Three Reasons To Watch Zombie

In the history of zombie movies there are a few landmark films that stand out as being particularly influential to the development of the genre. Films like George Romero's Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead, in particular, were hugely influential in shaping the mainstream concept of what zombie movies are. These films also spawned a horde of imitators, the vast majority of which would never gain the mainstream recognition of the Romero fare. Zombie (aka Zombi 2) is one of these imitators. Zombie was released in 1979, just one year after Dawn of the Dead. Zombie was created in attempt to piggyback on the success of Dawn (in Italy Dawn of the Dead was released as Zombi, hence Zombie's Italian release was titled Zombi 2 to capitalize on the existing brand, though it is in no way a sequel to Dawn). According to what I've read, Zombie did well during its Italian theatrical run, earning back its budget and then some. In the modern day US of A the film still maintains a healthy cult following. Still the film's not exactly Avatar in terms of popularity and, while I acknowledge that any film involving a prolonged scene of eye trauma inherently appeals to a niche demographic, I'd love it if more people took a chance on Zombie. Thus I have composed this list of three reasons you should watch Zombie. Please enjoy.

1) The Gore!
Hands down the number one reason to watch Zombie is its spectacular gore. And I don't say that simply because there's a lot of it. No, it's easy and commonplace to just splash a bunch of fake blood on the screen and call it a day, but it's a whole 'nother thing to find a film that takes gore to the stunning and depraved heights (or depths?) that Zombie does. Perhaps the most notable gore showcase in Zombie is the (in)famous splinter in the eyeball scene, in which a zombie grabs a victim by the hair and pulls her toward a giant wooden splinter, eventually lodging the splinter into her eyeball. This moment is notable for its agonizingly slow buildup followed by its unflinching and gloriously gory conclusion. No, it's not for the faint-hearted, but that's precisely what makes it so great.

2) The Shark vs. Zombie Fight
OK, so as far as I'm aware Zombie is the only film ever to feature a scene in which an zombie goes head to head with a live shark. I am pretty confident that I don't have to explain why that is awesome.

3) The Sheer Unrivaled Fun of It All!
No joke, Zombie is probably one of the most entertaining movies I have ever seen. Yes the plot's paper thin, but who cares? Zombie's not about the plot, but rather it's a feast for the senses with its stunning gore, great setting (the lush tropical island of Matul), and awesomely moody and retro soundtrack. At around just one hour and thirty minutes it's also perfectly paced and careful not to overstay its welcome.