Zombi 2
Encyclopedia
Zombi 2 is a 1979
zombie horror film
directed by Lucio Fulci
. It is the best-known of Fulci's films and made him a horror icon. Though the title suggests this is a sequel to Zombi (the Italian title of George A. Romero
's Dawn of the Dead), the films are unrelated. When the film was released in 1979 it was scorned for its extremely bloody content, notably by the UK's Conservative
government.
Anne Bowles (Tisa Farrow
) is questioned by the police, since the boat belonged to her father (Ugo Bologna). She only knows that her father left for a tropical island to do research. Reporter Peter West (Ian McCulloch
) is assigned by his news editor (director Lucio Fulci in a cameo) to report on the mysterious boat. Anne and Peter meet on the boat and discover a note from Anne's father saying he is on the island of Matool (Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
) suffering from a strange disease. Anne and Peter decide to investigate together. They arrive in the tropics and enlist the aid of a seafaring couple, Brian Hull ('Al Cliver' aka Pier Luigi Conti) and Susan Barrett (Auretta Gay), to help find the island.
Matool is a cursed place where the dead rise to attack the living. Dr. David Menard (Richard Johnson
), a resident on the island and physician at the local mission
, is investigating its secrets. His contemptuous, highly-strung wife Paola (Olga Karlatos) wants to leave the island in fear of the increasing zombie attacks, but Menard insists on staying to continue his research.
Anne, Peter, Brian, and Susan reach Matool. As they investigate, the zombies attack en masse, killing most of the mission's occupants. Susan is later killed and returns as a zombie, infecting Brian. Peter and Anne escape by boat, taking the reanimated Brian with them as evidence. On reaching the open ocean, however, they receive a radio report that a plague of zombies has attacked New York City.
Despite the massive popularity of the film, Zombi 2 was banned in several countries, including Great Britain
, due to the massive gore content. It was released by Vipco but with a lot of violence edited out. It was finally released uncut in 2005. Lead actor Ian McCulloch, who is British, never actually had the opportunity to watch the full film until he recorded a commentary for the Roan Group's laserdisc
release of Zombi 2 in 1998, and was shocked at the gore level.
Zombi 2s massive European box office take also paved the way for three more sequels, which, like their predecessor, have no relation to any of the other films in the series — they all have self-contained plots. While the Zombi series proved to be incredibly lucrative, Zombi 2 is by far the most recognizable of the European zombie films.
The film was released in Italy, as an action/adventure thriller with no link to George A. Romero's films. The opening and closing scenes (which take place in New York) were added to the script later when the producers wanted to cash-in on the success of Dawn of the Dead.
The infamous shark vs. zombie scene was filmed in a large salt water tank and the shark was fed horse meat and sedatives before filming.
canon. The theatrical trailers for Zombie provided the memorable tagline of "We Are Going to Eat You!" and showcased some of the make-up effects, but did nothing to indicate the plot of the picture (although the audience was indeed warned about the graphic content of the film: a humorous crawl at the end of the preview promises "barf bags" to whoever requested them upon viewing the film).
Released theatrically to U.S. theaters and drive-in theaters in the summer of 1980 from distributor The Jerry Gross Originazation (no longer in existence today) with the tagline: "When the earth spits out the dead, they will rise to tear the flesh of the living!"
after its release on home video, although a series of public domain releases featured a muddy full screen
transfer of the film that angered hardcore fans. In the late 1990s, the film was released on VHS/DVD and laserdisc by Anchor Bay
and The Roan Group respectively. Both versions used a widescreen film print, to the delight of fans. But more complaints were made about the transfer, which was still dark and muddy as with the film's original VHS release. The VHS/DVD/Laserdisc version also omitted several shots of nudity from the film and other miscellaneous bits because of print damage.
Five years later, Blue Underground
and Media Blasters, the latter of which used their Shriek Show horror banner, struck a deal to release the film on DVD yet again, this time with a newly remastered, uncut version of the film from the original negative. Now truly complete and no longer muddy looking, the two DVDs were released with Media Blasters using the film's original name Zombi 2 while Blue Underground released the film under the Americanized Zombie name. The Media Blasters release also contained a second disc filled with bonus material. The Media Blasters and Blue Underground releases differ slightly in their video. The Blue Underground version is encoded for progressive scan while the MB release is not.
Also worth noting are the differences between the 2004 Media Blasters and Blue Underground releases and the 1998 Anchor Bay disc, which often get confused. While Anchor Bay has a history of showing a great deal of respect for the preservation of purity in original director approved and uncut film releases, the 1998 Anchor Bay release of 'Zombi 2' inexplicably has a few seconds of footage omitted which can be found still intact in the 2004 Blue Underground and Media Blasters release. Both feature comparable digitally remastered, anamorphic 16:9 transfers, Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtracks as well as bonus materials.
The film was released by Blue Underground on Blu-ray (as well as a new DVD edition) on 25th October in 2011 with a new 2K transfer.
The other films in the Zombi series made it to America as video releases—none were released theatrically in the States, or had any real connection with this entry other than Zombies.
It was passed with nearly 2 minutes of cuts for Cinema Exhibition.
It was later released in the same "X" version on Video. Some time later the distributor decided to release a "Strong Uncut Version" on video, which caused it to be placed on the D.P.P.'s list of "Video Nasties
."
It was later released in its cut form in the early '90s. The video's sleeve notes were misleading and described the film as uncut.
It was re-submitted in 1999, and an "Extreme version" was passed, with only minimal cuts to the eye gouge scene, and the Zombie Feast Scene. Apparently, the BBFC did not have a problem passing the movie uncut, but as it was still classed as prosecuted for obscenity, they could not by law. In 2005 it was finally passed uncut, and released as a box set with a few other of the Video Nasties.
1979 in film
The year 1979 in film involved some significant events.- Major events :* March 5 - Production begins on Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.* May 25 - Alien, a landmark of the science fiction genre, is released....
zombie horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
directed by Lucio Fulci
Lucio Fulci
Lucio Fulci was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is perhaps best known for his directorial work on gore films, including Zombie and The Beyond , although he made films in genres as diverse as giallo, western, and comedy...
. It is the best-known of Fulci's films and made him a horror icon. Though the title suggests this is a sequel to Zombi (the Italian title of George A. Romero
George A. Romero
George Andrew Romero is a Canadian-American film director, screenwriter and editor, best known for his gruesome and satirical horror films about a hypothetical zombie apocalypse. He is nicknamed "Godfather of all Zombies." -Life and career:...
's Dawn of the Dead), the films are unrelated. When the film was released in 1979 it was scorned for its extremely bloody content, notably by the UK's Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
government.
Plot
An apparently abandoned yacht drifts into New York Harbor. When the Harbor Patrol investigates, a huge decomposing man kills one of the officers. The remaining officer shoots the hulking man, a zombie, who topples into the sea. The body of the deceased officer is deposited in the morgue.Anne Bowles (Tisa Farrow
Tisa Farrow
Theresa Magdalena 'Tisa' Farrow is an American actress and nurse.-Early life:Farrow, one of seven children, was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Irish-born actress Maureen O'Sullivan and Australian-born film director John Farrow. She was raised Roman Catholic...
) is questioned by the police, since the boat belonged to her father (Ugo Bologna). She only knows that her father left for a tropical island to do research. Reporter Peter West (Ian McCulloch
Ian McCulloch (actor)
Ian McCulloch is a Scottish actor.He is best known for his role as Greg Preston in Survivors. Though he debuted in the second episode, "Genesis", Greg would become the male lead for the first series, and got to show off his singing and guitar playing in several episodes...
) is assigned by his news editor (director Lucio Fulci in a cameo) to report on the mysterious boat. Anne and Peter meet on the boat and discover a note from Anne's father saying he is on the island of Matool (Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint Thomas is an island in the Caribbean Sea and with the islands of Saint John, Saint Croix, and Water Island a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. Located on the island is the territorial capital and port of...
) suffering from a strange disease. Anne and Peter decide to investigate together. They arrive in the tropics and enlist the aid of a seafaring couple, Brian Hull ('Al Cliver' aka Pier Luigi Conti) and Susan Barrett (Auretta Gay), to help find the island.
Matool is a cursed place where the dead rise to attack the living. Dr. David Menard (Richard Johnson
Richard Johnson (actor)
Richard Johnson is an English actor, writer and producer, who starred in several British films of the 1960s and has also had a distinguished stage career. He most recently appeared in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.-Life and career:...
), a resident on the island and physician at the local mission
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
, is investigating its secrets. His contemptuous, highly-strung wife Paola (Olga Karlatos) wants to leave the island in fear of the increasing zombie attacks, but Menard insists on staying to continue his research.
Anne, Peter, Brian, and Susan reach Matool. As they investigate, the zombies attack en masse, killing most of the mission's occupants. Susan is later killed and returns as a zombie, infecting Brian. Peter and Anne escape by boat, taking the reanimated Brian with them as evidence. On reaching the open ocean, however, they receive a radio report that a plague of zombies has attacked New York City.
Europe
Zombi 2s incredible success in Europe re-ignited Fulci's sagging career and reinvented the director as a horror icon. Fulci would go on to direct several more horror films, and Zombi 2 introduced several of his trademarks: hordes of shambling putrefied zombies, hyper-realistic gore and blood, and the infamous "eyeball gag" (a character is impaled or otherwise stabbed through the eyeball). There is some controversy about when the Zombi 2 screenplay was written, and if it lifted dialogue from Dawn of the Dead.Despite the massive popularity of the film, Zombi 2 was banned in several countries, including Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, due to the massive gore content. It was released by Vipco but with a lot of violence edited out. It was finally released uncut in 2005. Lead actor Ian McCulloch, who is British, never actually had the opportunity to watch the full film until he recorded a commentary for the Roan Group's laserdisc
Laserdisc
LaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
release of Zombi 2 in 1998, and was shocked at the gore level.
Zombi 2s massive European box office take also paved the way for three more sequels, which, like their predecessor, have no relation to any of the other films in the series — they all have self-contained plots. While the Zombi series proved to be incredibly lucrative, Zombi 2 is by far the most recognizable of the European zombie films.
The film was released in Italy, as an action/adventure thriller with no link to George A. Romero's films. The opening and closing scenes (which take place in New York) were added to the script later when the producers wanted to cash-in on the success of Dawn of the Dead.
The infamous shark vs. zombie scene was filmed in a large salt water tank and the shark was fed horse meat and sedatives before filming.
United States
Zombi 2 was released merely as Zombie in America and was considered a stand-alone film with no connection to Romero's zombieLiving Dead
Living Dead is a blanket term for various films, series, and other forms of media that all originated from, and includes, the seminal 1968 horror film Night of the Living Dead conceived by George A. Romero and John A. Russo...
canon. The theatrical trailers for Zombie provided the memorable tagline of "We Are Going to Eat You!" and showcased some of the make-up effects, but did nothing to indicate the plot of the picture (although the audience was indeed warned about the graphic content of the film: a humorous crawl at the end of the preview promises "barf bags" to whoever requested them upon viewing the film).
Released theatrically to U.S. theaters and drive-in theaters in the summer of 1980 from distributor The Jerry Gross Originazation (no longer in existence today) with the tagline: "When the earth spits out the dead, they will rise to tear the flesh of the living!"
Home video release history
The film developed a massive cult followingCult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
after its release on home video, although a series of public domain releases featured a muddy full screen
Full screen
A fullscreen image or video occupies the screen entirely.* A video display having an aspect ratio of 4:3 * In film, the use of pan and scan, image cropping, or windowboxing to fit widescreen content into a display with aspect ratio of 4:3...
transfer of the film that angered hardcore fans. In the late 1990s, the film was released on VHS/DVD and laserdisc by Anchor Bay
Anchor Bay
Anchor Bay may refer to:* Anchor Bay, California, a small coastal community in northern California* Anchor Bay, is a bay in Malta, also known as Prajjiet or Popeye Village Bay* Anchor Bay Entertainment, a home video company...
and The Roan Group respectively. Both versions used a widescreen film print, to the delight of fans. But more complaints were made about the transfer, which was still dark and muddy as with the film's original VHS release. The VHS/DVD/Laserdisc version also omitted several shots of nudity from the film and other miscellaneous bits because of print damage.
Five years later, Blue Underground
Blue Underground
Blue Underground is an American company specializing in releasing authoritative editions of cult and exploitation movies on Blu-ray Disc and DVD....
and Media Blasters, the latter of which used their Shriek Show horror banner, struck a deal to release the film on DVD yet again, this time with a newly remastered, uncut version of the film from the original negative. Now truly complete and no longer muddy looking, the two DVDs were released with Media Blasters using the film's original name Zombi 2 while Blue Underground released the film under the Americanized Zombie name. The Media Blasters release also contained a second disc filled with bonus material. The Media Blasters and Blue Underground releases differ slightly in their video. The Blue Underground version is encoded for progressive scan while the MB release is not.
Also worth noting are the differences between the 2004 Media Blasters and Blue Underground releases and the 1998 Anchor Bay disc, which often get confused. While Anchor Bay has a history of showing a great deal of respect for the preservation of purity in original director approved and uncut film releases, the 1998 Anchor Bay release of 'Zombi 2' inexplicably has a few seconds of footage omitted which can be found still intact in the 2004 Blue Underground and Media Blasters release. Both feature comparable digitally remastered, anamorphic 16:9 transfers, Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtracks as well as bonus materials.
The film was released by Blue Underground on Blu-ray (as well as a new DVD edition) on 25th October in 2011 with a new 2K transfer.
The other films in the Zombi series made it to America as video releases—none were released theatrically in the States, or had any real connection with this entry other than Zombies.
Video Nasty
Zombi 2 was released in the UK in the early 1980s as "Zombie Flesh Eaters"It was passed with nearly 2 minutes of cuts for Cinema Exhibition.
It was later released in the same "X" version on Video. Some time later the distributor decided to release a "Strong Uncut Version" on video, which caused it to be placed on the D.P.P.'s list of "Video Nasties
Video nasty
"Video nasty" was a colloquial term coined in the United Kingdom by 1982 which originally applied to a number of films distributed on video cassette that were criticized for their violent content by the press, commentators such as Mary Whitehouse and various religious organizations.While violence...
."
It was later released in its cut form in the early '90s. The video's sleeve notes were misleading and described the film as uncut.
It was re-submitted in 1999, and an "Extreme version" was passed, with only minimal cuts to the eye gouge scene, and the Zombie Feast Scene. Apparently, the BBFC did not have a problem passing the movie uncut, but as it was still classed as prosecuted for obscenity, they could not by law. In 2005 it was finally passed uncut, and released as a box set with a few other of the Video Nasties.
Legacy
- The East BayEast Bay-Places:In Canada:*East Bay, Nova Scotia, a small town in Cape Breton County, Nova Scotia*East Bay , the east arm of the Bras d'Or Lake located in Cape Breton County, Nova Scotia on Cape Breton IslandIn the United States:...
band Faith No MoreFaith No MoreFaith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed originally as Faith No Man in 1981 by bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist Wade Worthington, vocalist Michael Morris and drummer Mike Bordin. A year later when Worthington was replaced by keyboardist Roddy Bottum, and Mike...
's third album, The Real ThingThe Real Thing (Faith No More album)The Real Thing is the third studio album by the American rock band Faith No More. It was first released through Slash Records on June 20, 1989. It was the first release by the band not to feature vocalist Chuck Mosley, instead the album featured Mike Patton from the experimental band Mr. Bungle...
, features a song titled "Zombie Eaters." Although the lyrics do not reference the film explicitly, singer and lyricist Mike PattonMike PattonMichael Allan "Mike" Patton is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and actor, best known as the lead singer of the metal/experimental rock band Faith No More. He has also sung for Mr...
is known to be a fan of Italian horror films 1, and even titled a song on his debut solo album, Adult Themes for VoiceAdult Themes for VoiceAdult Themes for Voice is an album recorded by Mike Patton in hotel rooms during a Faith No More tour. It consists of vocal noises by Patton himself. The 34 tracks aren't considered singing in any conventional sense, as they consist mainly of Patton shouting, screaming, clapping, squeaking and...
, after another Lucio Fulci film. - Heavy MetalHeavy metal musicHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band White ZombieWhite ZombieWhite Zombie was a Grammy Award-nominated American heavy metal band. Based in New York City, White Zombie was originally a noise rock band. White Zombie are better-known for their later heavy metal-oriented sound...
make reference to the eye-gouging scene in their 1995 album "Astro Creep: 2000 – Songs of Love, Destruction and Other Synthetic Delusions of the Electric HeadAstro Creep: 2000 – Songs of Love, Destruction and Other Synthetic Delusions of the Electric Head-Band members:*John Tempesta – Drums*J. – Guitar*Sean Yseult – Bass, Art Direction*Rob Zombie – Vocals, Art Direction, Illustrations-Technical crew:*Charlie Clouser – Programming, Keyboards*Terry Date – Producer, Mixing...
" on the fifth track "Electric Head, Pt. 2 (The Ecstasy)" Rob ZombieRob ZombieRob Zombie is an American musician, film director, screenwriter and film producer. He founded the heavy metal band White Zombie and has been nominated three times as a solo artist for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.Zombie has also established a career as a film director, creating the...
's lyric being "a fistful of hair and a splinter in the mind." - The Canadian band Fake Shark - Real Zombie!Fake Shark - Real Zombie!Fake Shark – Real Zombie! is a Canadian dance punk band. Formed in 2005, their musical style combines elements of IDM and post-hardcore. The name is a reference to Lucio Fulci's film Zombi 2, where a real shark and a zombie engage in combat.-History:...
took their name as a reference from a scene in this movie. - The band Send More ParamedicsSend More ParamedicsSend More Paramedics were a horror film-influenced crossover thrash band from Leeds in the north of England.-Biography:The name is a reference to the 1985 horror/comedy Return of the Living Dead...
have a song called Zombie vs. Shark in homage to this movie. - Hip-hop producer Necro sampled the theme in the song "Carnivores" on the 2005 self-titled album from his group Circle of Tyrants.
- This film was #98 on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments for the scene when a zombie pulls a victim towards a splintered wood shard.
- British comic Jamie HewlettJamie HewlettJamie Christopher Hewlett is an English comic book artist and designer. He is known for being the co-creator of the comic Tank Girl and co-creator of the virtual band Gorillaz.-Biography:...
's animationAnimationAnimation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
company is called Zombie Flesh Eaters. - The New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
band Grasshopper performed a track live on WFMUWFMUWFMU is a listener-supported, independent community radio station headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States, broadcasting at 91.1 MHz FM, presenting a freeform radio format...
titled "Zombie Shark Mangler," referencing the zombie vs shark fight scene. - The shark scene featured in a Windows 7 commercial in 2010, on a fictitious website called "Zombie Companion", where the footage is visible dubbed over with nature documentary-style narration.
- British writerWriterA writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
A. M. EsmondeA. M. EsmondeA. M. Esmonde is a horror writer and producer. The zombie horror was his first work to be published, followed by the vampire horror ]] and popular zombie novel ....
's novelNovelA novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
Dead Pulse product description is stated as a "Lucio FulciLucio FulciLucio Fulci was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is perhaps best known for his directorial work on gore films, including Zombie and The Beyond , although he made films in genres as diverse as giallo, western, and comedy...
inspired horror adventure." - The video game Dead IslandDead IslandDead Island is a first person horror action-adventure video game developed by Techland and published by Deep Silver for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. It is centered on the challenge of survival on a zombie-infested open world island with a major emphasis on melee combat. It was...
has a very similar premise of Zombi 2 in the case of survivors on an island fighting off hordes of the undead. However, unlike Zombi 2, Dead Island has more than one type of zombie. Although, the premise and atmosphere does take inspiration from Zombi 2.
External links
- Zombi 2 @ THE DEUCE: Grindhouse Cinema Database
- Trailer for US release of Zombi II
- Version comparisons: http://www.dvdcompare.net/comparisons/film.php?fid=1