Zeder

If you were referred to this movie via a search for a classic 'zombie' action/gore-er and are expecting something fast paced with a lot of cool deaths that border on action over drama and mystery - you've been misled by the title. I'm not sure the director intended us to receive this as a 'Dead/Zombi' type title, but it seems that it was marketed over here that way (and who can blame them?)

It's a pretty moderate to slow paced mystery that borrows a lot and innovates a tad (can't expect any more.) There are some cool sequences of discovering various types of secret doors inside dated structures etc. Don't expect it to be anywhere as engrossing or epic as Inferno, but in that same spirit.

What lucio fulci or argento would have done differently is probably added depth to this not by trying to overcomplicate the plot but to add in some truly scary horror elements that involve either on screen or implied brutality from the antagonist(s) that we are unquestionably convinced that they are evil and malicious. A little over the top kill or two only makes the seemingly serious parts 'seem' more serious but makes the movie more of an exciting coaster rather than the not so exciting unfold events that take place here.

No cool 'creatures' 'killers' or anything of that nature. I suppose the idea is to creep us out but too many other movies (even 10-20 years older than this) had already gone above and beyond what this movie is trying to do years later. So even though it's 3 years older than me, I must say as an 80's child that this doesn't hold up anywhere near the other true giallo titles. And always keep in mind, ratings are numbers and never let them discourage you from seeing something you're interested in; if not just to appreciate other titles more !

Reading some of the reviews for this movie really gets me going. Kids,STAY AWAY FROM INTELLIGENT HORROR MOVIES!! Go watch another "Smiling Pervert Zombies" or something of that nature. This movie is way above your intelligence level and you will NEVER get it. Don't hate this movie because there is not enough zombies in it! It never promised to be a zombie gore fest. Instead,it is a great horror movie with a wonderful premise and some really spooky scenes("awakening in the coffin "scene!) Great,original movie and I LOVED it!! Well recommended!!

I bought this movie as "Revenge of the Dead", the cover had zombies rising out of the ground. Thankfully, I knew when I bought it, that it is not a zombie movie per se. I can see why people get ticked, but I rather enjoyed this movie. One person wrote it had good atmosphere and I would be inclined to agree. The plot is basically, a writer gets a present and for some reason is inclined to read the ink ribbon which reveals places known as k-zones. These are places where if a dead body is placed they come back. There are numerous things I have a problem with though despite enjoying it for the most part. Like why is this writer so obsessed with finding out what the k-zones are. There is a part where he talks to someone on the phone and you can't hear what is being said, and the movie kinda fizzles near the end. In fact the best zombie attack is at the beginning of the movie.

To my knowledge this was not supposed to be a zombie film nor was it marketed as a gory zombie, living-dead-type picture as some people may think. It IS a scary, atmospheric ghost story that builds slowly but very effectively. There are creepy sequences throughout the film and the only liability is the guy's voice who dubbed lead actor, Lavia. Otherwise it's one of the few movies from the 1980s from Europe or elsewhere that really stands up as far as creating an atmosphere of supernatural dread. Has a similar feel to some of the latest Japanese horror films such as Hideo Nakata's RING and Kiyoshi Kurosawa's CURE, SEANCE and PULSE. Well worth seeing, especially if you love horror films. Also check out director, Pupi Avati's latest ARCANE ENCHANTER, a great period ghost story. Unfortunately, Avati's scariest film, THE HOUSE WITH WINDOWS THAT LAUGHED is extremely hard-to-find in the U.S. in any form.

Pupi Avati's ZEDER, is a different take on the undead genre, but is not a zombie film outright. Rather than being all out 'dead rising from the graves and feeding on the flesh of the living' the film takes its time to build up tension and atmosphere, that adds a genuine sense of creepiness to the films tone. A young journalist, given a typewriter as a present from his girlfriend discovers some text written on the ink ribbon, and threw this mysterious text he uncovers a past story of a scientist called Paolo Zeder, who discovered areas of terrain that can revive the dead. The journalists investigations lead him to a group of outlaw scientists who are attempting to reconstruct these experiments in the present day. Avati clearly goes for atmosphere over gore, though there are a few scenes where we see the aftermath of some murders, the film doesn't show any bodily mutilation, and instead the films builds up tension and dread through suggestion and use of sound, and characters reactions. It's a clever and excellent choice of direction that makes ZEDER stand out as an intelligent and if slightly obscure and offbeat entry into the living dead cycle.