Spanish horror legend Paul Naschy wrote this minor zombie film, and stars in it, in no less than three roles: the Hindi mystic Krisna, the scar-faced antagonist, and Satan himself. It takes place in London, where Krisna offers comfort to a distraught young woman named Elvire (Romy), who's suffered the loss of a family member. More people are due to die thanks to the machinations of the power-mad villain, who indulges in elaborate voodoo rituals.
Naschy certainly did better than this during the 1970s (for example, this viewer holds "Horror Rises from the Tomb" and "Inquisition" in higher regard), yet "Vengeance of the Zombies" IS a fun flick. It's far more cheesy than scary, with an unfortunate lack of true atmosphere, a comparatively lightweight plot, and a music score that just doesn't work most of the time. It's much too jaunty and jazzy to fit this material.
Euro-horror aficionados will still enjoy the sex & violent quotient, and the cast is enjoyable. Romy is a rather stiff but not entirely unsympathetic lead, Victor Barrera is okay as her good friend, Mirta Miller and Maria Kosty are devilish fun, Luis Ciges is a hoot as a character named "MacMurdo", and Antonio Pica has a solid presence as a Scotland Yard superintendent named Hawkins. Naschy, of course, is great value as always: likeable as Krisna, nasty as the villain, and a typically grandiose Satan. The ladies playing the zombies do appear to be having a good time; they don't stalk around looking for human flesh to munch on, basically just doing our villains' bidding.
Overall, a diverting but largely forgettable feature.
Seven out of 10.
Naschy certainly did better than this during the 1970s (for example, this viewer holds "Horror Rises from the Tomb" and "Inquisition" in higher regard), yet "Vengeance of the Zombies" IS a fun flick. It's far more cheesy than scary, with an unfortunate lack of true atmosphere, a comparatively lightweight plot, and a music score that just doesn't work most of the time. It's much too jaunty and jazzy to fit this material.
Euro-horror aficionados will still enjoy the sex & violent quotient, and the cast is enjoyable. Romy is a rather stiff but not entirely unsympathetic lead, Victor Barrera is okay as her good friend, Mirta Miller and Maria Kosty are devilish fun, Luis Ciges is a hoot as a character named "MacMurdo", and Antonio Pica has a solid presence as a Scotland Yard superintendent named Hawkins. Naschy, of course, is great value as always: likeable as Krisna, nasty as the villain, and a typically grandiose Satan. The ladies playing the zombies do appear to be having a good time; they don't stalk around looking for human flesh to munch on, basically just doing our villains' bidding.
Overall, a diverting but largely forgettable feature.
Seven out of 10.