Zombiethon (1986)
Dir: Ken Dixon
Wizard Video, a video distribution company created by ballyhoo expert Charles Band, in an effort to sell more product created ZOMBIETHON. Director Ken Dixon shot scenes as a wrap around to each of the previews of the included films released by Wizard Video. The end result is 70 odd minutes of pointless new scenes tacked onto the 'highlights' of grade Z productions.
The idea of cheaply producing new product while promoting current releases wasn't anything new to Band. Wizard had previously released the clip tapes FAMOUS T&A (under the Cult Video moniker) and THE BEST OF SEX AND VIOLENCE. Instead of a host such as Sybil Danning or John Carradine introducing the clips we get odd arty / comedic vignettes of women being attack by creatures who run into a theatre and watch the previews. Other than padding the run time I really don't know what a scene with a woman walking through a garden who is chased by a monster has to do with Lucio Fulci's ZOMBIE. But here we have the former introducing the latter.
The films previewed will be well known to fans of horror who grew up in the age of VHS. We've all seen the boxes sitting on the shelves of a video shop enticing us with their art work. Their names sounded like they'd make for a kick ass watch, including ZOMBIE, ZOMBIE LAKE, OASIS OF THE ZOMBIES and FEAR, but more often than not led to a very disappointing watch.
This compilation is just as disappointing. The previews are sloppily edited together to eke out titillation with the full frontal nudity and crude gore. I was bored with most of the films when I watched them back in the '80s and I'm just as bored with watching clips from them today. There's no nostalgia to be found here for me.
New horror fans who haven't seen these films might find something of interest but more than likely they'd be switching the stream to something else.
* out of ****
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