Zombie

(Italian Shock top - Anchor Bay middle - Blue Underground bottom)

(aka "Zombie 2" or "Zombie Flesh-Eaters" or "Woodoo" or "Woodoo: Rædslernes grønne ø" )

directed by Lucio Fulci
Italy 1979

They really don't make them like they used to. Although I enjoyed the recent "Resident Evil" movie (against all expectations), it is sad to see how the zombie movie has gone downhill over the past couple of decades. Today's zombie movie is a kinder, gentler zombie movie. The camera oh-so-nimbly cuts away in time, lest you see any offensive grue. And the women in the new generation of zombie flicks are strong and capable, unlike their limp-dishrag sisters from the seventies who merely screamed and waited to be rescued by the man folk. That I don't mind, but on the downside, they just don't run around with their baps out as much as they used to. For all of its many flaws (emphasis on MANY), Lucio Fulci's 1979 B-movie near masterpiece "Zombie" (a.k.a. a slew of other titles) has enough worm-ridden zombie flesh, horrendously fake yet appalling gore, and completely superfluous female nudity to make this a winner.

Excerpt from ECritic's review located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: 25 August 1979, Italy

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DVD Comparison:

Anchor Bay - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Italian Shock - Region 0 - PAL vs. Blue Underground - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Media Blasters - Region 1 - NTSC

Big thanks to Ole Kofoed for the Anchor Bay Screen Caps, Gregory Meshman for the Blue Underground, Pieter Boven for the Italian Shock and Michael Den Boer for the Media Blasters captures!

(Anchor Bay - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Italian Shock - Region 0 - PAL - 2nd vs. Blue Underground - Region 0 - NTSC - 3rd vs. Media Blasters - Region 1 - NTSC - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers
Distribution	Anchor Bay Region 0 - NTSC	Italian Shock Region 0 - PAL	Blue Underground Region 0 - NTSC	Media Blasters Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	1:31:00	1:27:35 (4% PAL speedup)	1:31:12	1:31:14
Video	2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: ? mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.53 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 7.91 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: ?.?? mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Anchor Bay
Bitrate: Italian Shock
Bitrate: Blue Underground
Bitrate: Media Blasters
Audio	English Dolby Digital 5.1, 2.0 Surround	English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)	English and Italian (Dolby Digital 5.1, 2.0 Surround, 2.0 Mono)	English and Italian (Dolby Digital 5.1, 2.0 Surround, 2.0 Mono)
Subtitles	None.	Dutch, none	English, None	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Anchor Bay Aspect Ratio: Widescreen letterboxed - 2.35:1 Edition Details: • Commentary with actor Ian McCulloch and Jason J. Slater (Diabolik Magazine). • US Theatrical trailer (2:37). • 2 television spots (1:33). • 4 radio spots (2:01). DVD Release Date: July 7, 1998 Keep Case Chapters 11	Release Information: Studio: Italian Shock Aspect Ratio: Widescreen letterboxed - 2.35:1 Edition Details: • Trailer (3'35) • Isolated musical soundtrack, 10 tracks • Soundtrack remixes, tributes & radio spots, 30 tracks • Liner Notes, in English • Filmography of Lucio Fulci, in English • Photo gallery of lobby cards & posters DVD Release Date: 2001 Keepcase Chapters 9	Release Information: Studio: Blue Underground Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 2.35:1 Edition Details: • Theatrical Trailers • TV Spots • Radio Spots • Poster and Still Galleries • Lucio Fulci Bio • Easter Egg - Trailers to other Lucio Fulci films DVD Release Date: July 27, 2004 Keep Case Chapters 24	Release Information: Studio: Media Blasters Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 2.35:1 Edition Details: • Commentary with actor Ian McCulloch • Production stills, posters and lobby card gallery, • “Food for the Worms,” a 13-minute featurette interviewing opening-scene zombie Captain Haggerty. • Original ZOMBI 2 trailer, plus trailers for ZOMBIE 3, ZOMBI 4: AFTER DEATH and ZOMBI 5: KILLING BIRDS, FLESH FOR THE BEAST, FLESH EATER, EROTIC NIGHTS OF THE LIVING DEAD, ZOMBIE HOLOCAUST, BURIAL GROUND and BIO-ZOMBIE, • “Building a Better Zombie,” a 98-minute documentary, • “Raising the Dead,” a six-minute featurette • "An Evening With Dakar". DVD Release Date: August 10, 2004 KeepCase in cardboard sleeve Chapters 20

Comments

ADDITION: Media Blasters (Aug -04) - Colors appear most vibrant in the new Media Blasters edition although skin tones tend to look a little orange and the image may be overly bright. Sharpness looks quite comparable to the Blue Underground addition - perhaps a notch below. This addition, like the Blue Underground, offers English Dolby Digital 5.1, English Dolby Digital stereo surround, English Dolby Digital Mono, Italian Dolby Digital 5.1, Italian Dolby Digital stereo surround and Italian Dolby Digital Mono and removable Eng. subtitles. It is significantly stacked in the Extras dept. with a few more than the BU and the commentary.

- Gary + Michael

*************

The Anchor Bay and Italian Shock captures are in their native resolution and the BU is scaled down.

The old Anchor Bay has a pretty high amount of dirt, white speckles, digital artifacts and even a few blue dead pixels. The Blue Underground is much sharper and a very nice clean print, but we have doubts about BU's colours - Sadomania (which they offer replacement for) and Contraband had some night scenes transferred as day, this "day for night" stuff seems also here in capture 5+6 - but which one is correct here, we have no idea. Contraband and Venom has a greenish tint which also is noticeable here. Also look at the stripes on the wall in capture 2: they are blue, yellow and pink! Again, we have really no idea which one is most accurate

The Blue Underground and Italian Shock are longer versions than the Anchor Bay, we haven't compared what the differences are, but it should be additional footage and different framing in a few scenes plus a possible different opening.

The Blue Underground is the best release right now, but we suggest to wait buying until the Media Blasters is released, we will add the DVD to this comparison as soon we have a copy.

- Ole, Gregory and Pieter

DVD Menus

(Anchor Bay - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Italian Shock - Region 0 - PAL - RIGHT)

DVD Menus

(Blue Underground - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Media Blaster - Region 1 - NTSC - RIGHT)

Screen Captures

(Anchor Bay - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP vs. Italian Shock - Region 0 - PAL - 2nd vs. Blue Underground - Region 0 - NTSC - 3rd vs. Media Blasters - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

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Report Card:

Image:	Blue Underground
Sound:	Blue Underground/ Media Blasters
Extras:	Media Blasters
Menu:	--

DVD Box Covers

Distribution

Anchor Bay

Region 0 - NTSC

Italian Shock
Region 0 - PAL

Blue Underground
Region 0 - NTSC

Media Blasters
Region 1 - NTSC