ZOMBI 3 (Lucio Fulci, 1988) - from Severin Films, 2018

[bruce holecheck]

From my Cinema Arcana FB Page:

“Hell on Earth!” Yet another Eurotrash favorite’s on the way from Severin Films later this year with their upcoming Blu-Ray of Lucio Fulci’s highly-divisive ZOMBI 3 (1988)! The film follows a viral plague that spreads through the Philippines when a mercenary team steals an experimental serum innocuously named Death One and, of course, accidentally get contaminated by it. Said compound was designed to reanimate the dead, but it comes with some unfortunate side effects – like melty faces and a taste for neck meat. Meanwhile, several G.I.s and tourists become flesh for the zombie mill when they get too close for comfort. No crummy hotel, small bush or refrigerator is safe. Beware of flying heads.

Refreshingly stupid with its anything goes attitude and globs of grue to spare, ZOMBI 3 is hotly contested amongst fans of the director. Fulci himself was only responsible for part of the completed film; depending on the source, he either left for personal health reasons, or due to disagreements with the producers over the direction of the finished project. Regardless, Bruno Mattei stepped in to help complete the film along with scripter Claudio Fragasso, and the result is a schizo mess that doesn’t make much sense, but moves so damn fast you won’t care. No word on specs for Severin’s release yet, but I imagine it’ll best the currently available options in terms of extras and quality.

Not that this is the only slab of prime Eurotrash Severin have on the way in 2018 – they’re also working on Fragasso’s gleefully gory ZOMBIE 4: AFTER DEATH (1989) and Mattei’s unabashed rip-off amalgam SHOCKING DARK (1989), along with Joe D’Amato’s gut-muncher ANTHROPOPHAGOUS (1980) and its pseudo-sequel, ABSURD (1981). It’s going to be a hell of a year.

© Bruce Holecheck, 2018