Hell of the Living Dead

aka Virus, Night of the Zombies, and Zombie Creeping Flesh

 Director(s) - Bruno Mattei (Rats, Zombi 3) and Claudio Fragasso (Troll 2, Monster Dog)

Starring - Margit Evelyn Newton (The Final Executioner), Franco Garofalo (The Violent Breed), and Selan Karay (Last Stop on the Night Train)

Release Date - 1980

Genre - Horror

Tagline(s) -  "There is no escape from NIGHT OF THE ZOMBIES!" "When the creeping dead devour the living flesh!" "Get ready... It's gonna be one hell of a Night..." "If only they would die..." "Pray it will never happen." and "They eat the living!"

Format - Blu-Ray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

      If you asked a horror fan what their favorite zombie movie was before 2010 you would usually get the answers Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead. These films from the master of horror, George A. Romero, has been an inspiration to thousands of filmmakers and has influenced film after film upon their release.  Several films have set out to expand on the story set forth in NotLD.  Several have tried to create an origins story while others tried to pick up where the original left off but none have been able to make a film as amazing as that work of art.  DotD has also been inspiring and went on to have countless films imitate it in one way or another.  However, not many films were made that combined elements of both.  In 1980 Bruno Mattei made the film Hell of the Living Dead (aka Virus, Zombie Creeping Flesh, and Night of the Zombies).  Using the same score by Goblin from Dawn of the Dead, he set out to make an origins story for Night of the Living Dead that borrowed heavily from Dawn of the Dead.  I first saw this film when I graduated high school when I bought the Anchor Bay The Walking Dead Fright Pack.  The film did not leave a lasting impression on me and over time I forgot my real feelings on the film.  I caught wind that Blue Underground was releasing this film as a double feature with Rats so I reached out to them for a review copy and I checked this one out one more time. 

     The film follows a special task force that is under direct orders of Interpol as they are sent to New Guinea to see what has caused them to lose contact with a research facility.  Once there they save a reporter and her cameraman from people that has been infected with something that has turned them into flesh eating fiends.  They push on through the jungle and encounter the natives who are mourning the lose of their loved ones that have died at the hands of the undead.  The dead return back to life and attack the natives forcing the squad, reporter, and cameraman to run for safety.  They have several run ins with the undead and lose a member or two of their party before they reach their destination.  It is here that they learn the reason behind the dead rising from the grave and of their mortality.
      Italian zombie films have a look all their own and that has earned them the reputation for being far superior among horror fans. The Italians have a way or creating suspense before hitting us with some serious gore.  That is what Hell of the Living Dead does.  It gives us some great atmosphere and suspense but fails to keep a consistent pace.  The acting in this one is over the top with several characters making their roles unbelievable.  Horror fans love the Italians films because they are so gory and brutal but when you have goofy characters it ruins the vibe of the film.  This is not typical of Italian horror and fans of Lucio Fulci may find this annoying.  The story for this one is fun but borrows heavily from several other films.  The most obvious being Romero's Dawn of the Dead.  The film has a scene that is rivals that in DotD in which the elite task force penetrates a building full of immigrants to save them from the undead.  Hell has a scene very close to this and it even borrows the same music score from Goblin.  With that being said, it is a fun horror adventure film that is very character driven even though you may not like them all.  Finally, the film has tons of on screen kills and special effects.  Compared to other Italian zombie films this one is a little weak when it comes to the kills but it is way more powerful than any American production of the time.  It has a lot of gut chomping and flesh ripping kills and decent special effects to pull them off.  Overall, Hell of the Living Dead is gut-wrenching zombie film that may not be for everyone.  However, if you like bad movies then this one may be right up your alley.