A Caribbean tourist company brings a bunch of Americans to a mysterious island to see a top-secret voodoo ceremony. It seems like a goofy prank at first, but soon it becomes clear that there are real voodoo zombies hiding in the nearby forest. When their tour bus gets stuck in the mud, the tourists soon discover that they all may become victims of the mysteries of the woods.
Zombie Island Massacre (1983/84) is a bit of a misleading title. There are hardly any George Romero style flesh-eaters. Instead this is a throwback to the 1940s program pictures from Monogram and PCR, like King of the Zombies and Revolt of the Zombies. So while some horror fans will be disappointed by the lack of bloody mayhem ala Fulci’s Zombie (1979), This reviewer found this to be a highly entertaining cheese-fest.
The movie has a nice blend of suspense, action, and some tongue-in-cheek humor. It’s fitting that Troma would release this title on VHS and DVD. The whole 80 minutes is a good time with only a few moments of filler. Things start off on the right track with crazy voodoo opening credits. Next, we get a man in a voodoo mask slowly creeping on a woman in the shower set to an upbeat song called Di Reggae Picnic by composer Harry Manfredini (where is the soundtrack CD??). From here we get a lovely mix of travel footage, slasher character moments, and bottom of the barrel island sleaze.
It’s nice to see a movie with such a laid back atmosphere. The ultra low budget adds to the overall charm. There are some bloopers with the cameraman’s shadow popping up a few too many times. Some of the weaker moments are made more polish thanks to The Manfredini score, which at times sounds to be borrowing a few cues from his earlier Friday the 13th tracks.
The good folks at Vinegar Syndrome have also restored Zombie Island Massacre in it’s best home video release so far. Unlike some of the Troma DVD prints, this copy isn’t washed out with dull color. Previous versions also suffered from dark night scenes with plenty of digital noise and a pitch-black image from some VHS sources.
This Blu-ray fixes all these issues with a clear and bright image. Some of the island scenes are wildly vivid. I think some viewers who may have disliked the movie before, will find this edition to be a breath of fresh air. The 1080p HD transfer is just a wonder to see. The audio mix is also clear with no hiss or pops. English subtitles are included.
Included as extras are the original theatrical trailer, a gallery of TV spots, and the Promotional “Sizzle” reel to get distribution interest. It’s a great mix of vintage sleaze. The disc also includes a reversible cover, and the limited edition comes with a cool slipcover.
Zombie Island Massacre isn’t for everyone, but I personally had a blast with this bonkers island adventure. Recommended.
Director- John N. Carter
Cast- David Broadnax, Rita Jenrette, Tom Cantrell
Country of Origin- USA
Discs- 2
Distributor- Vinegar Syndrome
Reviewer- Tyler Miller