I think you guys would realize this by now…but I have a LOT of free times on my hand and I mean a LOT of it. So once again, it is time for gaming and VRV and I must choose a film from my watch list. Well, did I find a gem of a film today. Let me take you back to 1980 with this time machine, so that we can take a close look at the film Virus – l’inferno dei morti viventi known elsewhere in the world as Zombie Creeping Flesh and Hell of the Living Dead. If you were looking for a cheesy 1980’s zombie film, you are in the correct place for one. This project was handed to Bruno Mattei after the success of George Romero’s 1978 classic Dawn of the Dead. His job was simple — to make a movie like Dawn of the Dead with a lighter tone. For more, let’s go to my favorite place on the web for synopsis — IMDB.
“After a chemical leak at the Hope Centre in Papua New Guinea (an organization devoted to feeding underdeveloped countries) turns its staff into flesh-eating zombies, a four-man commando squad led by Mike London are sent to investigate. They run into a TV news crew led by celebrity reporter Lia, who are after the same story, but when they discover that the entire country has been overrun by zombies, what are the chances of them getting the message across?”
If you are looking for cheese, you have come to the right place. The only award-winning thing about Hell of the Living Dead is its soundtrack by Italian Prog Rock band Goblin (Suspiria, Buio Omega, etc.), but that does not mean there isn’t anything perfect about this film. With its use of stock footage, its cheesy, off-dub dialogue, and its overall tone, I would say this is a perfect party film. It’s the kind of movie that is so bad, it is good and unlike the tagline for this film, “If only they would die,” I hope this film never does!
Hell of the Living Dead is now available on DVD from Blue Underground and in a combo Blu-Ray set with Rats: Night of Terror. It is available for free streaming on Shudder and VRV!
