Phil’s Horror Watch: ZOMBIE (1979) from Blue Underground - February 7, 2019

ZOMBIE Limited Edition "Bridge" Slipcover Blu-Ray

ZOMBIE (aka ZOMBI 2) (1979)
Starring Tisa Farrow, Ian McCulloch, Richard Johnson, Al Cliver, Auretta Gay, Stefania D'Amario, Olga Karlatos
Written by Elisa Briganti, Dardano Sacchetti (uncredited)
Cinematography by Sergio Salvati
Edited by Vincenzo Tomassi
Produced by Fabrizio De Angelis, Ugo Tucci, Gianfranco Couyoumdjian
Directed by Lucio Fulci
Originally released by The Jerry Gross Organization (USA), Variety Film (Italy)
Released by Blue Unnderground

For today's installment of Phil's Horror Watch, I visited the land of Italy, home to some of the most intense, gruesome, gory, and celebrated horror films of all time! What made me want to visit this far and away land? I have two words for you: Lucio Fulcio! You see, late last year Blue Underground re-released one of his greatest films of all time, in a brand new, 3-Disc, 4K restoration! And, it came with not one, not two, but three different lenticular slipcovers! Granted, the film itself is enough to make any horror hound happy! If you don't believe me, then you have never seen the film ZOMBIE, especially in high definition!!

The film's official synopsis: In Italy, it was considered the ‘unofficial sequel’ to DAWN OF THE DEAD. In England, it was known as ZOMBIE FLESH EATERS and banned as obscene. In America, it was called ZOMBIE and advertised with the depraved tag line “WE ARE GOING TO EAT YOU!” Tisa Farrow (THE GRIM REAPER), Ian McCulloch (CONTAMINATION), Al Cliver (CANNIBALS), and Richard Johnson (THE HAUNTING) star in this worldwide splatter sensation directed by ‘Maestro Of Gore’ Lucio Fulci (CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD, THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY) that remains one of the most eye-skewering, skin-ripping, gore-gushingly graphic horror hits of all time!

Original Theatrical Poster (1980)

Sounds like a very intriguing film indeed, but the backstory of the film is even more fascinating. In 1977, American filmmaker George Romero teamed up with Italian filmmaker Dario Argento, who would help with the financing to make DAWN OF THE DEAD. In exchange Argento would distribute the film in Europe, where it was retitled as ZOMBI. Director Fulci decided to capitalize on the film's success by making his own gore-infested, living dead film. Thanks to a legal loophole, Fulci was able to slap a sequel number to his film, allowing moviegoers to think that his film was an actual follow up to Romero's film. Unbelievably true, but in the end Fulci's ZOMBI 2 did phenomenal at the European boxoffice. When the film was imported to America, it was retitled ZOMBIE, as to not confuse American audiences.

The film itself is highly regarded as Fulci's best film ever, and a welcomed entry to the annals of horror. The special effects by F/X wizard Gianetto de Rossi are very impressive, and they still hold up to this very day. When Auretta Gay has her throat torn out is just gore-tastic. The scene when Olga Karlatos' eye is shoved into a large piece wood splinter is just so gruesome and painful to watch that I dare you to not look away. And of course, the film's most famous scene is when a zombie attacks and eats a shark. Yes my friends, that is a REAL person fighting a REAL shark! There is no CGI in this film people! Real sharks, real special effects, and real gore drenched the screen as it has never before. The Italians very much celebrated gore and violence, and in the process, made it into an art form that has influenced several big name horror directors. From Sam Raimi and Sean Cunningham to Eli Roth and James Wan, the Italian horror films from the late 70's to the mid 80's had a huge impact here in America. The film was released in Italy on August 25, 1979. It was imported and released to theaters here in America on July 18, 1980.

The movie has been released for the home video market in several different formats over the years by several distributors. In the 1980's and early 1990's, it was distributed by video companies like Wizard Video, Magnum Entertainment, and T-Z Video here in the states, while in the UK, it was part of the "Video Nasties" and was banned their for a time. By the late 90's, companies like Anchor Bay Entertainment, Shriek Show, and Blu Underground had released the film on DVD and Blu-Ray. In 2011, Blue Underground had restored Lucio's classic in a 2K restoration, and released it back to select theaters across the country (this lucky guy saw it at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco in October of that same year). Then in 2018, while being very quite for most of the year, they announced that they were once again restoring the film, this time in a new 4K scan in time for its 40th anniversary!!

Original Italian Theatrical Poster (1979)

This new Blu-ray release Blue Underground looks absolutely fucking amazing!! Holy shit! I have never seen the movie look this sharp, clear, fucking gorgeous before!! Their brand-new 4K Restoration from the uncensored original camera negative looks insanely flawless!! This limited collector’s edition includes 1080p Feature on Blu-ray, bonus High Def Extras Blu-ray, Soundtrack CD, collectible booklet, reversible sleeve with original US poster artwork, a collectable booklet with a new essay by Author Stephen Thrower, and three different special 3D lenticular slipcovers (for its First Pressing only)!!

Blue Underground also loaded this 3-Disc set with a ungodly amount of amazing special features! So what I'm doing is just copying what is on all three discs, just to make it easier on myself as to not leave anything off. On Disc One there's a new Audio Commentary #1 with Troy Howarth, Author of "Splintered Visions: Lucio Fulci and His Films", a second audio commentary with Star Ian McCulloch and Diabolik Magazine Editor Jason J. Slater, When The Earth Spits Out The Dead - Interview with Stephen Thrower, Author of "Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci", theatrical trailers, TV and radio spots, poster & still gallery, and a cool intro by Guillermo del Toro. Disc Two has all the special features: Zombie Wasteland - Interviews with Stars Ian McCulloch, Richard Johnson & Al Cliver, and Actor/Stuntman Ottaviano Dell'Acqua, Flesh Eaters on Film - Interview with Co-Producer Fabrizio De Angelis, Deadtime Stories - Interviews with Co-Writers Elisa Briganti and (Uncredited) Dardano Sacchetti, World of the Dead - Interviews with Cinematographer Sergio Salvati and Production & Costume Designer Walter Patriarca, Zombi Italiano - Interviews with Special Make-Up Effects Artists Gianetto De Rossi & Maurizio Trani and Special Effects Artist Gino De Rossi, Notes on a Headstone - Interview with Composer Fabio Frizzi, All in the Family - Interview with Antonella Fulci, Zombie Lover - Award-Winning Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro talks about one of his favorite films . Disc Three is the aforementioned CD soundtrack by the great Fabio Frizzi!

ZOMBIE is one of the all-time greatest zombie films ever made!! For it's shock value and sheer madness, no other zombie film can compare to nor come close to it! With this film, director Fulci was given the mantle "The Maestro of Gore." It is without hesitation to say that, after its initial release 40 years later, it is a title that no one has come close to achieving. Years after his passing, he continues to live on in his films, which are not only his legacy, but a gift to us to enjoy over and over again! And thanks to Blue Underground, we can have this new 4K restoration to watch over and over again! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly Recommended!! 

ZOMBIE is available in a 3-Dics Limited Edition with three different lenticular slipcovers (or purchase all as a bundle for a limited time) from Blue Underground. To order your copy, visit their website at www.blue-underground.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the screaming! 

Phil's Horror Watch, Day 11: Phil watches THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY (1981)-October 11, 2011

Welcome back my friends to Day Eleven of my horror movie marathon! Tonight I decided to visit my old friend Lucio Fulci one more time and watched another one of his classic films, THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY. With Fulci, you can always count on being scared out of your mind and grossed out all at the same time!

Original Theatrical Poster (1984)

 Dr. Norman Boyle (Paolo Malco) moves his wife Lucy (Catriona MacColl) and his son (Giovanni Frezza) out of their tiny, cramped New York apartment and into a beautiful old New England home. However, unknown to the new owners, the previous owner, the deranged Dr. Jacob Freudstein (Giovanni De Nava), who has been living in the house's basement for the past 100 years, feeding on the flesh of those who found themselves at the wrong place at the wrong time.

The film was Fulci's final installment of what has been called his unofficial Gates of Hell trilogy, which also includes CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD and THE BEYOND. The camerawork is careful, creating atmosphere as well as a sense of polish. The makeup and gore effects are also well-crafted, and the Dr. Freudstein character is fairly creepy to see. Also, there are fewer splatter scenes, and they come more out of the story than any gratuitous attempts to add gore.

Italian Movie Poster (1981)

While many have said that the film was not one of his best, the film has genuine creepiness and scares that will make you shiver. However, the film ran into censorship issues, thus the film suffered several and severe edits to. Eventually the film was restored to its original gory version when it was released in 2001 by Anchor Bay Entertainment. The film was released in Italy in 1981. The film was released here in America on March 1, 1984.

THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY is a Fulci film that will forever stand the test of time as a horror classic! What's impressive that 30 years after the film's original Italian release, we are still talking about the film, and thus, keeping alive the film legacy of Lucio Fulci alive, as well as his name. This Halloween, treat yourself to this Italian shocker. I promise you that after watching the film, you will never go downstairs into a basement ever again.

THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY will be released on Blu-Ray and DVD special editions on October 25, 2011 courtesy of Blue Underground. To pre-order your copy, visit their website at www.blue-underground.com

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil's Horror Watch, Day 10: Phil watches ZOMBIE (1979)-October 10, 2011

Hello folks and welcome back to day ten of my horror movie marathon! After seeing THE DEAD yesterday, I decided to go on a zombie binge. So for tonight I visited the land of Italy, home to some of the most intense, gruesome, gory, and celebrated horror films of all time! If you don't believe, then you have never seen the film ZOMBIE. If you have, then you are one of the brave ones, because this is a very sick and disgusting film. And I love it!!

Original Theatrical Poster (1980)

Directed by infamous Italian filmmaker Lucio Fulci, the film begins when what appears to be an abandoned boat is found in the harbor of New York City. Soon the local police units investigates the boat when an undead zombie attacks them and then plunges into the harbor waters below, leaving the living with a big mystery on their hands, which news reporter Peter West (Ian McCulloch) smells a story and decides to go investigate. Soon Peter teams up with Anne Bowels (Tisa Farrow), the daughter of a scientist said to have gone missing in the Caribbean some time ago. Together they dive deeper into the mystery, meeting and traveling with another couple (Al Cliver and Auretta Gay) to a remote region of the Antilles Islands. There they hope to discover the answers, however for them, they only thing they will find is desolate place where the dead walk once again to feed on all that still live.

Sounds like a very intriguing film indeed, but the backstory of the film is even more fascinating. In 1977, American filmmaker George Romero teamed up with Italian filmmaker Dario Argento, who would help with the financing to make DAWN OF THE DEAD. In exchange Argento would distribute the film in Europe, where it was retitled as ZOMBI. Director Fulci decided to capitalize on the film's success by making his own gore-infested, living dead film. Thanks to a legal loophole, Fulci was able to slap a sequel number to his film, allowing moviegoers to think that his film was an actual follow up to Romero's film. Unbelievably true, but in the end Fulci's ZOMBI 2 did phenomenal at the European boxoffice. When the film was imported to America, it was retitled ZOMBIE, as to not confuse American audiences.

Original Italian Poster (1979)

The film itself is highly regarded as Fulci's best film ever, and a welcomed entry to the annals of horror. The special effects by F/X wizard Gianetto de Rossi are very impressive, and they still hold up to this very day. When Auretta Gay has her throat torn out is just gore-tastic. The scene when Olga Karlatos' eye is shoved into a large piece wood splinter is just so gruesome and painful to watch that I dare you to not look away. And of course, the film's most famous scene is when a zombie attacks and eats a shark. Yes my friends, that is a REAL person fighting a REAL shark! There is no CGI in this film people! Real sharks, real special effects, and real gore drenched the screen as it has never before. The Italians very much celebrated gore and violence, and in the process, made it into an art form that has influenced several big name horror directors. From Sam Raimi and Sean Cunningham to Eli Roth and James Wan, the Italian horror films from the late 70's to the mid 80's had a huge impact here in America. Films like SAW and HOSTEL owe a debt to the theses Italian shockers, especially with this film. The film was released in Italy on August 25, 1979. It was imported and released to theaters here in America on July 18, 1980.

ZOMBIE is one of the all-time greatest zombie films ever made! For it's shock value and sheer madness, no other zombie film can compare to nor come close to it. With this film, director Fulci was given the mantle "The Maestro of Gore." It is without hesitation to say that, after its initial release 32 years later, it is a title that no one has come close to achieving. When Luci passed away on March 13, 1996 at the age of 68, the world mourned the loss of a true artist. But in the end, Lucio Fulci continues to live on his films, which are not only his legacy, but a gift to us to enjoy over and over again. So Mr. Fulci, where ever you are, I just wanted to say, "Thank you."

ZOMBIE will be released on Blu- Ray and DVD special editions courtesy of Blue Underground on October 25, 2011. To pre-order your copy, visit their website at www.blue-underground.com. To those of you who would like to see the film on the big screen, Blue Underground will be having the film released to select theaters this Halloween! For those in San Francisco, the film will be playing at the Roxie Theater on October 29-31! Buy your tickets on their website at www.roxie.com

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!