Rating:

Hearing a lot about Paul Naschy, Vengeance of the Zombies felt like a good place to start checking out his films. Zombies. Vengeance. Beautiful. Maybe not. Naschy’s career spans almost 50 years, and he’s well known amongst the Spanish horror crowd. The driving force behind seeing this film, was the special release of Vengeance of the Zombies and The Night of the Werewolf, both starring Paul Naschy. Vengeance is a decent addition to any zombie fan’s collection, not quite on par with the bigger zombie films, but far from the worst.

Sorry, it’s not translated, but it’s Paul Naschy, today, speaking about the film. Very interesting if you get the DVD.

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Vengeance of the Zombies starts off with a couple of grave robbers, who, are trying to weigh the decision to rob a rich girls grave to make enough money to leave their dwelling, or to be morally correct and leave desecration alone once and for all. Any zombie aficionado knows exactly which choice they’re going to make, and loves that the choice is made for them afterwards. The two break into the crypt where the dead girl is buried, and, as they begin to plunder the body, the door is locked behind them by a gloved hand (Giallo anyone?). No sooner do the two freak out then the dead girl is reanimated and takes her “vengeance”, with some nice gore to back it up.

Elvire Irving (Romy) is introduced as the red-headed focal character of the film. She is taken in by the intelligence and wisdom of Krisna (Naschy), a wise man from India. She is fascinated by him, but Kala (Mirta Miller) is already by his side. She witnesses a ritual where Krisna injures himself to prove devotion to an ancient deity. She returns home for the evening, and falls asleep, only to awaken when a voodoo zombie begins to attack her in her own bed! A masked man is elsewhere in the house killing a couple men, one being her father, before calling the zombie attack off.

A quick note. The zombies in this film are the original voodoo zombies of lore, not the modern-day incantation of “the walking dead” that feast on the flesh of the living. These zombies are controlled by a master. They are technically “re-incarnated” but, will die as soon as the master has been destroyed.

One of the more interesting aspects of the film is the masked man. Every-time he goes to kill someone, he wears a different mask. All of the masks are creepy to a certain extent, but one in particular is especially unnerving. Also, he stalks around wearing all black and a cape, similar to Slaughter Hotel in that aspect, but he’s also the voodoo master of the undead.
The story becomes fragmented as more and more people are killed in varying ways. A long, yet interesting if it’s true, expositional scene explains voodoo and how it can be used to control zombies. It describes the techniques and ingredients, and really sets the stage for a mediocre climax. Blood, guts, boobs and horrid acting are all prevalent in the film. But, so is some fascinating cinematography and lighting. Wow, can those boys make those sets look good. Check out the meat packing plant!
Oh, and a word of warning for anyone that plans on checking the film out, there’s an actual chicken decapitation. So, if you’re completely against animal cruelty, be ready to cover your eyes. The scene sets it up so you’ll know when it’s coming and you can tell when it’s almost done by the quieting of the feathers.

Overall, a decent effort for a low-budget film. Eventually, you may see The Night of the Werewolf review up here. Paul Naschy deserves credit for stealing the show, playing Krisna/Katanka (his evil brother)/Satan (in one of Ms. Irving’s crazy dream sequences. The film, itself, is passing, but there are moments of genius hidden amongst the ploddying pace of the Vengeance of the Zombies.