Is Zombi 3 a Hidden Treasure or Dumpster Fire?
Blu-ray Distributed By: Severin Films
Shortly before completing the sequel to his classic ZOMBIE, the legendary Lucio Fulci became ill and left the Philippines-based production. But when director Bruno Mattei (SHOCKING DARK) and writers Claudio Fragasso & Rosella Drudi (TROLL 2) stepped in to finish, the result became the most “insanely enjoyable” (The Lucid Nightmare) zombie romp in EuroCult history: After a deadly virus is stolen from a government facility, it will unleash a “wildly entertaining” (Realm Of Horror) combination of Fulci’s signature extreme violence, Mattei/Fragasso-style surreal logic, and big bloody buckets of goo-spewing mayhem that must be seen to be believed. Deran Sarafian, Beatrice Ring (INTERZONE) and Massimo Vanni (RATS: NIGHT OF TERROR) star in this “total blast” (Bloody Disgusting), now featuring a 2k scan and uncut for the first time ever in America. Also included is the CD Soundtrack to the film.
Trashmen Rubbish Round Table
Jimbo
JimboLooking forward to talking about this one.
Jamie
By the way, the song playing over the menu on this new blu-ray rules.
Travis
This menu music has been looping so long already I feel like I fell asleep and just woke up at 4 AM. Do the eyes move on the menu screen on the Blu too?
Jamie
No. Its scenes from the movie with this 80’s pop song [The Sound of Fear].
Travis
My DVD is already visibly outdated. I hope the Blu is an upgrade!
Jamie
The Blu looks great!
Jimbo
What copy are you watching, Travis?
Jamie
Media Blasters DVD, I bet.
Travis
Yeah, it was this, Zombie 4, and Zombie 5 box set. So, how does the video “uncut” parts look on blu-ray? Opening compression was brutal.
Jamie
Video uncut?
Travis
Yeah, some scenes were obviously a composite on the old DVD. For instance, the DVD used a composite shot when the hotel maid gets her face mushed into the mirror.
Jimbo
Nothing like that on our end.
Travis
Dang, they must have gotten a better source.
Jamie
The Severin transfer looks gorgeous.
Jimbo
However, the HD transfer makes the poor zombie make-up 20x more noticeable.
Jamie
Yeah, they look like they have clay on their face. The main zombie make-up looks terrible.
Jimbo
The zombies are very low rent in this. Cheap make up, wrapped in rags…
Travis
I didn’t think it’s too bad….the rags a holdover from Zombi 2 maybe?
Jamie
Way worse than Zombi 2.
Travis
Yeah, certainly not normal Fulci levels.
Jamie
Fulci barely directed this too. You can tell this stinks of Bruno Mattei – ripping off movies like The Crazies and Romero films…scientists vs military again.
Jimbo
It’s pretty amazing that the Italians don’t even follow the story of their own franchises. They just rip off better movies.
Travis
Is this before Return of the Living Dead?
Jamie
Way after.
Travis
Should have known…
Jamie
This is more like Nightmare City – fast zombies with completely mushed up faces.
Travis
I know this is Italian (obviously), but this is a great example of throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks. Just a mix of so much zikness.
Jamie
Certain shots have a fog filter, some have Argento stylized lighting. The look of the film is all over the map.
Travis
[Laughter] I thought the fog was just on the DVD.
Jamie
Travis, would you upgrade to blu? Do you think its worth getting the new Severin disc?
Travis
It would be good to have the gorier bits not be from a crappy composite.
Jamie
It comes with the soundtrack too.
Travis
Not that this has a great soundtrack.
Jamie
True. [Laughter] Jimbo? First time watching it…thoughts?
Jimbo
It’s just a hodgepodge of ideas from better movies. Nothing makes any rational sense, but it moves and they at least put their efforts in keeping the action fun and engaging. But it’s just full of stupid shit and half-assery. A lot of the zombies have their faces made-up but no one bothers to dress their hands or legs. So you’ll have a fight scene with a zombie that has a green and black head but legs whiter than mine.
Travis
Stupid shit used to annoy me about Italian horror. Like the end, where the guy just dicks around forever, jumps on the helicopter super late, then a bunch of zombies who were apparently sleeping under hay jump out? Now I just roll with it.
Jamie
I have to say I like this much, MUCH better than when I saw it close to 20 years ago. It’s very entertaining.
Travis
Now that you know it’s stupid as fuck, and don’t expect ultra gore.
Jamie
Yeah, and 20 years ago I was thinking it was a Fulci sequel. If you go in knowing this is just random ideas and rip-offs from other flicks, and it’s not a sequel to Zombi 2, you can enjoy it.
Jimbo
That’s the problem with a lot of these movies. Anyone unfamiliar is going to assume it’s a direct sequel. Most will be disappointed unless their expectations are properly tuned prior.
Travis
In this day and age, who is going to be confused? Horror nerds should expect the normal Italian mess.
Jamie
I am a horror nerd and when I saw this I assumed it was Zombi 3, sequel to Zombi 2. Not just a random zombie flick called Zombi 3.
Jimbo
Not everyone is a horror nerd like us. So we should briefly explain how this got so convoluted. George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead was re-edited by Dario Argento and titled Zombi: Dawn of the Dead for the Italian market. Lucio Fulci’s follow up film, Zombi 2 (which has nothing to do with Dawn of the Dead), is available in America as Zombie and acts as it’s own stand-alone film. And then Zombi 3 (released in America as Zombie 3) continues the tradition of having nothing to do with it’s predecessor. Confused?
So I think it’s important to note for our readers that Zombi 3 doesn’t require seeing any of the previous entries. They don’t tie together and I don’t want any film fan to pass this up just because they can’t find “Zombi 2” in America.
Travis
I could see that. “I can’t find Zombie 1? What the hell?”
Jamie
Who should seek out this film then?
Travis
Easy, Italian horror fans. Otherwise, buyer beware. I bet there is a mega nerd out there who thinks 3 is superior to Zombi 2.
Jimbo
Craig probably thinks 3 is better than 2.
Travis
[Laughter] I could see that.
Jimbo
Well, Zombi 3 isn’t for your average The Walking Dead fan. I agree with Travis that you have to have some appreciation for Italian insanity and surreal logic.
Jamie
I like how we are all in agreement on this one: Zombi 3 is entertaining, but oh so stupid. And I am fine with stupid as long as it is entertaining and there is some effort put forth by the cast and crew, no matter how inept.
Okay, so what did you guys think of the flying zombie head scene?
Travis
Completely stupid and nonsensical. But funny and gory.
Jimbo
That scene perfectly epitomizes what Zombi 3 represents. It’s just one of a series of entertaining set pieces that don’t fit together logically, but keep the moving rolling.
Travis
I’m kind of shocked – no nudity at all.
Jamie
None whatsoever. And it wasn’t missed. It was so entertaining I didn’t need milkers.
Travis
They teased it though.
Jimbo
Teased, but no pay-off. But nudity is usually low on my list of needs. If I feel the movie is missing nudity, it means you’re doing everything else wrong.
Travis
I am almost shocked with all the fighting and Filipino zombies, they didn’t work martial arts in somehow. Karate zombies, just to complete the insanity.
Jamie
Oh like Raw Force?
Jimbo
Raw force is an excellent analogy. Almost every zombie attacks from the skies.
Jamie
I love me some Raw Force.
Travis
Raw Force is great.
Jamie
Let’s talk about the extras. The blu-ray has a shitload of interviews.
Most are very short but the best one is the interview with co-director (uncredited) and co-writer Claudio Fragasso and his wife, co-writer Rossella Drudi. They speak candidly about Fulci, how sick he was while making the film, how they had to re-write certain sequences and that Fragasso worked on the gore and action sequences while Bruno Mattei directed more of the non-action sequences. They didn’t say many nice things about Dario Argento at the end of that interview, did they?
Jimbo
If that’s your favorite interview, I’d highly recommend Severin’s triple play (Zombie 3, Zombie 4, & Shocking Dark) to get the whole interview with that pair. I also enjoyed the Bruno Mattei interview.
Jamie
The interview with Bruno Mattei had to be old since he died years ago. I like how he admits all his films are bad.
I enjoyed the interviews with the stuntmen / actors Massimo Vanni and Ottaviano Dell’Acqua but their little segment was too short. I thought the interview with actress Marina Loi was too short too. She looked young still, so I wonder if this is an older interview from the old Media Blasters DVD.
The audio commentary by Deran Sarafian and Beatrice Ring isn’t very good. Sarafian tries to be funny and it’s just annoying. I admit I didn’t last long watching / listening to this.
Jimbo
Travis, can you summarize the Media Blaster’s DVD extras?
Travis
- Liner notes explaining the poor quality of sections of the movie, like the opening scenes or the gorier bits. Taken from a 1-inch Japanese master, which was the best element available at the time.
- Daran and Beatrice give an intro to the movie, which was filmed before or after their commentary recording.
- Gallery
- Trailers (for Beyond the Darkness and Eaten Alive)
- Theatrical Trailer
- Interviews
- Claudio Fragasso
- Bruno Mattei
- Dell’ Aqua & Vanni
- Marina Loi
- Franco Di Girolamo
- Commentary by Beatrice and Deran
Jimbo
In summary, a great new blu-ray from Severin Films worthy of an upgrade for fans who own the 2002 Media Blasters DVD. Newbies may want to check out Zombie (aka Zombi 2), or Shocking Dark first to get a taste of this brand of Italian silliness. But collectors may want to keep their old DVDs because some of the extras didn’t port over.
Travis
Must….have…..all….content!
Jimbo
We’re nerds!
Jamie
Big time!
Hidden Treasure/Dumpster Fire?
| Jamie: |  (3 / 5) |
| Jimbo: | (3 / 5) |
| Travis: | (3 / 5) |
| Average: | (3 / 5) |
[amazon_link asins=’B07CT9FX6R,B07CT8F5S8,B07CT88BVT,B005CU5OEU’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’trashmenamaz-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’1ba52007-6ca5-11e8-b597-c5445e636a1a’]
Special Features
- The Last Zombies – Interview With Co-Director/Co-Writer Claudio Fragasso and Co-Writer Rossella Drudi
- Tough Guys – Interview with Actors/Stuntmen Massimo Vanni and Ottaviano Dell’Acqua
- The Problem Solver – Interview with Replacement Director Bruno Mattei
- Swimming with Zombies – Interview with Actress Marina Loi
- In the Zombie Factory – Interview with FX Artist Franco Di Girolamo
- Audio Commentary With Stars Deran Sarafian and Beatrice Ring
- Trailer
- Bonus Disc: CD Soundtrack
