Cult Movie Challenge 2017 | 2/52 | Bruno Mattei
Somewhere in the Philippines, Dr. Alan Holder and his assistant Norma inject a black substance called Death One into a dead human test subject’s IV drip. The test subject, held in a glass chamber, lay dormant. But then, the test subject opens his eyes and starts convulsing. He vomits a black substance as Alan and Norma back away. His head deforms as growths form under the skin.
Dr. Holder resigns. An armed military group escorts Holder and Norma to the copter when a van pulls up, ambushing the facility and stealing the Death One serum. The helicopter chases the man down, shooting him but breaching the Death One container as well, spilling onto the thief. The infected thief checks into the Sweet River Resort.
The military can contain the spread, killing everyone at the Resort. But they made one fatal mistake: they burned the body of the infector. His ashes enter the air, spreading the disease.
The film is an unsubtle allegory for the dangers of pollution. A DJ on the radio says as much, so it’s not subtext. It talks about the dangers of the hole in the ozone layer, and when a character ignores it, they get the disease.
While the movie doesn’t do much for the zombie genre, especially compared to Fulci’s Zombi 2. The production was fraught since Fulci left partway through, leaving a cut of about 50 minutes. Mattei and Claudio Fragasso finished it but left directing credit to Fulci.
That said, the movie has some fun and gory sequences, especially once the flamethrower enters the picture. I get why genre fans love this one. While I don’t share their enthusiasm, I did enjoy myself.