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The movie Zombie launched Lucio Fulci's international film career. The movie is also known as Zombi 2 because Dawn of the Dead, the result of a collaboration between George A. Romero and Italian horror film director Dario Argento, was considered to be the first zombie movie in Europe.
The zombies follow the basic premises established in George A. Romero's Dead trilogy. They are slow moving, eat human flesh, and can only be killed by destroying their brains. It appears that these zombies are the result of voodoo rites and rituals, where as in the Dead Trilogy they were the result radiation. These zombies do not use objects where as in the Dead trilogy they used simple objects such as stones to break windows and headlights. In Romero's Day of the Dead one zombie even used a gun. The living dead in Zombie hove no fear of fire since some scenes show them walking into fire without taking any notice of it. They continue to walk until they drop. In the Dead Trilogy they fear fire and are bothered by light.
The special makeup effects are good, showing zombies in varying stages of decomposition. As would be expected Fulci's long dead zombies are adorned with worms and maggots, however this also the source of some inconsistencies. One being, flesh on Spanish Conquistador zombies. This was not the case in the Dead Trilogy as all of Romero's zombies it appeared had never been buried and were recently dead.
The acting in Zombie is not great, but not bad either. The plot is simple and without much character development. This movie is a pure zombie horror film. It has plenty of gore, suspense and terror if that is what you seek. They're several unforgettable and imaginative scenes such as the demise of Dr. Menard's wife and the underwater zombie attack. Zombie is one of my favorite living dead movies and a must watch for all zombie fans.
The movie starts showing a body covered in a white sheet and wrapped with rope. The body starts to sit-up and a man in shadows shoots the body in the head. The man in the shadows states "The boat can leave now." "Tell the crew."
We next see a yacht called "Morning Lady II" drifting near Staten Island, New York. Two (2) officers of the New York Harbor Patrol board the "Morning Lady II" to investigate. One officer is attacked and killed by a man (zombie). When the zombie walks towards the second officer it is shot several times and falls overboard.
Morning
Lady II
Zombie
attacks Officer
A News Paper, Editor-in-Chief (Lucio Fulci) receives a call regarding the boat incident. The Editor-in-Chief calls one of his reporters Peter West (Ian McCulloch), whose Uncle owns the news paper, into his office and sends him over to Pier 15 to investigate the incident.
On "Morning Lady II" a detective interviews Ann Bowles (Tisa Farrow) because her father owns "Morning Lady II". Ann informs the detective that she has not heard from her father in three (3) months, since he went to the Antilles.
At the City of New York Office of Chief Medical Examiner, a rush autopsy is being conducted on the body of the Harbor Patrol officer who was killed on the "Morning Lady II". While the body is being examined we see the dead officer's hand move.
Dead
Officer
That night Ann Bowles sneaks aboard "Morning Lady II". Peter also sneaks aboard and surprises Ann. They sit down to compare notes. A police officer guarding the boat discovers them and kicks them off.
Ann and Peter decide to go to the island of Matool to find out what happened to Ann's father, because Ann's last letter from her father came from Matool.
Ann
and Peter
After arriving in the Dominican Republic they find two Americans on a yachting vacation. The two Americans, Bryan Hull (Al Cliver) and his girlfriend Susan Barrett (Auretta Gay), agree to try and find the island of Matool for Peter and Ann. Bryan informs Peter that the natives say Matool is cursed, and that it is not smart to ignore the native's superstitions.
Bryan
Hull
Susan
Barrett
On the island of Matool, Dr. David Menard (Richard Menard), a scientist, tries unsuccessfully to reach someone whose call sign is Guadalupe one, with his ham radio. Drunk and angry Paola (Olga Karlatos), the doctor's wife, accuses David of forcing her to stay on the island. Paola gets angrier and frightened when she learns that another zombie was found on the other side of the island. She wants to know how long will it take them to get to her side of the island. We learn that David has been conducting research into voodoo rites, trying to discover what is causing the dead to come back to life. David tells Paola that as soon as he discovers what is going on he will leave the island.
David
and Paola Menard
Paola
Ann, Peter, Bryan and Susan leave the Dominican Republic on board Bryan's yacht. Along the way Susan decides to go S.C.U.B.A. diving so that she can take some underwater photographs. While diving Susan sees a shark and hides near some coral to avoid it. A zombie also in the coral attacks Susan. During the attack the shark rams the yacht. Susan is able to escape and get back on the boat. The shark attacks the zombie.
Susan
prepares for dive
Susan
and shark
Susan
and Zombie
At the Hospital on Matool, Dr. Menard and his Nurse (Stefania D'Amario) are examining patients when Lucas (Dakkar) comes running in. He tells Dr. Menard that everyone is leaving the village because they are afraid of the zombies.
While alone at the Menard's house Paola is attacked by a zombie.
Ann, Susan, Bryan and Peter arrive at Catfish Bay, Matool. They learn that the yacht's drive shaft is cracked and must be repaired if they want to continue. They believe that the drive shaft got cracked when the shark rammed the yacht. They must go ashore and get it repaired or hope that someone sails by and helps them. They fire off some flares, which Lucas sees and tells Dr. Menard.
Dr.
Menard and Nurse
The four go ashore and are met by Dr. Menard. On the drive back to the hospital, Dr. Menard tells Ann how he met her father and what became of him. Ann's father was a victim of the disease. Just before he died he wrote the letter Ann received. Dr. Menard killed Ann's father after he became a zombie. We learn that the very first scene was Dr. Menard shooting Ann's father. Dr. Menard further explains the connection between voodoo and the disease, which now has infected the island. He tells them that it is causing the dead to come back to life. Dr. Menard goes on to explain that the natives say that it is an evil voodoo priest causing it but Menard is trying to find a logical explanation. At the hospital Dr. Menard gets out of the jeep and asks the four to go to his house and visit his wife.
Dr. Menard finds his friend Fritz in the hospital. Fritz tells Menard that a zombie in the village outside of the hospital bit him. Dr. Menard is alarmed to find out that zombies are that close and tells Lucas to lock the doors of the hospital.
Zombie
in village
Ann, Susan, Bryan and Peter arrive at the Menard's house looking for Paola. When they get inside they see that it was overrun by zombies. The four are forced to fight there way back to the jeep. On there way back to the hospital they have an accident and are forced to walk back towards the hospital. Unknowingly they stop for rest in an abandoned Spanish Conquistador graveyard.
Zombie
in graveyard
The rest of the movie shows the main character's struggle for survival on an island infested by zombies.
Zombie
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