Zombie Death House (1987)
Directed by John Saxon
|
(Mediocre)
(Bloody Moments)
Summary
This gem is like getting three movies for the price of one admission - mobsters, prison, and zombies. First it's a cheesy mob story where Nam vet Derek Keillor gets caught having a fling with mob boss Vic Moretti's woman. Rather than having him killed, Moretti murders his mistress instead and frames Derek for it. Ten months later Derek gets convicted and winds up at Townsend State Penitentiary on death row. Naturally the prison is rife with corrupt guards and flaming inmates who want a piece of Derek's backside. Things get worse for Derek when military man Colonel Burgess decides to use death row inmates to test out a bio-engineered virus called HV-8b. Unable to persuade the prison doctor to conduct the tests, the colonel resorts to bribing one of the prison guards to inject two inmates. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to deduce what happens next - the zombie outbreak. The first subject is practically comatose in the infirmary, but everyone who comes in contact with him gets infected. One such person is the prison chaplain, and during the church service he inadvertently contaminates the drinks that everyone takes in Communion. The other test subject turns into an enraged lunatic while sitting in the electric chair. He breaks the chair restraints and goes on a rampage. Fortunately for Derek, a guard wearing a key ring gets killed right in front of his cell. Derek frees himself and organizes a prison riot. During all this madness Colonel Burgess has quarantined the entire prison with his own men and the National Guard. Realizing the virus cannot be contained he orders the prison to be destroyed. Various subplots aside, the colonel learns of an escape tunnel and decides to plant the last few C4 charges himself. He succeeds in destroying the tunnel and prison as he's being attacked by four zombies, but not before Derek barely escapes with a hot female scientist and the warden's two children and they drive off into the sunset. What zombie movie ever ends like that? Of course the final scene depicts one of the colonel's staff with the tell-tale nosebleed signifying the onset of the virus.
Review
This movie has some potential, but is handcuffed by some questionable acting, less than stellar special effects, and zombies that don't really look or act like zombies. Despite the limited gangster footage, the film still manages to cram in every Italian mob saying ever used. It's also a poster boy for prison movies where even the guards get in on the butt piracy! But two issues in this movie are truly puzzling. First, why is there a maximum security prison with a convenient escape tunnel that despite being sealed up by the warden can be cleared out with a hammer and crowbar. And second, the colonel clearly realizes the extreme danger of the virus and orders a full quarantine of the prison. Yet when he decides to use the scorched earth policy to destroy it he sends in special forces with C4 charges that are wearing absolutely no protective gear to keep from being infected! Seems like an airborne napalm strike would be a tad more effective.
Having said all that and rating it two zombie heads, I still enjoyed this movie. It's definitely some solid B grade action-horror, just not a very good zombie film.
Zombie Traits
| Speed | 
(Human)
|
| Intelligence | 
(Human)
|
| Strength | 
(Hulk Hogan)
|
| Zombie Source | HV-8b: bio-engineered virus |
Perhaps not true zombies, as explained by a scientist the virus gives them super human strength by providing an adrenaline rush, but eventually will "burn itself out".
Best Zombie Kill
Zombie prisoner Adams attacks a guard from behind and pushes his head against a jail cell with super-human strength. While the gore and effects aren't that great, you fully expect the guy's head to go through the bars like a cheese grater. Alas, that doesn't happen, but when the zombie walks away the guard is stuck to the bars by his face.
Memorable Scene
Blasphemy! The prison chaplain holds service for some of the inmates, but he's feeling ill due to coming in contact with an infected prisoner. As he prepares for Communion, a drop of blood from his nose falls into the pitcher that he then pours into all the cups. While not an action packed zombie slaughter scene, what a horrible thought that you become a zombie by taking Communion at a church service!
