AKA :La Tumba de Los Muertos Vivants, Treasure of the Living Dead, Oasis of the Living Dead, Grave of the Living Dead, El Desierto de los Zombies, Bloodsucking Nazi Zombies Der Abgrund der lebenden Toten

Tag line : The ultimate confrontation with the flesh eating living dead.

I could sum this review up in just 2 words... "Jess Franco". But for the benefit of those unfamiliar with the infamous Spanish director's works, allow me to continue.

Set in the African desert (though probably California judging by those Redwood trees), English student Robert Blabart and his American University chums set out to find a stash of Nazi gold bullion which, as we see through a series of flashbacks, was abandoned at a secluded oasis by a group of German soldiers during WW2 after being ambushed by allied troops. Only Robert's father, a former British army captain, knows the location. But when Robert finds his father murdered, he suspects that someone else is after the gold.

Turns out some former German soldier has mounted his own expedition, and decided to kill off the competition. But after Robert and his friends find their bodies at the oasis they realise the supposedly dead Nazi's aren't willing to give up their gold just yet. Yes it seems the dead German soldiers have come back as very badly made up zombies, in varying states of decay, who kill anybody that comes near the oasis, and so it isn't too long before the plucky group of prospectors are fighting for their lives.

Quite why the Nazi soldiers came back as zombies, and more to the point why the allied troops didn't, is never explained. But then that's par for the course being a Jess Franco's film, which bears all his other usual trademarks. Shaky camera work, awkward zooms and jump cuts, annoying music, bad dubbing, worse acting and even worse special effects. Not to mention night shots that were obviously filmed during the day, plot holes you could drive a tank through and zombie noises that sounded like somebody scraping a washboard!

Released by the same studio who gave us the earlier, and similarly crass, "Zombie Lake", this film doesn't even make it into the "so bad it's good" category, it's just plain bad. Stick with "Zombie Lake" instead (or better still "Shock Waves")

Best line... "Quick, get some bottles to make Molotov cocktails with....like in school". What bloody school did they attend then, South Park?????

Overall Marks : 3/10.

Other Information.

• Daniel White, who co-scored the music with Franco, also provided the music for "Zombie Lake" as well as scoring some 50 odd films for director Jess Franco.
   

• According to the plot Robert was born near the end of the war, which would be around 1944. But the film appears to be set in the early 1980's, and yet Robert is clearly in his early 20's. Logically he should at least be in his late 30's .
   

• The fight scene between the allied and Nazi troops during the flashback sequence was taken from the 1971 war film "The Gardens of the Devil" (I Giardini de Diavlo) by Italian director Alfreddo Rizzo.
   

• There were 2 slightly different versions of the film made at the same time. The original Spanish version and a less-gory French version, which is a couple of minutes shorter and replaces 2 of the supporting cast members with different actors. The French version is the more commonly available as it was this release they used for dubbing into English. For a comparison between the two different versions click "Here".
   

• The English language US DVD by "Image" and UK disc by "Arrow Films" are described as uncut, but are actually of the shorter French version. The original uncut print can be found on Spanish DVD by "Divisa", although this is Spanish language only and doesn't contain English sub-titles.

Cast & Crew.

Cover Gallery.

Special Feature.

Buy the UK DVD.
(English/French version).

Buy the UK DVD
(English/French version).

Buy the US DVD.
(English/French version).

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