Zombie Holocaust (1980)

 

Following clues relating to gruesome mutilations, a group travels to a mysterious island where they must fight a mad scientist and his zombie army. 

The observing med students are confused by the mutilated cadaver. 

Lori Ridgeway (Alexandra Delli Colli) is concerned; she knows the cadaver was not like that yesterday.

Lori is shown another ghastly corpse mutilation.

Lori goes home and gets undressed.

She's visited by a sassy and annoying reporter, Susan Kelly (Sherry Buchanan).  You may remember Buchanan from Last House on the Beach (1978) and Escape from Galaxy 3 (1981).

Lori doesn't much like this reporter.

It happens again.  This time they catch the cannibal - Toran (Turam Quibo) the orderly.

Lori, an anthropologist, is familiar with the symbol which shows up at each mutilation.  It is related to an ancient religion an island in the East Indies called Kito.

Dr. Peter Chandler (Ian McCulloch) comforts Lori who finds the Kito sacrificial dagger missing from her collection.

Peter invites Lori to go with him to the East Indies to see what the fuck's up with Kito.

The annoying reporter, Susan, and George Harper (Peter O'Neal), Peter's assistant, go with them.  There they meet Dr. Obrero (Donald O'Brien)  - called Dr. Butcher in the US version.

Lori gets undressed for a bath.

Dr. Obrero provides lots of boring exposition.

We check back in with Lori who's now fully naked after her bath.

She finds a rotten head in her bed, along with that same mysterious Kito symbol.

Peter is by her side once again.

They take a boat to Kito, the farthest island in the archipelago. 

No sooner do they set up camp then one of their guids goes missing.

They find his mutilated remains.

Lori and Peter notice the strange symbol painted in blood on a tree.  The best drinking game for this film would be to take a drink every time Lori stands with someone looking mildly shocked.

They find more gorey remains.

And more.

Take a drink.

This dude got it bad.

A fucking wicked looking zombie approaches.

Take a drink.

George is brutally murdered by the cannibals, and Susan is captured.  Note that we have a dual threat here - zombies and cannibals.

Peter kills a zombie with the outboard motor.  One of the best, grossest kills ever.

Who'd have guessed Dr. Obrero would be a mad scientist?  He drills Susan's skull.

Lori has been drugged and painted with flowers in preparation for the Kito ritual.

The cannibals march her through their cavernous temple.

Lori is laid onto a circular table with a carved indentation she perfectly fits into.

Lori notices the symbol on the wall - the one they've been following this whole time - is actually a depiction of the stone she is currently laying in.

A cannibal approaches her with her the sacrificial dagger from her living room.

Actress Alexandra Delli Colli provides some serious full frontal nudity for this film.  We also saw her in  The New York Ripper (1982).  She was married to cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli who worked on The Name of the Rose (1986) and Life Is Beautiful (1997).

Alexandra Delli Colli

The natives are surprised to see that the stone disc suddenly starts to move.  As it goes horizontal, we get quite the view of Alexandra Delli Colli.

Meanwhile, Peter is contending with Dr. Obrero and his zombie army.

Peter sets them on fire, and soon the whole place goes up in flames.

Lori returns to watch Dr. Obrero dismembered by his creatures.

Solid trashy fun.  Zombies, cannibals, nude rituals, death by outboard motor, and a mad scientist... what more could you ask for?  Admittedly, the first quarter of the film is pretty boring, but once they hit the island, it's nonstop. I've said before that I'm not a gorehound, so it's not a plus to have gory scenes; however, you have to appreciate the practical effects here- and the over-the-top nature of the gore (Peter Jackson level at times). Plus, those zombies looked truly horrifying. 

 ★★★★★★★☆☆☆7/10