Retro Snapshot: Hell of the Living Dead (1980)

"You gotta shoot 'em in the Head!"

In 1980 the simple and insulting joys of Bruno Mattei ("Rat"s) and Claudio Fragasso ("Zombie 4: After Death", "Troll 2") fused into a flawless union of zombie pork. Also known as "Virus" and "Zombies of the Savanna", this new-standard-of-bad film is set in Papua New Guinea but filmed solely in and around Barcelona and Rome. Music from "Dawn of the Dead" and stock footage from a French film "La Vallee" (which was actually shot in New Guinea) were included in an attempt to squeeze in some credibility. The efforts do not pay off in increased production value or overall quality. What they do is help to create a bonanza of Frommagio/Queso that elevates "Hell of the Living Dead" into a rare sweet spot of sour; one that is reserved for films like Tommy Wiseau's "The Room" and Marino Girolami's "Zombie Holocaust". Enter at your own risk.