L'abîme des morts vivants (1981)

User Rating:

2.0/10   

Director:

Jesus Franco

Writer:

Jesus Franco (screenplay)

Release Date:

1981 (France)

Genre:

Horror | War

Plot:

An expedition searching for treasure supposedly buried by the German army in the African desert during WW II comes up against an army of Nazi zombies guarding the fortune.

Plot Keywords:

Desert | Treasure | Nazi | Gold | Oasis

Cast

Manuel Gélin	...	Robert Blabert
France Lomay	...	Erika (as France Jordan)
Jeff Montgomery
Myriam Landson	...	Kurt's Wife
Eric Viellard	...	Ronald (as Eric Saint-Just)
Caroline Audret	...	Sylvie
Henri Lambert	...	Kurt (as Henry Lambert)

Also Known As:

Bloodsucking Nazi Zombies (USA) (video title)
Le trésor des morts vivants (France)
Oasis of the Zombies (USA) (DVD title)
The Oasis of the Living Dead (USA)
The Treasure of the Living Dead (International: English title)

Runtime:

USA:82 min | France:82 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:(Banned) (Ontario) | USA:Unrated | Italy:VM18 (VHS rating)

Company:

Eurociné

Movie Connections:

Edited into La tumba de los muertos vivientes (1983)

I seem to have found myself................extremely bored.

Jess Franco has directed what is widely considered two of the worst zombie movies of all time, Zombie Lake and Oasis of the Zombies. How Franco, who writes and directs this yawn-inducer, is considered an exploitation icon is an absolute mystery to me. There isn't a single scene in this film that hints at any talent whatsoever.

During the second world war a nazi Afrika Korp is ambushed by the British at an Oasis outside of Tripoli where $6,000,000 of gold is buried. Fast forward to the present day, one assumes as the movie gives no dates, and the former British and German commanders meet to discuss where the exact location of the oasis is, excavate the site, and split the gold. As soon as the German learns where the location is he kills the British character. We next jump to a university in London where a young man named Robert receives a message about the death of his dad. Turns out the British commander was his father. Robert feigns sadness and immediately gathers his friends Ronald, the bowl cut dork, Ahmed, who insist on wearing a fez hat making him look even dorkier than Ronald, and Robert's girlfriend. They travel to Tripoli in search of the Sheik who knows the location to the Oasis as well as a warning that it's infested with the living dead corpses of the Nazis. Robert ignores the warnings and travels to the oasis. He does find something more important however. (Eyes Rolling)

Manuel Gelin manages to outdo his zombie counterparts as the most lifeless corpse on the screen. Just watch the scene where he learns of his father's death. Emote baby, emote! The backstory is told through a flashback which has some serious flaws. First is the fact that Robert's dad must be an immortal as he has not aged a day since the war. At least cut his hair and shave that mustache for crissakes! Second, Robert was the product of his father and the Sheik's daughter Aisha. This is during World War II which would make Robert in his late thirties at the very least! Instead Robert is a mid-twenties college student. More Franco brilliance? They at least try to make the Sheik age as he is given silver streaks in his hair and adorned with the most fake mustache ever. The zombies themselves are on par with I Eat Your Skin which was made twenty years earlier. They are basically men smeared with mud, worms, and oatmeal. One of the non-actor zombies looks as if it's a male blow up doll. Probably the source for Jess Franco's "inspiration". Even the ending sucks! Was he hiding the jeep under his sheets? An oasis from solid movie-making. Don't bother.