Flesh Eater DVD Review from STAX Entertainment!
Night of the Living Dead has been abused and fingered deeply over the years by so many strangers. Sometimes by members of its own family, shoving things up its ass with promises of greatness, only to have dirty soiled results!
John Russo, with his longwinded explanations and interviews, is a long term abuser who is hanging onto the NOTLD legacy, simply because all else has failed the poor chap. Adding scenes, forming a pathetic ‘sequel’ as executive producer and also beforehand writing another one which was made into a film but baring no resemblance to his own.
Tom Savini, with Romero’s blessings, put out a so-so remake… Hang on. Speaking of remakes, in recent years NOTLD thought it would be safe to sleep in its own bedroom, maybe wearing a revealing item of bed clothing, then newly introduced ‘family’ members came in, all riotous, stripped NOTLD and buggered it some more!
So welcome to Bill Hinzman, the original graveyard ghoul, and his take on the late night legend, with Flesh Eater. In fact, Bill is probably the closest we have had to almost capturing the original filmmaking process, which should have then made it in incredible cloning idea… No, unfortunately it didn’t. Also known as Zombie Nosh, Revenge of the Living Dead, Revenge of the Living Zombies, whatever, none of them sound as hot as Flesh Eater.
It’s all a nudge and a wink, a late night romp in TV land with alcohol. For instance, there’s a gang of unlikeable teenagers being tractor driven through redneck nowhere land, and their microphones are way too loud like a badly dubbed porno. Oh, it’s Halloween and as we have to listen to their jokes and comments, it’s time to cherry pick who you wish to die first!
“I bet these woods get pretty damn scary at night.” says Eddie who’s a typical Alpha Jock Fathead. He then proceeds to tell them a ghost tale. Afterwards, they simply say, “Save it for the camp fire.”
Let’s stop the proceedings. I would like to mention the dross low key piano score by Erica Portnoy (named as Erica Manses on the film credits — oh well), who never changes that tune and is famous for this film, an episode of Tales from the Darkside, and… that’s it???)
Meanwhile, as the teens become blander, a good ol’ boy unearths something whilst uprooting a tree stump. “What the hell is this?” He brushes leaves aside and stares at a sacred looking slab. Under the slab is a padlocked coffin inscribed with: ‘This evil which will take flesh and blood from thee and turn all ye unto evil.‘ Inside the coffin is our man, Bill Hinzman himself, realising he is forever typecast in his own movies. “Gaaaah!” yells Bill and drags the fella in for a bite.
Whilst this is going on, the teen girls are dancing for their men accompanied by some truly dire music which sounds like Rockabilly in a fish tank. By this time, my Horror Soulmate took a deep swig of her port and probably wished she’d met some nice average man, who didn’t make her endure such specimens of celluloid in the name of Severed Cinema. Afterwards, two of the teenagers head into a barn to share some badly scripted lovemaking. They are then interrupted by Bill being awesome and even withstanding a pitchfork to his chest (If he’s dead, why can we see his breath in the cold air?). He gorily slays the mucky buggers with gusto.
The rest of the dickheads sit unaware, trash talking and the acting stinks!!!! It’s a bit much when the central zombie is the best actor!! One of the girl’s chances upon the zombiefied redneck and after weirdly taking her jacket off as she runs, is attacked by Bill. Everybody hears her screams and it’s on!! Not so sassy now are they? Some of the lads take on Bill but they’re all fairly terrified now. Finding their barn sex chums, turning into flesh eaters scares them a bit more. They all hide inside a garage, nail the doors shut and find a gun, whilst Lisa, the girl assaulted by Bill, slowly turns.
Ralph rings the police, telling a gum chewing cop to send somebody to Spencer’s Farm (Oh, must be a house they’re in, looks more like a garage to me!). Whooa, a moment ago it was daytime, but the clock at the station states it is 23:00. Now it’s pitch black outside and no Vin Diesel in sight! Must be a low budget American thing I don’t understand.
Suddenly the dead all smash their ways in, two teens die quickly, and then Bill comes to shit on their heads. Lisa changes and attacks. Bill uses an axe! Four teens are dead. Five are dead — it’s a cast wipe out with loads of gut chomping. Only two get away alive.
A cop car does head over to the farm after the officer, Harvey, discusses whether the call could be a prank for Halloween. Then we meet a family of new characters and a long pointless shower scene which exists to show full female nudity, but Susan will die soon, I guarantee it!
The apple pie little girl, Heidi (played by Bill’s daughter, Heidi, went on to have a handful of minor film roles and a very big career behind the scenes in a multitude of TV series & TV movies. In fact she is probably the most successful person to emerge from this mess), answers the door and is killed very fast by Bill. Then Susan is thrown around soon after, torn into and stripped nude as well. New characters? All dead. Flesh Eater shows absolutely no mercy.
The last two teens emerge from hiding, shoot a mutilated and undead Harvey, then escape to another farm. “They’re coming after us!” they tell the owner. His TV set gives reports of attacks around the county. As zombies invade the house, the two teenagers are on the run again.
Next comes the suckiest Halloween dance, somewhere or other. Oh my God, this movie is a trip! More irritating teens all dressed up, and their mics are fuzzy. This is a party in a barn, an insane party in an insane film which is totally pointless. I love it! More drink, and sex, and our two teens hit the party.
“I can’t take much more of this, I really can’t.” gasps Sally, and her words I feel summed up the thoughts in the head of my Horror Soulmate.
Nobody believes them but then a predictable onslaught begins. The party is zombie food, blood and splatter all over. And that soundtrack truly grinds into you…
Dirty Bill Hinzman gets to molest some nubile flesh as well. The next morning, the sheriff rounds up a posse of trigger happy Dawn of the Dead beards to gun down zombies as a sport which leads to a very NOTLD conclusion.
Flesh Eater is truly ridiculous, but you find yourself watching more and more. At the same time, the effort is there, and at least the effects work, which at times is way too good for a throwaway flick like this. Guts pulled, throats torn, faces chomped, head explosions, eye blasts, chow downs, the work is very solid in this department. Jerry Gergely went on to work on Savini’s NOTLD, then numerous Babylon 5‘s, Death From Above (that TNA Wrestling cast monstrosity) and the remake of My Bloody Valentine). Flesh Eater isn’t bad, it’s entertainment, but a shame about the cast. Most did nothing else and I wish the makers could have raided a few drama schools in the region instead. In conclusion, why break the 4th wall??????? Nuff said! What do I mean? Watch the final scene.
The STAX Entertainment UK DVD release puts a 35-minute featurette on with interviews. Bill wearing his glasses and the makeup man with amusing tales. There’s the Flesh Eater soundtrack with stills including the Zombie (“What the Fuck????!!!”) Shuffle and Thoughtful Guitar. Then a trailer and a Pizza Commercial. I suppose it’s not bad for a budget release.
AKA: FleshEater, Zombie Nosh, Revenge of the Living Zombies, Zombie Flesh Eater – Revenge of the Living Dead, La venganza de los zombies vivientes
Directed by: Bill Hinzman | Written by: Bill Hinzman, Bill Randolph | Produced by: Bill Hinzman, Simon Manses, David Gordon | Cinematography by: Simon Manses | Editing by: Bill Hinzman, Paul McCollogh | Music by: Erica Portney | Cast: Bill Hinzman, James J Rutan, Leslie Ann Wick, Kevin Kindlin, Charis Acuff, John Mowod. | Year: 1988 | Country: USA | Language: English | Colour: Colour | Runtime: 1h 28min
Studio: H&G Films Ltd., Hinzman
Distributor: STAX Entertainment, Shriek Show
DVD SPECS:
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 16:9
Region: PAL R2
Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL:
Featurette “Back to the Woods”
Soundtrack
Trailer
Bill Hinzman Pizza Commercial
Photo Gallery
