"Zombi Holocaust" is my favorite zombie film to show to my zombie-curious friends. Despite belonging unquestionably to a genre that generally prioritizes gore above everything else, ZH throws a bone to all audiences by mixing in amusing characters and a decent plot. And of course, it gets the gore in there too. There aren't many zombies, but don't let that deter you. You'll get what you want.
Let me clarify everything I've just said. By "amusing characters," I mean that all the characters are charmingly clumsy stereotypes. Ian McCulloch's physical appearance is such an endearing cliché some friends referred to him as "Ken" (a la Barbie) throughout the film. His behavior follows suit, and the others are just as good.
By "decent plot," I simply mean that the plot is a driving force throughout the film. Many films in the genre present the entire plot in the first 15 minutes, and the rest of film just kind of follows logically. "Burial Ground" is the worst example: in the opening scene, zombies emerge near a mansion, and the rest of the film is just the zombies eating the people. ZH by contrast keeps up the plot development throughout the film, even throwing in "twist" near the end. The plot is, of course, as cheesy as everything else in the films, but at least it makes the viewer want to know what happens. There's even a "theme" (which does disappear halfway through) about vegetarianism/cannibalism/etc.
And gore. The connoisseurs will by pleased but not impressed. The best gore consists of bloody entrails being pulled from acceptably convincing torsos. There's quite a bit of variety, too, but none of Fulci's torn throats, and nothing is truly believable.
Really, there are only like 5 zombies in the whole movie. And they look like a mess. But you won't care. It delivers everything that a zombie film should.
Let me clarify everything I've just said. By "amusing characters," I mean that all the characters are charmingly clumsy stereotypes. Ian McCulloch's physical appearance is such an endearing cliché some friends referred to him as "Ken" (a la Barbie) throughout the film. His behavior follows suit, and the others are just as good.
By "decent plot," I simply mean that the plot is a driving force throughout the film. Many films in the genre present the entire plot in the first 15 minutes, and the rest of film just kind of follows logically. "Burial Ground" is the worst example: in the opening scene, zombies emerge near a mansion, and the rest of the film is just the zombies eating the people. ZH by contrast keeps up the plot development throughout the film, even throwing in "twist" near the end. The plot is, of course, as cheesy as everything else in the films, but at least it makes the viewer want to know what happens. There's even a "theme" (which does disappear halfway through) about vegetarianism/cannibalism/etc.
And gore. The connoisseurs will by pleased but not impressed. The best gore consists of bloody entrails being pulled from acceptably convincing torsos. There's quite a bit of variety, too, but none of Fulci's torn throats, and nothing is truly believable.
Really, there are only like 5 zombies in the whole movie. And they look like a mess. But you won't care. It delivers everything that a zombie film should.