the Italian film industry was notorious for ripping off Romero's zombie films in the 70's and 80's. i rented this terd and so far about 45 minutes into the movie there's only been one zombie and it looked like a direct Michael Myers rip-off! also, the opening credits directly ripped off the original Dawn of the Dead lettering-LAME.
i hate b-movies that falsely advertise or mislead you into what you're renting. i rented this expecting the standard zombie flick and instead all it's turning out to be is some lamo church conspiracy, supernatural, wannabe thriller.
Try watching I Was a Zombie For The FBI
REVENGE OF THE DEAD is properly known as ZEDER and was only distributed in the U.S. as REVENGE OF THE DEAD. It is unfortunate that a well done thriller like ZEDER is pawned off on unsuspecting viewers as a zombie movie when it is a resurrectionist story (which, by the way, predates PET SEMATARY which has a similar plot) well done by director Pupi Avati who also co-wrote the script.
If you saw it as a Creature Features release, you saw a cut up version of the movie which is missing 10 minutes, including important scenes. If you saw the Lightning Video release, which is only on VHS, you saw the complete release (provided you have watched more than 45 minutes).
Within the first 10 minutes there are 2 zombie (actually resurrected dead in this film) appearances; one is off-screen and only seen in shadow. There are six total appearances in the film.
If you are looking for a well done thriller which combines elements of gothic, giallo, conspiracy, any, yes, even zombie films, ZEDER will fit the bill. If you are looking for a b-grade zombie movie, this is not it.
Here is a short review I did for REVENGE OF THE DEAD/ZEDER (http://www.freehorror.net/discus/messages/2/28.html?1108268263)
There are no zombies. There are a few of the undead, but they are definitely not what most people would consider zombies.
I was excited to see this, I knew it as ZEDER, but then I heard all the criticism from the REVENGE OF THE DEAD crowd. I don't think it's as bad as they say, but I'm not in Menard's camp either.
See, I was expecting a "thinking man's zombie movie steeped in ancient mysteries". Well, the movie is a mystery movie, but the ancient mysteries don't live up to expectations. A quick pass by the Oracle at Delphi and then pseudo-scientific "k-zones". Not quite FOUCAULT'S PENDULUM, that.
Still, I enjoyed it in a low-budget foreign X-FILES kind of way. The bit at the end (SPOILERS!--but not really) with the multiple video cameras and the laughing was a pretty neat little moment(END SPOILERS!). So I have to agree with Menard. If I saw this as REVENGE OF THE DEAD, I'd probably be disappointed. I saw it, however, under the incomprehensible name (at least before you see the movie) ZEDER, so I was expecting something different.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I must work on my screenplay for REVENGE OF THE DEAD NERDS.
hehe, catchy title. oh us and our nerdy movie jokes, help us. :)
I actually saw it when it came out at the drive-in in, I believe, 1984. Since I was going to the drive-in to see some horror movies and got in just past the opening credits for REVENGE OF THE DEAD, I did not have the disadvantaged of expectations, for I never saw the poster or knew the title. I just saw a horror movie I really liked and seriously could not forget the video room scene, among a few others. I could imagine someone feeling really let down after anticipating seeing a zombie movie and instead getting a thriller.
The laughing video-cam man scene IS a memorable one. Esp. when the hand rips out of the floorboard, nearly clutching the guy's leg(Oh yeah. BTW--spoiler alert). I pretty much second what Mofo Rising had to say about this one.