Killing Birds (aka Zombie 5) (1987) - September 29, 2020

[DR Herbert West]

a group of college-aged ornithologists have taken a class trip deep into the wilderness on a quest to find and study a rare and possibly extinct species of bird. Despite receiving ominous warnings, both human and avian, they set up camp in a musty old house, only to find themselves under siege from mysterious supernatural forces. But it’s not just the house or the hoards of hungry birds that they have to worry about, they quickly realize that they’re also going to have to contend with a group of bloodthirsty zombies, who have descended on the deserted farmhouse!

A positively jaw dropping slice of late 80s horror, as only italians are capable of imagining, claudio lattanzi’s killing birds (aka zombie 5 and raptors) is an ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ styled thriller which piles on gore and insane plot twists. Starring lara wendel (tenebre) and robert vaughn (good luck miss wyckoff), and produced by exploitation auteur joe d’amato (anthopophagus), vinegar syndrome brings killing birds to blu-ray for the first time, newly restored in 2k from its original negative.

Directed by: Claudio lattanzi
starring: Lara wendel, robert vaughn, james villemaire
1987 / 92 min / 1.85:1 / english mono

additional info:
• region free blu-ray
• newly scanned & restored in 2k from its 35mm original negative
• “title tbd” - an extended video interview with director claudio lattanzi
• “title tbd” - a video interview with sound man larry revene
• brand new audio commentary with film historian and author samm deighan
• reversible cover artwork
• newly translated english subtitles

[dallywhitty]

Never seen it, but if it's anything likes it predecessors, then...

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by dallywhitty

Never seen it, but if it's anything likes it predecessors, then...

It isn’t. It’s dreadful.

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

It isn’t. It’s dreadful.

Don't crush my dreams, Steedeel. They're all I have left.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by dallywhitty

Don't crush my dreams, Steedeel. They're all I have left.

My bad.

[rillog]

Sadly the Robert Vaughn interview from the Shriek Show disc has not been ported over. Is VS getting lazy?

[FrankLloydWrong]

Originally Posted by dallywhitty

Don't crush my dreams, Steedeel. They're all I have left.

I'll back them up on it; it's awful, and not awful in a good way. It suffers from what may be the biggest sin in exploitation cinema, which is being dull, mediocre, and overly long.

The third and fourth films are bad movies, but they have a charm about them and can be enjoyed for laughs. They still feel like part of the, ahem, "franchise", whereas Killing Birds feels more like one of those later La Casa sequels.

To each their own, though! Just be warned...

[bsend]

Originally Posted by rillog

Sadly the Robert Vaughn interview from the Shriek Show disc has not been ported over. Is VS getting lazy?

"Next! On Sick, Sad World!"

[Tone blare]

Originally Posted by FrankLloydWrong

I'll back them up on it; it's awful, and not awful in a good way. It suffers from what may be the biggest sin in exploitation cinema, which is being dull, mediocre, and overly long.

The third and fourth films are bad movies, but they have a charm about them and can be enjoyed for laughs. They still feel like part of the, ahem, "franchise", whereas Killing Birds feels more like one of those later La Casa sequels.

To each their own, though! Just be warned...

All of this is true. Even when things finally start to happen it's never really that great. I love late 80s horror La Casa sequels included and either though this isn't even as good as those I'm still gonna pick it up.

[sonny gaunt]

The horrible thing is that the trailer made it seem like it could be a fun watch............................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ...........I'll buy it anyway, lol.

[goodstuff]

This and Spellcaster were both blind buys from VinSyn. While Spellcaster was a so-bad-its-good movie this was just disappointingly bad. Slow moving, drab characters who can easily intervene while someone is getting killed but just stand there, pretty much no zombies or killing birds. At least throw in some gratuitous nudity for god sakes...but not even that

[Thebunk]

Thanks for the feedback folks. I will be skipping this one I guess.

[DukeTogo84]

Has anyone got this from VS yet? My pre-order hasn't moved.

[yhzmr]

Got mine on Tuesday but I'm a yearly subscriber.

[leoganzi]

http://mondo-digital.com/killingbirds.html

[The Great Owl]

A group of enthusiastic ornithology students ventures deep into the swamps of Louisiana after receiving a college grant to search for a rare species of woodpecker. Unfortunately for them, they end up encountering murderous bloodthirsty zombies instead. As our protagonists take shelter for the night in an abandoned house and are gruesomely killed off one by one, the remaining survivors discover horrific secrets about the walking corpses and about the angry flocks of migrating birds that cover the skies overhead.

The 1987 Italian horror feature, Zombie 5: Killing Birds, like other entries in the Zombie series that followed in the wake of George A Romero's 1978 classic, Dawn of the Dead, is a sequel in name only. Flesh-eating undead are present and accounted for, but this directorial effort from Claudio Lattanzi, produced by Joe D’Amato (Antropophagus), possesses no other narrative ties to its contemporaries that surfaced in Italy with tacked-on title references to Romero's original and to Lucio Fulci's Zombie (1979). The end result is a mashup of sub-genres, straying from post-Vietnam serial killer fare to Southern Gothic, and, finally, to Hitchcock-inspired chaos.

The always amazing Robert Vaughn (Bullitt, The Towering Inferno) is the biggest name on hand as a blind birdwatcher with a secret. Giallo fans will recognize Lara Wendel, who plays one of the unfortunate visitors to the swamp, from her role in Dario Argento's Tenebrae. The main star of this movie, however, is the verdant Thibodaux, Louisiana filming location, which, thanks to D'Amato's cinematography, generates a sense of unease from the get-go. An intensely synth-driven music score by Carlo Maria Cordio completes the “so late 1980s that it needs a warning label” aesthetic.

If you are on board for visceral scenes, then Zombie 5: Killing Birds does not disappoint, especially with regard to a unique death-by-generator sequence, but sparse atmospherics go a long way in their own right. This one does not rate particularly high with most fans of zombie cinema, but I find it to be a wildly fun and engaging popcorn movie.

This Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray, which I watched with its default English language track, looks pretty great, with its 2K scan of the 35mm source. The commentary track by Italian cinema historian Samm Deighan is a great listen. The long interview with Lattanzi delves into some key movies of the era, and the interview with Larry Revene, who worked on the sound, are welcome additions as well.

[leoganzi]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugdnLDtnPFk&list=PLFNZmyGGudrS0uHMsNh9edFk1dXqexQkV&index=46

This track, written by Carlo Maria Cordio, was first introduced from Killing Birds, and since then, it was heavily used for various Filmirage's horror flicks. Love it

[EvilResident]

This movie commits the cardinal sin that keeps movies from being “so bad they’re good.” It’s boring as hell. Bad movies can be awesome (look at my collection if you think I’m being dishonest lol) but if they’re boring, they have nothing.

[leoganzi]

^^

[El Sleezo]

I really vibed with this, probably the soundtrack. But like the site review said, I wish it had done more with its mashing of so many different aspects. I think it could've benefitted from 5 off-the-wall Giallo-like twists in the last ten minutes.