On February 7th, my wife and I went on a trip to sunny California. We started in LA, visiting a friend for a couple of days, and over the next week slowly drove up the coast to finish things up in San Francisco. It was rad! But, it made watching a movie every day/writing about it quite difficult. As committed as I am to this thing, I can't justify missing out on a potentially once-in-a-lifetime trip to blog about a terrible indie-slasher, you know? Plus, I think it's wise to occasionally do things with your spouse.
So things will be a little different for the next 11 entries. I managed to watch the movies, but rather than writing about them as I normally do, I'll do a quick little synopsis, a little imdb research, quote some of the reviews (can you do that?) and bounce off of them. Followed up with my general impressions. Okay, thanks!
California is pretty sweet.
Vengeance of the Zombies
You know - it's been about two weeks since I watched Vengeance of the Zombies, and I am at a loss to describe it. Part of it is just not remembering it, and part of it is that it's just an off-the wall film. Kind of a mess, but mostly enjoyable. I am just going to poach from "tom09" (from imdb) - he says:
A Paul Naschy vehicle in which he plays an East Indian guru named (what else?) Krishna who may or may not be responsible for gang of murderous zombies on the loose in London, but the real 'stars' of this flick are the unintentional humor and the relentlessly kitschy soundtrack (the end title theme is particularly memorable, in that "so bad, it's good" category). Other things to watch out for include the stock footage of London, grinning zombies, a blinking corpse, and an "out of left field" plot twist. Stupendously bad, but terrific fun for those into this sort of thing.
-Thanks "tom09!"
What he said. I'd maybe leave out the "stupendously bad" bit - that seems a tad harsh.
Moreover... the totally inappropriate, yet undeniably awesome groovy free-form avant-garde fusion jazz prog-rock score add immensely to the ample unintentional amusement.
-Thanks "Woodyanders" via imdb
The music in Vengeance of the Zombies is so ill-fitting it's just ridiculous. It's was definitely the most memorable thing about the film for me, and had me laughing loudly on more than one occasion while I was checking it out on the plane. Funny stuff.
There are numerous flaws to be found here (plot holes, a completely inappropriate lounge score, mediocre direction and acting), but "Vengeance of the Zombies" manages to be pretty fun for what it is: dumb exploitation made for undemanding viewers. In a way, the ultimately silly nature of the whole thing works more than it doesn't
-Thanks "lovecraft231" via imdb
Emphasis on "Undemanding Viewers." Anyone wanting to watch a legitimate (i.e. coherent and well made) movie best look elsewhere. Also, fair warning: they do kill a live chicken on camera (decapitation). I hate that shit.
While some regard the film as utter crap, many of my fellow Paul Naschy fans seem to regard it as a particularly bizarre highlight in the Spanish Horror icon's filmography.
-Thanks "Bensch" via imdb
This is actually my first Naschy film. He definitely has an engaging screen presence, and I'm hoping to check out more of his work. Knowing that he wrote a lot of his films only sweetens the pot.(Dracula vs. Frankenstein is next on the docket.) For some reason, some of his films seem difficult to track down, or are only available with sketchy transfers. Oh well, I've always liked a challenge - at least a challenge that involves watching movies.
Final Thoughts:
I wish my memories of this were a little clearer. In hindsight, watching it on an iPad, on a plane, at the end of a vacation (*and* sober to boot) are probably not the ideal circumstances to watch something like Vengeance of the Zombies. A pretty fun, but not "good" flick. Not entirely in my "so-bad-it's-good" wheelhouse, but in the same ballpark. If I had a "WTF wheelhouse" this would probably be there. I'm glad I watched it, and will likely revisit it at some point.
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