Zombie Island Massacre (1984)

User Rating:

2.5/10   

Director:

John N. Carter

Writers:

David Broadnax (story)
Logan O'Neill (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

November 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

HAVE A FUN-FILLED VACATION! Toe-Tapping Machete Head Dances! Glamourous Zombie-Style Cosmetic Surgery! Fabulous Air-Conditioned Tiger Pits!

Plot:

Americans on vacation in the Caribbean take a tour of a nearby island at night and watch a local voodoo ritual. Soon after, they find themselves stranded on the island and under attack by unseen foes. One by one they meet violent ends.

Plot Keywords:

Island | Voodoo | Breasts | Blood | Zombie

Cast

David Broadnax	...	Paul
Rita Jenrette	...	Sandy
Tom Cantrell	...	Steve
Diane Clayre Holub	...	Connie
George Peters	...	Whitney
Ian McMillan	...	Joe
Dennis Stephenson	...	Tour Guide
Debbie Ewing	...	Helen
Kristina Marie Wetzel	...	Barbie
Harriet Rawlings	...	Ethel
Christopher Ferris	...	Matt
Ralph Monaco	...	Jerry
Deborah Jason	...	Donna
Tom Fitzsimmons	...	Ed
Bruce Sterman	...	Hogan
Luba Pincus	...	Simmons
Emmett Murphy	...	George
Trevor Reid	...	Voodoo Priest
Mignon Lowe	...	Voodoo Priestess
Oscar Lawson	...	Creature

Directed by
John N. Carter

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
David Broadnax		story
Logan O'Neill		screenplay
Logan O'Neill		story
William Stoddard		screenplay

Produced by
David Broadnax	....	producer
Abraham Dabdoub	....	producer
Umberto Dileo	....	producer
Michael Malagiero	....	producer
Dennis Stephenson	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Harry Manfredini

Cinematography by
Robert M. Baldwin

Film Editing by
John N. Carter

Casting by
Sarah Hyde Hamlet

Art Direction by
Srecko Gall

Set Decoration by
Richard Russell

Makeup Department
Ted Borrell	....	hair stylist
Dean Flowers	....	assistant hair stylist
Philip Goldblat	....	assistant makeup artist
Joan Russell	....	assistant hair stylist
Deborah Tischler	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Lonnie Bailey	....	unit production manager
Pat Roy Hilton	....	assistant production manager
Robert Russell	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Harvey Portee	....	assistant director
Dwight Williams	....	assistant director

Art Department
Dennis Brook	....	carpenter
Trevor Reid	....	props
John Wojtkielo	....	props

Sound Department
Calvin Aberle	....	assistant sound editor
Jack Cooley	....	re-recording mixer
Rolf Pardula	....	boom operator
Alex Pfau	....	sound editor
Luba Pincus	....	assistant sound
Bill Sonnet	....	sound

Special Effects by
Dennis Eger	....	special effects makeup
Steven Kirshoff	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Samuel Bender	....	gaffer
Earl Campbell	....	best boy
Lloyd Clarke	....	best boy
David M. Dunlap	....	first assistant camera (as David Dunlap)
Cookie Kinkead	....	still photographer
Roderick 'Sprinter' Levy	....	grip
Dave Lowry	....	grip
Charles Meere	....	gaffer (as Charley Meere)
Charles Meere III	....	best boy (as Charley Meere Jr.)
Rex North	....	key grip
Patricia A. Portela	....	still photographer
Rick Raphael	....	camera operator
Richard Reis	....	assistant camera
Lenford Roye	....	grip
Clive Thompson	....	grip
Royburn 'Sugar' Thompson	....	grip
Eric Walker	....	best boy
Keith Wheeler	....	best boy
Jimmy Williams	....	best boy

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Trevor Reid	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Lillian Benson	....	assistant editor
Fontaine Carter	....	apprentice editor
Bert Feldman	....	negative cutter

Transportation Department
O.T. Bobby	....	bus driver
Dale Raos	....	driver
Tony	....	bus driver

Other crew
Sidney Gecker	....	script supervisor
Rodney Gordon	....	mask
Diane Gurwitz	....	production assistant
Chuck Jones	....	publicist
Mignon Lowe	....	production coordinator
Mary Munroe Lozito	....	production assistant
Diane Morris	....	production assistant
Lori Peters	....	production assistant
Sally E. Sterman	....	production auditor

Distributors

• Troma Entertainment (1984) (USA) (theatrical)
• Stomp Visual (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Troma Team Video (2004) (USA) (DVD) (on "Troma Triple B-Header")

Also Known As:

The Last Picnic (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

95 min | Canada:88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:R | UK:18 | USA:R | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Big Hit (1998)

Soundtrack:

Di Reggae Picnic

Horny Island Massacre!

The word "zombie" was added to the title to titillate--as was the presence of Rita Jenrette--as nymphet whose 15 minutes of fame came when talked publicly about her and her congressman husband's supposed tryst on the steps of the Capitol building. Normally, the adventures of a horny lady such as Jenrette would have quickly fizzled in the public's mind had she not subsequently posed for Playboy and starred in this cheap exploitation picture.

Those looking for zombies will no doubt be disappointed, though if you are looking for horny tourists who take off their clothes with little provocation (especially Ms. Jenrette) you will no doubt be satisfied. Heck, the film should have been more appropriately titled "Horny Island Massacre" as indeed there is lots of gratuitous killing and there's something about that tropical air that turns people into horn-dogs! Of course, given the title, the fact it was made by Troma Films AND the sleazy advertising campaign that accompanied the movie's debut, none of this should come as much of a surprise. It's NOT to be mistaken for Shakespeare and you can hardly expect more than you get.

The film has no stars (other than perhaps Jenrette--the Paris Hilton of her day) and has a rather low budget. The writing is pretty dim and there are only a few surprises along the way. One of the particularly silly bits is when the remaining five people wander into a mansion at night. It's totally dark outside, yet one of them almost instantly finds a small handgun hidden in the bushes!! He couldn't have found it faster if he'd had a map! There are also some really dumb people who act almost like they WANT to be killed they behaved so stupidly! I also loved the way Jenrette emoted when her movie husband was killed--it was so embarrassingly bad it gave me a chuckle.

Overall, the film is worth seeing only for the first two minutes, as you get to see an awful lot of the lovely Mrs. Jenrette--an AWFUL lot! After that, it's all down hill! A film worth watching only for bad film fan and the curious who want to catch a glimpse of Jenrette naked. All others beware!