Zombi 2 (25th Anniversary Special Edition 2-Disc Set)

Zombi 2 (25th Anniversary Special Edition 2-Disc Set)

Zombi 2 (25th Anniversary Special Edition 2-Disc Set)
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DVD Cover Information

Actor: Al Cliver, Alberto Dell'Acqua, Dakkar, Stefania D'Amario, Ugo Bologna
Primary Contributor: Tisa Farrow
Primary Contributor: McCulloch, Ian
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 1.0; English (Subtitled)
Format: Anamorphic, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Special Edition, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 91 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-07-27
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Shriek Show

Movie Reviews of Zombi 2 (25th Anniversary Special Edition 2-Disc Set)

Movie Review: Classic film with disappointing extras
Summary: 4 Stars

As far as guilty pleasures go, if you are a horror fan, then you can't find much better than Lucio Fulci's 'Zombie 2'. It's also doubtful that the movie has looked any better than it has in this cleaned up edition. I watched this on a blu-ray player which automatically upconverted this regular DVD, and I was just blown away with the picture.

I don't know if there's much of a reason to go into the story - the product description covered it pretty well, and with over 300 reviews, I'm sure they cover it too. Suffice it to say that, once again, for no reason, the dead are coming back to life, and are intent on feeding on the living. I really can't figure out why I like these movies so much, but I do. I'm not necessarily a fan of poor acting and gory special effects - and 'Zombie 2' has plenty of both - but there's something intriguing about the idea of a last small contingent of normal people struggling against the armies of the undead. Imagining myself in the company of the survivors, I wonder if I'd have the right amount of luck and skill necessary to make it. Hmmm...I wonder.

As I said, this is an excellent transfer, but it's the special features that still leave something to be desired. First of all, on the primary disc, the commentary is taken care of by Ian McCulloch, who states more than once that he had never seen the entire film prior to that moment. He's accompanied on the commentary by an unnamed interviewer who is obviously a huge fan of the movie. As the interviewer tries to prod him into giving the inside scoop behind the film, it becomes apparent that McCulloch either doesn't know, or else is reticent in talking about any of his castmembers that might be taken as a disparagement. I can respect that, and really I'm not interested in a tell-all - what I want to know about is the shark scene and the eyeball scene. Unfortunately, McCulloch can't tell us anything about either one, though he is probably the only native English speaker directly involved in the film that could have done the commentary.

Another short feature on the primary disc is an interview with the actor Captain Haggerty, who played the zombie who sails into New York Harbor. This was of marginal interest, as Haggerty discusses not only this film, but his entire career.

I had hoped that the supplemental disc might have the answers to the questions I had, but it only met me halfway. There was an extensive mini-documentary profiling the cast and crew (Lucio Fulci passed away in 1996), and the effects creators for the eyeball scene discuss in depth the story behind it, along with almost all the other eye-popping effects. But as far as the shark scene goes, that was all second unit stuff, and no one interviewed knew much about it at all.

The special features also include trailers for 'Zombie 2' and a host of other similarly themed films which I definitely appreciated, because they looked so awful I now feel confident it is not in my best interest to rent or buy them. Additionally, there was an interview with the make up artist of the film, which was interesting but not terribly illuminating.

This two disc version may be worth it for the 'making of' documentary on the the second disc, but I have a hard time believing they couldn't fit it on one and thus kept the price down. I would give the edge to this edition over the single disc, simply because of the anamorphic transfer, but the cost makes it a close call. If the anamorphic transfer were not necessary, then the single disc might be the better choice, as it is substantially cheaper. Five stars for this classic film, but only three and a half for the extras.

Summary of Zombi 2 (25th Anniversary Special Edition 2-Disc Set)

We Are Going To Eat You! The Fulci Classic Returns, And Once Again The Dead Are Among Us!
In Lucio Fulci's genre classic Zombi 2, the dead rise once again to terrorize and consume the flesh of the living, this time Caribbean style! Those new to Fulci should note Island of the Flesh-Eaters, Zombi 2, and the more commonly known Zombie all refer to the same film. Though there is no Zombi 1, Fulci's film was titled Zombi 2 to capitalize on the commercial success of Romero's Dawn of the Dead. Though marketed as a sequel in Italy, the only similarities to Romero's classic are the title and the fact that the dead rise to eat the flesh of the living. Instead of being a metaphor for consumerism, Zombi 2 is a straight-out adventure story that ends in a horrific, apocalyptic nightmare. The plot is fairly straightforward, and more or less exists simply as a structure to hang scenes of extreme gore and terror on. Dr. Bowles's boat floats into New York Harbor missing its crew and carrying an undead passenger. The doctor's daughter (Tisa Farrow), dead set on finding out what happened to her father, teams up with journalist Peter West (Ian McCulloch) and heads to the cursed island of Matool, where a zombie epidemic is growing and Dr. Bowles's friend, Dr. Menard (Richard Johnson), is desperately trying to find a cure. Will Anne find her father? Will Dr. Menard find a cure? Will our heroes escape? In all honesty, who really cares? Because those in the "know" already know you don't come to a Fulci film looking for Shakespeare. What Zombi 2 lacks in plot development and continuity, it more than makes up for in atmosphere, intensity, and of course the trademark Fulci gore. Some of the unique high points are the never-duplicated zombie-versus-shark vignette, the rising of the Spanish zombie conquistadores, and Fulci's trademark eye shot. Fans of Italian/apocalyptic/cannibal/zombie films should not miss Zombi 2. Along with The Beyond, it defines the genre. --Rob Bracco

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