.

If you Google Image Zombi 2, the first suggestion is Shark

However, by today's standards Zombi 2 is actually somewhat tame.  This isn't to say it doesn't have it's fair share of gore, but I think most modern viewers likely won't be too affected by it, especially those who watch horror films regularly.

The film begins with a seemingly abandoned boat appearing off the coast of New York City.  Two cops investigate the boat and find a zombie chilling on board.  The daughter of the man who owns the boat is looking for answers, and a pretty ugly British reporter in the city joins her to investigate where her father disappeared to.  This leads them to the island of of Matool, where there are a bunch of zombies.  Commence slaughter of people.

Looks like she has strip throat...

Zombi 2 is a fun and entertaining film, but certainly lacks impact.  The plot is simple both in its structure and thematic nuance, which works to its favor by getting straight to the zombie action, but don't expect anything more than that.  This isn't Fellini, now.  The gore effects, in general, are solid and effective, but there are two instances when it looks really fake and takes the viewer out of the moment.  During the infamous eye scene it becomes quite clear that the woman's head isn't real, and in the scene the above still is taken from, the fake and real skin of noticeably different tones.  The zombie makeup is what stood out the most for me.  Most of them believably look like they were once dead and have been buried for years.  Their skin is worn, worms eat away at them, and they're flesh and limbs are fragile.  The carnage is certainly satisfying to the point where I was never bored while watching the film.

In case you were wondering, this eye scene.

The dubbing is pretty bad all around, but it is at a level where it is so bad it's good, so the entertainment value is never lost.  The best example comes from a black New Yorker early in the film, whose voice makes Cleveland from Family Guy seem politically correct.  There is also some moments of gratuitous nudity, which is nice for those who keep the pause button close at hand while watching these sorts of films.

Overall the film is good, but certainly not great.  It's not in the same league as Romero's Dead Trilogy, or some of the other popular zombie films.  However, it is without question worth checking out if you are a fan of the genre, or gore films in general.