Zombie Holocaust (1982)

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

Blistering performances.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Variously known as both Zombie 2 *and* Zombie 3(!) , film begins by going from hand-hacking to autopsy footage, to pompous philosophising about "are we really any better than savages?" to more cannibals than zombies in the first few minutes of this one. Oh yes, we're watching another low budget '70s grindhouse/ cannibal/ mad doctor/ zombie flick, one of the better of its kind, actually.Body parts are being stolen from a local med school by men with a similar tattoo, a tattoo which leads investigators to Kito, Tonga, a small island chain in the south Pacific. After travelling there and hiring a boat and men, they realise their guide is scared and tries to take them to the wrong island, to avoid zombie cannibals on Kito. Film has several lulls in action early on, until about 45 minutes into the film, when eyes are gouged out and people have their insides ripped out in one of the goriest scenes in recent memory. Scenes and ideas (as well as actual footage itself) are ripped off from various other films, all piled up into a stitched-together cannibal flick masquerading as a zombie movie, with Alexandra Delli Colli Titti Fulli nude throughout the rivetingly familiar looking climax. There is something to be said of the American re-edited release of the film, amusing retitled Doctor Butcher, M.D., with its surreal (and completely irrelevant) opening insert of zombies rising from the ground, its goofball synth score, and the addition of a couple of scenes probably filmed just to pad out the film's running time in the US. But the European release has a better music score, and is more of a horror flick, and the US version is more of a cheeseball, "so bad it's good" ordeal, using footage from an unfinished New York-lensed flick to further extend the running time.And remember: "We really have nothing to worry about as long as we stay alive"

A common occurrence with film titles, particularly in the international horror genre, is that many territories have different names - this film is on our grindhouse project list as Doctor Butcher M.D., but is also (exhaustively) known as: Island of the Last Zombie; Medical Deviate; Queen of the Cannibals; and even Zombie 3. The version of this film had the original Italian title. And boy is it a standard, generic cannibal/zombie film. After a series of strange mutilations and amputations in hospitals, a team make an expedition to the East Indies, in search of the answers to the strange ritualistic symbol left at each "murder".The film is essentially two previous Italian schlock movies, Slave of the Cannibal God (1976) and Zombie Flesh Eaters (1979), combined. The team encounter what turns out to be a "crazy" doctor who has been experimenting on the dead local cannibals, manipulating them to his power. It's not a particularly memorable inclusion into a very crowded market. There are some effective gore sequences, but it doesn't at all save a very tired, predictable, and often clumsy narrative. There is one piece of dialogue that amused me, that occurred towards the beginning of the film, after a hand has been severed and stolen from a body used for medical education. A conversation between two medical students goes as follows: Student 1: "I bet it was you who chopped that hand off". Student 2: "Why would you say that?" Student 1: "Well, didn't you say you needed a hand to help you study?"www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com

Shambling hot on the decaying heels of Lucio Fulci's seminal "Zombie Flesh Eaters" came "Zombie Holocaust", featuring the same lead actor, the same filming locations, and same of the same behind the scenes crew.Known in its US release as "Dr. Butcher, Medical Deviate", this is a film that truly throws everything at the wall and sees what sticks. After an opening sequence featuring some nicely gruesome corpse eviscerations in a New York hospital, Ian McCulloch of "Flesh Eaters" and TV's "Survivors" fame teams up with lovely looking, wooden acting and seemingly clothes allergic doctor Alexandra Delli Colli (of Signor Fulci's "The New York Ripper") to investigate. After a bizarre scene in which a cannibalistic hospital employee is caught quite literally "red handed" eating a patient's guts - whereupon he flings himself out of the window and plummets to his doom - Ian and Alexandra decide to take their investigation to the "Molacca" islands in Indonesia, home of a cannibalistic cult.Upon arrival, we are plunged into all kinds of fun and frolics involving a mad doctor experimenting on the local cannibals to create a zombie slave race that numbers about four. Much enjoyment ensues from various disembowellings, eye gougings and general dismemberment. Our rugged hero Ian mashes a zombie's face using the outboard motor from a boat, the lovely Ms. Della Colli disrobes to show off her impressive body at regular intervals, and many racial stereotype native guides get gotten by the cannibals and zombies. One of said guides even seems to yell "Macarena, he went to de boat, he deed not come back" at one point. I watched that bit about five times til i almost blacked out from laughing.I am still baffled by the ending, however: Lori (Della Colli) is captured by the cannibals, who strip her (wahey!), paint her with flowery tattoos, and prepare to sacrifice her on an altar. Then, for no apparent reason at all, the cannibal chief changes his mind, does a little dance, and the next thing we know the cannibals accompany Lori and help her save Ian and battle the zombies. Why?!? It seems like there's whole scenes missing here, but i'm certain my copy is uncut. Maybe the cannibal chief was just a nice guy, and was just mucking around with all that sacrifice stuff. Answers on a postcard, please.

One thing I always point out about these Cannibal flicks is that, besides the disturbing subject matter and ferocious gore, these films are also usually have really interesting, dare I say fascinating stories. That's right. Quality B-movies do exist, after all. However, Zombi Holocaust is not one of them. It looks like your stuck with just the gore. I think it'll be fine. I mean, just because this one doesn't hold up against the almighty Cannibal Ferox and Cannibal Holocaust, doesn't necessarily mean it's not worth your time. And really. Who wouldn't want a film called Zombi Holocaust in their Horror collection? Not I.Besides what I've already told you, the one thing you might want to consider, going in to this film, is that it's a Zombie movie. I suppose you already had that figured out. But still, Zombi Holocaust does include cannibals, as well as a jungle. Best of both worlds? More like a touch of both worlds. Nothing groundbreaking from either side of the fence. And on top of all that, Zombi Holocaust is also a mad scientist flick. We start out at a hospital, where corpses are being mutilated. Eventually, a cannibal is caught in the act. I guess it was shame that drove the poor guy to unconvincingly jumping out the window. Obviously, tomfoolery like this is not something you'd want going on at your local hospital. Curiosity gets the best of Ian McCullough and some hot chick. For some reason, this hospital mystery lies somewhere in the Carribbean. A mad doctor is slowly turning a tribe of cannibals into zombies. Zombies who don't really do much of anything, as the cannibals are the only ones willing to start trouble. Whatever. It's a movie. So, this guy must be stopped, right? And in case you're wondering, all that doesn't turn out nearly as entertaining as it sounds. Ultimately, if you're a fan of such classics as Burial Ground and Jungle Holocaust, I see no reason why you shouldn't get a kick out of Zombi Holocaust, at least out of sheer principle. Well, unless you're not too big on stupid movies with ridiculous dialogue, and awful acting. In that case, you may want to stay clear of this one. 7/10