Zombie 4: After Death (1989) review



I love Italian horror flicks. I don't care how cheesy they are or how low budget they are. All I care about is the fun factor. And this little low budget gem from director Claudio Fragasso (Monster Dog, Troll 2, Zombie 3 and Robowar) and his wife, screenwriter Rossella Drudi, is super fun. The plot is nothing new, a voodoo priest unleashes zombies by opening a gate to hell. I just recently got this on blu-ray (shown above) and had been looking forward to viewing it ever since I saw it existed. This is an unofficial sequel to Zombi 2 & 3 (which themselves are unofficial Italian sequels to George Romero's Dawn of the Dead). This seems to get mostly negative reviews from the critics, so I must be an exception. I found this to be a fun, yet cheesy as all hell, zombie flick.

Like I said, the plot isn't very original. Scientists are doing experiments on an island to find out what happens "after death" and this infuriates a voodoo priest. He raises the dead to kill all of them, with only a little girl (Jenny) escaping. Years later, she (Candice Daly) returns to find out what happened to her parents. She's accompanied by mercenaries. Unbeknownst to them, three hikers are already on the island. They happen upon the original site of the voodoo ritual and read from the book of the dead, once again awakening the zombies, and weirdness ensues. These aren't your typical zombies. In the interview, Drudi said she wanted a sense of the zombies evolving. First they're slow, then the become quick and jump around like ninjas.

The parties are killed off until only Jenny and Chuck (adult film star Jeff Stryker) remain. The ending is a little abstract to say the least. Is the curse destroyed or are the zombies still waiting for other unsuspecting victims to stumble across the island.

Overall, I really liked it. I liked the characters, the pacing and the effects. Sure, you can tell it's low budget, but that adds to the charm. Fragasso did what he could with what he had. Plus, he was filming another flick during the day and this one at night. If you like Italian horror or the cheesiness of part 3, then check this one out as well. Well worth your time. I'd give it 3.5 out of 5. Any fans of this flick? How about his other flicks? I'm looking forward to part 5 of the Zombie series, then finding Robowar.

Later, ghouls

Dr. Deimos Strigoi




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