Zombi Holocaust (1980)

User Rating:

5.0/10   

Director:

Marino Girolami

Writers:

Fabrizio De Angelis (writer)
Marino Girolami (story)
(more)

Release Date:

7 May 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

He's a depraved, homicidal killer...and he makes house calls!

Plot:

The members of an expedition in search for the last faithful of Kito, the cannibal god, land on a small...

Plot Keywords:

Cannibal | Island | Mad Scientist | Zombie | Gore

Cast

Ian McCulloch	...	Dr. Peter Chandler
Alexandra Delli Colli	...	Lori Ridgeway
Sherry Buchanan	...	Susan Kelly
Peter O'Neal	...	George Harper
Donald O'Brien	...	Dr. Obrero / Dr. Butcher (US version)
Dakar	...	Molotto
Walter Patriarca	...	Dr. Dreylock
Linda Fumis	...	Med Student #1
Roberto Resta
Franco Ukmar	...	Zombie #1
Giovanni Ukmar	...	Driver
Angelo Ragusa	...	Zombie #3
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Edward Mannix	...	Dr. Obrero (voice: English version) (uncredited)
Romano Scandariato	...	Professor (uncredited)
Gregory Snegoff	...	Peter (voice: English version) (uncredited)
Susan Spafford	...	Lori Ridgeway (voice: English version) (uncredited)
Pat Starke	...	Susan Kelly (voice: English version) (uncredited)

Directed by
Marino Girolami		(as Frank Martin)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Fabrizio De Angelis		writer
Marino Girolami		story
Romano Scandariato		screenplay

Produced by
Gianfranco Couyoumdjian	....	producer
Fabrizio De Angelis	....	producer
Ron Harvey	....	executive producer (US version)
Terry Levene	....	producer (US version)

Original Music by
Nico Fidenco
Walter E. Sear		(US version)

Cinematography by
Fausto Zuccoli

Film Editing by
Alberto Moriani

Production Design by
Walter Patriarca

Costume Design by
Silvana Scandariato

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Romano Scandariato	....	assistant director

Special Effects by
Giannetto De Rossi	....	special effects
Rosario Prestopino	....	special effects
Maurizio Trani	....	makeup effects
Maurizio Trani	....	special effects

Stunts
Rocco Lerro	....	stunt coordinator
Massimiliano Ubaldi	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Guglielmo Vincioni	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Jim Markovic	....	post-production: US version

Music Department
Giacomo Dell'Orso	....	conductor

Other crew
Roy Frumkes	....	title designer (US version)
Terry Levene	....	presenter (US version)

Production Companies

• Aquarius Productions (US version)
• Dania Film
• Flora Film
• Fulvia Film
• National Cinematografica

Distributors

• Medusa Distribuzione (1980) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Aquarius Releasing (1982) (USA) (theatrical) (recut version with added footage) (dubbed)
• Frontier Amusements (1983) (Canada) (theatrical) (dubbed) (cut version)
• Astro Distribution (1998) (Germany) (VHS)
• Dragon Film Entertainment (DFE) (1999) (Germany) (DVD)
• EastWest Entertainment (2004) (worldwide) (DVD) (as "Doctor Butcher, M.D.")
• Firebox (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• Lamberto Forni Film (LF) (Italy) (VHS)
• Paragon Video Productions (1982) (USA) (VHS) (Betamax)
• Shriek Show (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Shriek Show (2002) (USA) (VHS)
• Thriller Video (USA) (VHS)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Video Invest AB (????) (Sweden) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Rainbow Productions  post-production (US version)

Also Known As:

Dr. Butcher M.D. (USA) (recut version)
Dr. Butcher, Medical Deviate (USA) (video title)
Island of the Last Zombies
La regina dei cannibali (Italy) (alternative title)
Medical Deviate
Queen of the Cannibals
Zombie 3 (USA)
Zombie Holocaust (UK)

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:18 (uncut version) | New Zealand:R18 | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Finland:K-18 (2001) | Australia:R | France:-16 | Netherlands:16 | USA:Open (rating surrendered: 1982) | USA:R (1982) | West Germany:18 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Latina, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Aquarius Productions

Trivia:

Although never listed in the UK as an official video nasty the pre-cert video was seized by Cambridgeshire Police and the dealer was tried under Section 2 of the Obscene Publications Act 1977, though eventually found not guilty. The film was released fully uncut in 2000.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the orderly dives through the hospital window, his stunt-dummy's arm snaps off as it hits the ground.

Quotes:

Dr. Obrero: The patient's screaming disturbing me, performed removal of vocal chords.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Exhumed (2003) (V)

Doctor Butcher, Monkey Dung

Being an obsessive-compulsive fan of old-fashioned Euro-gore for several years now, I've come to expect the absurd (and usually nonsensical) plots, the constant 'borrowing' from other films, and the over-the-top gore, all mixed together to form what is usually an enjoyably trashy cocktail. I picked up "Zombie Holocaust" with some optimism and a little knowledge of its reputation, and after watching it, could only help but wonder what had just happened. No, it wasn't the incoherently surreal thrill of watching "City of the Living Dead," but a general, head-scratching confusion that raised questions such as: "How was this awful waste of time ever released?" As Tom Servo would say: "Meanwhile, in YET ANOTHER MOVIE..." "Zombie Holocaust" doesn't have a brain in its head (even though the title Doctor is a deranged neurosurgeon)--it's a low-budget splatter flick without even the slightest hint of innovation. It borrows settings and characters from Fulci's "Zombie" (not to mention a few actual snippets from that film), jungle savages from "Make Them Die Slowly," and a couple bronze-faced zombies that look an awful lot like the wooden-toothed wonders in "Burial Ground." Sounds like a swinging good time, but the movie is downright distracting in its own indecisiveness, flipping back and forth between these awkwardly, incompetently blended genres without a hint of wit or style. Perhaps this is attributable to Fabrizio de Angelis, who is known less for his screen writing capabilities than as a producer on Lucio Fulci's most notable works. It is conceivable that the producers wanted to churn out a genre-bending smörgåsbord knowing they would get some return on it, but the utter ridiculousness of the finished product is an endurance test for the viewer's patience.

Ian McCulloch (his usual stuffy self) and Alexandra Delli Colli ("New York Ripper") venture off to some faraway island to investigate a doctor's odd practices. Along the way, they encounter hostile natives, zombies, and an climax that looks suspiciously like another, better zombie flick. Eyeballs are gouged out, entrails are eaten, and Delli Colli is painted in the nude for a "Laugh-In" audition.

There's ultimately nothing in "Zombie Holocaust" that hasn't been done before, and better. Pass.