Zombie Island Massacre

It has been a while since I have seen this film - almost five years. This film is so predictable, all the dumb tourists get to die first, and the cunning tourists fight it out - but where are the zombies? I think i only remember seeing one through the film.

The gore scenes could have been a bit longer, as they were set in the Caribbean jungle, the usual props are there - a pit covered in leaves and the stoners fall in, speared to death by a sharpened bamboo pole. Some of the lighting in the film is a bit dull, too. The soundtrack is one I like (Harry (Friday the 13th) Manfrendini) had added this score of music to the film. Unfortunately, it doesn't cover enough for a film of this type - a real bow-wow. Only true zombie fans would enjoy this film.

A group of dolts on a tour of a Caribbean island begin to be stalked & slaughtered by some mysterious person or entity. Only once the group makes it to a secluded estate do they start taking any sort of proactive steps against their assailant.

As others before me have said, actual "zombies" are few & far between in this admittedly exotic horror outing. (The word zombie was added to the title to presumably make it more enticing.) Mostly, what gives this 80s entry into the slasher sweepstakes any stature is the fact that it makes FULL use of then-notorious Rita Jenrette (who plays Sandy). She was a congressmans' wife who capitalized on her 15 minutes of fame by posing for Playboy and then appearing in this cheap & sleazy schlock movie. (If you do love movies like this for the sex appeal, you can take some satisfaction in the bare flesh quotient, with Ms. Jenrette doing a gratuitous shower scene in the opening minutes.)

Overall, the movie is on the boring side, although it *does* have a unique get-up for the killer, doles out a bit of gore, and features a VERY familiar-sounding score by "Friday the 13th" series composer Harry Manfredini. The cast isn't altogether bad, if also on the nondescript side. David Broadnax, who plays no-nonsense tough guy photographer Paul, was also the "presenter", a producer, and the story author, and gives one of the better performances.

If you're an 80s slasher junkie, you *will* find some things to enjoy here, with the director / editor (John N. Carter) bringing some atmosphere to the proceedings.

Four out of 10.

The word "zombie" was added to the title to titillate--as was the presence of Rita Jenrette--as nymphet whose 15 minutes of fame came when talked publicly about her and her congressman husband's supposed tryst on the steps of the Capitol building. Normally, the adventures of a horny lady such as Jenrette would have quickly fizzled in the public's mind had she not subsequently posed for Playboy and starred in this cheap exploitation picture.

Those looking for zombies will no doubt be disappointed, though if you are looking for horny tourists who take off their clothes with little provocation (especially Ms. Jenrette) you will no doubt be satisfied. Heck, the film should have been more appropriately titled "Horny Island Massacre" as indeed there is lots of gratuitous killing and there's something about that tropical air that turns people into horn-dogs! Of course, given the title, the fact it was made by Troma Films AND the sleazy advertising campaign that accompanied the movie's debut, none of this should come as much of a surprise. It's NOT to be mistaken for Shakespeare and you can hardly expect more than you get.

The film has no stars (other than perhaps Jenrette--the Paris Hilton of her day) and has a rather low budget. The writing is pretty dim and there are only a few surprises along the way. One of the particularly silly bits is when the remaining five people wander into a mansion at night. It's totally dark outside, yet one of them almost instantly finds a small handgun hidden in the bushes!! He couldn't have found it faster if he'd had a map! There are also some really dumb people who act almost like they WANT to be killed they behaved so stupidly! I also loved the way Jenrette emoted when her movie husband was killed--it was so embarrassingly bad it gave me a chuckle.

Overall, the film is worth seeing only for the first two minutes, as you get to see an awful lot of the lovely Mrs. Jenrette--an AWFUL lot! After that, it's all down hill! A film worth watching only for bad film fan and the curious who want to catch a glimpse of Jenrette naked. All others beware!

I saw "Zombie Island Massacre," because a friend of mine owned it. Her aunt is in that movie as "Barbie." We had to see it. So we checked it out, and I have to say, if you can look past a lot of cheese, it's a great movie.

A large group of tourists head off to an island in the Carribean, only to come across voodoo, disaster, and zombies! The zombies look more like natives of the island, though, but then think of it as a cannibal movie without the scenes of eating. Eventually, a surviving group makes it to a house, and they meet up with this old guy. There are some weird subplots, but ignore them if you like. Not too much gore at all, but a lot of fun. For acquired tastes.

I'm a big fan of TROMA, and I feel somewhat guilty for saying that this movie is horrible! Terrible acting, terrible plot, terrible f/x, terrible score, and terrible setting. I couldn't watch this movie entirely until a few years ago when USA NETWORK aired it. It's not scary, not gory, and it has no point!! I recommended only for DIE HARD SLASHERS that don't mind visual pain. There you go, if you watch this movie and look for something to save then you can say you are a truly die hard slasher. The thing to save here is that TROMA feeling,it's a low budget but it has its moments of weirdness and some funny lines.

1/10 -Burn it! Flush the ashes