Plague of the Zombies (Made in Britain film season)

Plague of the Zombies (Made in Britain film season)

(John Gilling, 1966)

Rating: 3/5

Reviewed by Dave Lancaster

Summary: Served up with generous helpings of ham and cheese, Hammer's B-picture 'The Plague of the Zombies' is a delicious guilty pleasure.
 

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Originally screened as a B-feature double-billed to Hammer's A-feature 'Dracula: Prince of Darkness', John Gilling's 'Plague of the Zombies' was actually filmed back-to-back with 'The Reptile' recycling crew and sets. Double-billing with a film from a different production ingeniously gave Hammer the appearance of having a bigger spending budget and more ambitious gameplan. They'd skin anything to bloodsoak the same furniture again.  

It's a good analogy for a thrifty, tongue-in-cheek studio whose inventiveness helped them rise above pure schlock to become (and remain) a truly important studio. 'Plague of the Zombies' may not be the greatest film they churned out, but lovers of this type of film will surely be fulfilled.

The plot is also rehashed from earlier, more influential movies. A series of deaths in a small town is investigated by a stuffy outsider who uncovers a wider conspiracy that sees zombies controlled by a sinister leader who uses black magic to tighten his stranglehold around the community. It's that mixture of stuffy acting styles and exploitative content that thrusts the audience onto a rickety seesaw for a joyous, dated ride.

If you don't manage to catch 'Plague of the Zombies' on the big screen, the beautifully restored DVD/Blu-ray is released through Studio Canal on June 18th 2012.

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This has been restored and re-released into UK cinemas for a limited engagement as part of Studio Canal's Made in Britain film season.

To find out more info and what other unique, forgotten British classics you can expect from the season check out our feature that contains a link to the showtimes and participating cinemas right HERE.

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