Noites Eróticas dos Mortos Vivos

Erotic Nights of the Living Dead (1980)

** (out of 4)

XXX version

Infamous Joe D'Amato film that mixes Italian gore with Italian sex. Three people head for a deserted island to have a lot of sex and to see if a hotel could be built on the island. They should have listened to all the rumors because zombies are there waiting. This is an extremely weird and bizarre film because the producer's wanted two films made. One a porno and another a horror film so the director just combined the two elements. Running at nearly two hours this thing goes on for way too long, which is why I wish the hardcore sex scenes would have been removed. There's a "soft" version out there that I keep meaning to see because I'm sure I'd like the film better minus the sex scenes. The zombie footage on the other hand is wonderfully done with a lot of great atmosphere and gore. D'Amato was a master behind the camera and the cinematography here is terrific as is the music score. Laura Gemser, George Eastman and Mark "Wart Nuts" Shannon star. This here is a lot better than the director's first horror/sex film Porno Holocaust, which was filmed at the same time with the same cast of this one.

Sexy Nights of the Living Dead (1980)

** (out of 4)

The version under this title is the pure horror version, which is missing all of the XXX scenes. For years I had been wanting to check this version out because I felt that the hardcore scenes in the uncut version were all rather ugly and did nothing erotic and instead they just dragged the film down. It was interesting watching the film without the porn scenes because you realize that the Joe D'Amato film has more problems than just the porn stuff. For starters, even without the hardcore sex there's way too many softcore scenes that are also not erotic. I was really surprised to see how silly the majority of the scenes are because it's clear that the main intent was just to show sex. Another major problem with the picture is that it just takes them way too long to finally get to the island where the zombie stuff happens. The zombies, as great as they are, are pretty much wasted because outside a couple scenes early on, the majority of their screen time happens at the very end of the movie. It's really a shame that they weren't given more screen time because I felt the horror elements were quite strong and they keep the movie interesting. Even though he was unable to make anything erotic, D'Amato did do a good job building up a rather bizarre atmosphere. This version clocks in at 100-minutes, which means it is missing twelve minutes worth of hardcore scenes. So, is this version better? I would say that it is simply because it's shorter and as I said, the hardcore scenes were rather ugly and added nothing to the picture.

its been quite a while i watched the movie. i rented it because i thaught it would be some funny trash like "zombie holocaust", but i was wrong. theres nearly no gore, no story, 3 zombies (or something), no FX, JUST PLAIN NOTHING! just stupid disgusting hairy (!!!) 70-ish porn. (i watched the full uncut version by astro). that was no fun.

i think a lot of people where let down by this flick, as most catalogs and genre books describe it as a gore soaked zombie porno. honestly, this film isn't that graphic. the sex is what i would call "hard soft-core" and there isn't much gore (though what gore there is is pretty cool.)

anywho, the story, from what i can tell concerns some kind of scientist/archetect/developer who travels to a strange island to do something or other, most likely something bad. once there, he angers the natives and a voodoo priest raises the dead which leads to a really creepy zombie attack-no really, it's right up there with fulci's zombie. as i said, there isn't much gore, but there is a neat scene where a doctor is examining a cadaver that was found floating in the bay, it sits up and takes a big bite out of the guys throat. then at the end there's a few bullet hits, some zombie carnage and star marks shannon gets his johnson bit of by laura gemser. the sex is fairly tame but there's a hilariously sleazy scene of a woman un-corking a champange bottle with her naughty bits. this film also has a great atmosphere and some excellent photography (also by Joe D'Amato) look out for some cool trick shots like when mark shannon throws a voddo idle on the ground and it changes instantly into a black cat that jumps up and attacks him. i had to watch that one again in slow motion i was so impressed! i would highly recommend this film for fans of bizarre cinema, and despite the lack of english, i think most will enjoy.

Erotic Nights of the Living Dead was made back-to-back with Joe D'amato's other zombie shagathon Porno Holocaust (released in 1981), and shares much of that film's cast, plus its island location. It also shares its ability to bore me witless, with the quantity and quality of sex seriously waning after the first half an hour, and very little in the way of decent gore, despite featuring more of the undead.

D'amato regular George 'Anthropophagus' Eastman plays Larry, a sailor hired by mustachioed architect/stud John Wilson (Mark Shannon) to take him (and his current woman) to a mysterious island, which, according to local legend, is home to flesh-eating zombies which are ruled over by a cat. Once there, they meet a strange old man and his beautiful daughter (Laura Gemser), have sex, and run into lots of mouldy reanimated corpses.

As you've probably surmised, it doesn't make whole lot of sense, and, at 112 minutes (in its uncut form), is extremely tedious. As always Eastman stays well clear of any hardcore action, preferring to keep his trousers on during sex, whilst Gemser indulges in purely soft-core fumblings. And all of the humping is strictly between the living (unlike Porno Holocaust, which featured a very randy zombie).

Very occasionally, the film offers those seeking sleazy treats something to make them smile—a woman displays a unique way of removing a cork from a champagne bottle, and Gemser bites off Wilson's todger—but, on the whole, Erotic Nights of the Living Dead is a dreary mess.

For a film to have 'erotic' in the title, the film should have erotic scenes. If a film has 'living dead' in the title, there should be some good gut munching. And finally, if a film has 'night of' in the title, the film should be shot at night. But then again, this is a Joe D'Amato flick.

Story: people go to investigate an island,come across some creepy natives, have lots of sex and get eaten.

There is plenty of nudity and hard-core sexual escapades on display (if you have the uncut version), but not a bit of it is erotic or arousing. Some male/female, female/female, pick your poison. Matters are further complicated by the obvious fact that some of the actors are not at all comfortable with bearing it all, taking the blandly shot scenes and making them all the more dull.

For a film like this, violence is the answer, or should have been. D'amato is unusually thin-skinned about laying on the gore. There are a couple of choice bits, but nothing spectacular. If it weren't bad enough that the zombies don't do a whole hell of a lot, it's worse that they take forever to finally start reeking havoc. I suppose the intention was to build suspense, but with a film like this what's the point.

So how well is it made then? For a film supposedly occurring mostly at night it is readily apparent that most all of the movie was shot during then day then given the day-for-night treatment. The dubbing is dubious and the limited effects some what suspect.

A mid-range rating for a bad movie that will undoubtedly find a niche audience; you know who you are.

5/10