Is Zombie 4 a Hidden Treasure or Dumpster Fire?
Blu-ray Distributed By: Severin Films
In between the celebrated insanities of ZOMBIE 3 and TROLL 2, director Claudio Fragasso (here under the name ‘Clyde Anderson’) and writer/collaborator Rossella Drudi put the penultimate batshit nail in the coffin of the legendary ZOMBIE series: When a white scientist’s cure for cancer enrages an island voodoo priest, it will unleash the ultimate plague of ninja zombies, exploding heads, appalling performances, eye-gouging, face-ripping, power ballads and big bloody mouthfuls of flesh-chomping havoc…and that’s just the first 20 minutes. Adult film superstar Jeff Stryker, Candice Daly (THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS) and Jim Gaines (ISLAND OF THE LIVING DEAD) star in this “ludicrously entertaining” (Ballistic Blood Bullets) Philippines-filmed schlock-fest, now scanned in 2k and uncut for the first time ever in America.
Trashmen Rubbish Round Table
Jimbo
After Death (aka Zombie 4) follows another group of characters as they try to survive a zombie onslaught on another jungle island. This time the zombie carnage is directed by Claudio Fragasso (Troll 2) and offers the brand of Italian cheapness and goriness fans come to expect. For those that have seen Zombi 2, or Zombi 3, you know what I’m talking about.
Travis
I did think this kind of follows Zombie 2 better than Zombie 3 did. The threadbare zombies on an island felt a little more in line with the Fulci classic. That doesn’t make it necessarily better or worse, but at least makes a little more sense if you are looking for some sort of continuity. 4 was certainly less out of control than 3 was, but that also means it was a bit more dull.
Craig
Nothing made any sense in this movie.
Jimbo
This is not George Romero’s zombie trilogy or The Walking Dead. Forget character development. Forget memorable zombies. After Death is about cheap thrills at a very brisk pace.
Jamie
Not to keep repeating nothing makes sense but…nothing makes sense at all!
Regarding the “plot” that I got from Zombie 4 is that there is an island where scientists are stationed there to help with a disease or something and when a voodoo priest’s wife dies, he causes this zombie plague that curses everyone and everything? Then there’s a little girl whose parents are killed but decides to go back to the island when she’s older with a bunch of mercenaries…and there’s something about a book of the dead and a key she holds that can unlock the doors to hell?
Jimbo
Think of it this way… No one watches Friday the 13th Part VII for vibrant characters, plot twists, or deep philosophical ruminations. You watch it to see Jason Voorhees take a woman in a sleeping bag and slam her body into a tree. For cheap thrills, After Death delivers. Especially if what you’re ultimately seeking is face peeling, eyeball gouging, and gay porn stars.
Travis
It just kind of goes off in any direction it wants. Zombies are slow, zombies are fast, zombies are mute, others can basically talk normally. Now that isn’t necessarily a bad idea if they went down some path that zombies start running and talking as they first turn, and slow down as they start to decay more, but this is assuming Fragasso cared that much beyond just cranking something out.
Craig
In a Fulci film that would be one of it’s charms as he knows how to pull off that nightmare surrealism well. Here it just seems like they made things up as they went and didn’t give a fuck if it was understandable. Which can still be entertaining, don’t get me wrong.
Travis
Instead they have some oddball plot point about some talisman that keeps a woman safe from zombies because of some mumbo jumbo. Don’t get fancy on us Fragasso.
Jimbo
The zombies are not particularly memorable. They are generic, and draped in gray and green rags. There is no graveyard ghoul (Night of the Living Dead), machete zombie (Dawn of the Dead), or Bub (Day of the Dead). The zombies work more like an unstoppable supernatural force of nature – a tidal wave, or a volcano. In turn, the characters in these movies are never working together to solve a larger problem because they’re too busy simply trying to survive. There may be the occasional attempt at stopping the onslaught, but in most cases the attempt is just a bridge to the next beat of cheeky, gory violence.
Craig
This would make a good party film (throw it on the TV and turn the volume down and have people ask you all night ‘what the fuck is this’). It’s got demons, ninja zombies, zombies with machine guns, it’s ridiculous.
Jamie
The gore is definitely much better and more plentiful than Zombi 3 but overall I had more fun with Zombi 3.
Travis
Craig
I like how it just starts up and at first you’re wondering if someone mixed up the reels as you are at the climax of another story with no introduction to any of the characters or any idea what the fuck is going on.
Jimbo
The film scores low on originality. You could line it up next to the other Italian cannibal films, where our protagonists are far from the safety of civilization. You can trade tribalism and cannibalism with zombies, but the effects are largely the same. Although After Death does get credit for being one of the first movies to explore the fast and smart zombie, predating Zach Snyder’s Dawn and Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later by about 17 years.
Jamie
I admit there is some funny lines in Zombie 4 that made me laugh. When one guy gets bit, someone says, “What happened to you?”
There was also a scene where the young girl explains why she has returned to the island and when one of the mercenaries asks her why she didn’t say anything earlier, she just says, “I forgot.”
Jimbo
I think my favorite detail is that the Book of Death literally says “The Book of Death” on the cover.
Craig
I should probably have been drunk when I watched it.
Jimbo
After Death is brainless fun with a great 80s soundtrack and loads of action. It never intends to reach the heights of Romero zombie fare, but it does intend to be consistently entertaining.
Jamie
Craig may have nailed it: alcohol is needed in viewing Zombie 4. I was stone cold sober watching it and I think this plays better with friends and alcohol.
Jimbo
Even though Severin’s box art lists both release titles (Zombie 4 & After Death), it’s best to view this film as a stand-alone.
Jamie
What did you guys think of the blu ray transfer? I thought it looked good but wasn’t too impressed. A lot of sequences at night and in caves seemed to show off the graininess alot more. Not a bad thing perhaps. It looked fine but thought the transfer for Zombi 3 was more impressive.
Thoughts on the soundtrack?
Jimbo
I like the soundtrack just fine. I’m a sucker for 80s pop unless it’s being force fed to me to try and tickle my nostalgia nerve. (Looking at you Spielberg!) I do wish Severin included a track listing for the songs. As it stands, I don’t know what any of the track names are. A very small criticism, admittedly.
Jamie
I liked the main theme. “It’s a nightlife, woooooahhhhh!”
Jimbo
As far as the transfer… My expectations are always low for this kind of cheaply made movie. It’s clearly shot fast and cheap so anything that upgrades DVD quality is going to feel like a major win for me. Definitely some heavy grain pattern, but also some nice colors and detail throughout as well.
Craig
After starting with the new transfer and then switching to the old Media Blasters disc, the Blu-Ray makes the DVD look like shit.
Jamie
I loved the special features. Listening to Fragasso and Drudi talk honestly and openly about the film and even critics in general (us?) is engrossing. I even liked the Jeff Stryker interview as well. He mentions that Candice Daly was killed but according to websites, it sounded like a drug overdose. Included on the blu ray is a vintage interview with her, although it is very brief. But overall a decent disc to a silly but fun zombie film.
Hidden Treasure/Dumpster Fire?
| Jamie: |  (3 / 5) |
| Jimbo: | (3 / 5) |
| Travis: | (3 / 5) |
| Craig: | (3 / 5) |
| Average: | (3 / 5) |
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Special Features
- Run Zombie Run – Interview With Co-Director/Co-Writer Claudio Fragasso and Co-Writer Rossella Drudi
- Jeff Stryker in Manila – Interview with Actor Chuck Peyton
- Blondie vs Zombies – Interview with Actress Candice Daly
- Behind the Scenes Footage
- Trailer
- Bonus Disc: CD Soundtrack
