SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

Overrated and overhyped

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Psychotronic-film buffs who watch the Paul Naschy films "Crimson" (1973) and "The Hanging Woman" (also 1973) may come away feeling a bit shortchanged regarding the amount of screen time allotted to the so-called "Boris Karloff of Spain." In the first, Naschy plays a jewel thief who has been shot in the head following a botched robbery, and thus lays in a near coma for the film's first hour, while awaiting a brain transplant; in the second, he plays a necrophilic grave digger whose screen time is brief in the extreme. No such drawbacks for the eager Naschyphile crop up in Leon Klimovsky's "Vengeance of the Zombies" (1973 again...quite a year for Paul!), fortunately; in fact, in this one, Spain's leading horror icon plays no less than three (3!) roles, and is marvelous in all of them. In the film, a rash of killings has begun in modern-day London, perpetrated, it is soon discovered, by a quartet of recently resurrected women whose interred bodies had recently gone missing. When Elvire Irving (played by an actress only listed as Rommy) is almost slain by the zombie of her recently departed cousin, she hightails it to the country estate of her Indian guru Krisna (Naschy #1), soon to be joined by her psychologist boyfriend Lawrence Redgrave (Vic Winner, who had also costarred that same year with Naschy in the excellent film "Hunchback of the Morgue"). But, as it turns out, even this escape to the pastoral village of Llangwell is not sufficient to separate Elvire from the ghastly zombie predations, or the schemes of Krisna's burnt-faced brother, Kantaka (Naschy #2)....Basically a giallo film with large doses of the supernatural stirred in, "VOTZ" gives us a masked killer utilizing a small band of the female undead to do his bidding, as well as numerous other homicidal tricks. It features a nicely complex story line (courtesy of screenwriter Naschy) to keep the viewer guessing and a few genuine surprises toward its conclusion. The picture contains any number of startling moments (most notably a dream sequence, in which Elvire meets the Devil himself, played by--you guessed it--Naschy #3), and the quartet of pasty-faced, slow-moving zombie gals really is quite eerie to behold. For the dedicated gorehounds out there, "VOTZ" should also prove quite pleasing, boasting as it does a battered bloody face, a hatchet in the head, a hanging, a throat impalement, several garrotings, assorted knifings, death by beer can (!), a throat slitting, a decapitation, a crucifix stabbing and--perhaps worst of all--the beheading of an actual chicken during a voodoo ceremony (as in "Hunchback of the Morgue," with its live rats on fire, an animal WAS apparently harmed during the making of this picture!). The film makes excellent use of its London locales (it was also shot in Navacerrada and Torrelodones, Spain, both sites being northwest of Madrid) and spotlights the most striking-looking gold-painted woman since a certain 007 movie from 1964. That's the good news. The bad news is the film's unfortunate soundtrack from Juan Carlos Calderon, a funk/fusion blend seemingly more apropos for a blaxploitation action flick starring Fred Williamson or Pam Grier. The juxtaposition of zombie risings with this funky junk seemed highly inappropriate to me-- almost non sequitur--as it did, apparently, for many other viewers, as well. Still, Calderon's music IS occasionally effective here, most especially the discordant, outre jazz that accompanies that above-mentioned dream sequence. For the most part, however, it almost torpedoes what is otherwise a well-put-together horror outing; hardly essential viewing, but surely a must-see for all of Paul Naschy's many fans.As for this DVD itself, from the always dependable folks at Deimos, it sports a great-looking print of this obscure film; the so-called "export" version, with all the nudity (deemed too risqué by the bluenosed Franco censors of the time) left intact...although whether we need to see a zombie in a see-through nightie is another question! The DVD is introduced by Naschy himself, a few years before his death from pancreatic cancer in 2009 (oh, if only HE could be resurrected!), in which he tells us, with lovable immodesty, "It is a strange movie, a really shocking movie...one of the most horrifying movies in the Spanish horror cinema!" Who am I to argue with the Boris Karloff of Spain?

Deranged voodoo zombie film with a serial killer on the loose in London, stabbing bourgeoisie types, performing rituals using a wax effigy, pouring blood over it, setting it on fire, causing those dead to become unwitting undead slaves. Those attacked knew each other, their relationship dating back to an infamous incident in India, and the one mutilating them dresses like Jack the Ripper, wearing strange Halloween masks, carrying a medical bag containing his materials used for resurrecting those he kills. The film also follows red-head Elvire(Romy), who is infatuated with a charismatic Hindu spiritualist, Krisna(Paul Naschy), soon joining him at his retreat in a notorious castle in a village called Llangwell, the estate known for housing a group of Satanists who communed there. Kala(Mirta Miller), maid Elsie(María Kosty)and a local train depot guard all attempt to ward Elvire away from the castle, with no such luck because she's head-over-heels for Krisna. Soon the psycho shows up in Llangwell, and his identity is closely associated with Krisna. Meanwhile, Elvire's London friend, Lawrence(Víctor Alcázar), a journalist and occult scholar is called in by Scotland Yard regarding his expertise in voodoo among other strange rituals, their hoping he can be of assistance in catching the fiend.Delirious script penned by Paul Naschy and directed by he long-time collaborator León Klimovsky, this film is certain to please gorehounds and it's evident of the influence in regards to Hammer studios for it features bright, textured film blood and plenty of sharp metallic objects penetrating flesh, including one memorable scene where a head nearly comes off, hanging barely as the crimson bubbles forth. Regarding the use of voodoo, you can tell Naschy did some homework and his script heavily elaborates in details the methods involved in utilizing such powers to harm. When the zombie girls attack, Klimovsky's camera shoots them in slow motion, with them often approaching screen. There was a direct emphasis on trying to spook us with these zombies, but the make-up rarely works and may instead cause unintentional laughter.The zombie girls, slaves ordered around by Kantaka, the evil twin brother of Krisna, are more akin to the ghouls you see in Carnival of Souls, except their heavy discolored make-up doesn't quite work(..the key to the success of Carnival of Souls is that the ghouls, under heavy make-up, is shot in glorious B&W photography). Kantaka(..and his underling, Ti Zachary, portrayed by a creepy looking Pierre Besari)was badly burned in a fire purposely set, which ties into the main story as to why the voodoo is being used on certain selected victims, and Naschy's make-up provides him with a hideous pasty face(..reminiscent of an Italian zombie in an 80's Fulci flick).Seeing Naschy dressed in Indian attire(tunic and head scarf), takes some getting use to, but at least he tries something new, in a change-of-pace role. The filmmakers go to great lengths to put as much of London in the film as possible, footage probably shot illegally. Not sure why it's titled so since there's no vengeance of the zombies, they are tools for another's revenge. A nice try, but ultimately unsatisfying voodoo chiller.

The Best print of this film is the video release from Long Gone All Seasons Entertainment which clocks in around 90 minutes, making it the longest version available w/ fantastic print quality. Check ebay, you might find one, although, now that EVERYONE know's this is the version to have, plan on paying the price. But, again, well worth it!Seems that there are so many DVD companies jumping on the band wagon and releasing horrible TV prints or cut prints of older films. Do you homework people before you spend your hard earned money of junk.P/s, All Season Entertainment released a number of rare films on VHS (video) in large cardcoard boxes which collectors pay good money for so refine your searches in google search or ebay search and I'm sure you will come up with something.

This is the tenth film featuring Spanish horror star Paul Naschy that I’ve watched; though best-known for his series of “Waldemar Daninsky” werewolf movies, he made all kinds of genre efforts – even scripting many of them himself under real name Jacinto Molina.Given the film’s title, this one obviously highlights the living dead – but, thankfully, it doesn’t follow the then-prevalent flesh-eating pattern cemented by George A. Romero; the plot, in fact, is pretty complex and also involves transcendental, voodoo and occult rituals as well as a masked assassin! Naschy, by the way, plays three roles here (though one of them, a horned demon, is only featured in a sequence depicting the heroine’s nightmare) – another finds the star at his most Brando-like (albeit inspired by the Method actor’s variable stint in the psychedelic star-studded concoction CANDY [1968]!) as a mystic and the last is the latter's evil brother, the disfigured man behind the mask who masterminded the titular plot.The gory bits include a harmless old man getting a hatchet implanted in his face, a woman being memorably beheaded, a morgue attendant hilariously killed by having a soda can(!) viciously pressed against his neck, while the impalement of a pair of oblivious lovers clearly rips off Mario Bava’s far superior A BAY OF BLOOD (1971). As for the zombies, their attacks are rendered a bit more effective than would have otherwise been the case by the use of slow-motion. Typically, the lounge score (curiously highlighted by some otherworldly chanting!) is notable, as are the Swinging London settings; incidentally, the hero is a Spanish actor appearing under the name of Vic Winner – similarly, his character is hilariously named Laurence Redgrave, while that of the Scotland Yard Inspector is Hawkins who has an assistant that goes by the name of Basehart! Naschy...er...Molina presumably intended these as a tribute to their Hollywood namesakes, but they came off as unintentionally amusing instead (as is the film's very opening scene in which a couple who are hard up for cash decide to have a go at grave-robbing, to their eternal chagrin!).The film has been released on DVD by BCI Eclipse but, since I can’t say that I’ve been all that impressed by the star’s outings so far, I don’t own any of them in this format: in fact, VENGEANCE OF THE ZOMBIES itself came via a full-frame English-dubbed edition sourced from a damaged VHS and accompanied by forced Finnish subtitles!