Vengeance of the Zombies (aka La rebelión de las muertas) (1973)

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LiamCasey
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Vengeance of the Zombies (aka La rebelión de las muertas) (1973)

Post by LiamCasey »

Vengeance of the Zombies (aka La rebelión de las muertas) (1973) - Blu-ray

w/ Paul Naschy, Romy, Vic Winner, Mirta Miller and María Kosty. Written by Paul Naschy. And directed by León Klimovsky.

In contemporary 1970s England we get two converging plot lines; one involving a Hindu mystic named Krisna and one involving a voodoo master named Kantaka who knocks off women and then brings them back as zombies who are the tools of his vengeance. And both roles are portrayed by Paul Naschy. Who also portrays a very horned Satan. And with each plot line initially united by one whom appears to be the heroine of our tale (Romy) but who really doesn't do anything.

And, again, an ending where the villain gets his comeuppance a bit too easily. And then the comeuppance gets its own comeuppance just as easily. And then the obligatory police decide that their work here is done and depart leaving at least 9 corpses behind. It was like someone decided it was time to end the movie no matter what.

Basically a series of interesting set pieces poorly tied together. Still watchable but, needless to say, a couple of steps down from the previously watched Horror Rises from the Tomb (1973).

Random comments:

a) This is the second of five movies in The Paul Naschy Collection Blu-Ray set.

b) Being a zombie movie that was released in 1973 it would be easy to jump to the conclusion that this movie was inspired by the earlier Night of the Living Dead (1968). But Live and Let Die (1973) was released that same year. How much of the voodoo aspects of that James Bond movie were known ahead of time? And could any of those aspects have influenced the makers of Vengeance of the Zombies (including setting the movie in James Bond's home country)? It wouldn't be the first time that the makers of a low-budget movie attempted to ride the tenuous coattails of a much bigger-budgeted one.

c) And the zombies in this one were definitely not inspired by George A Romero. Instead we had sexy women lightly tinted blue and lightly dressed in diaphanous gowns. What else would one expect from a 1970s European horror movie?

d) Of course the use of an English setting could have been inspired by Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972).

e) Speaking of 1970s European horror movies, there is less nudity in this one than there was in Horror Rises from the Tomb. But it was still gratuitous. And it does make one wonder why, in the case of the first two movies in this set, Paul Naschy the writer needed to provide Paul Naschy the actor with opportunities to physically caress his totally or partially nude female costars. Was the nudity there simply to increase the paid attendance by the stereotypically male audience of horror movies? Or was there some self-image gratification going on here?

f) My wife is far from being a fan of horror movies so we're usually in separate areas of the house when I watch one. But out of sight is not necessarily out of hearing. And, at one point, she stuck her head in to see what the heck I was watching because it sounded to her like a stereotypical 1970s porn soundtrack. Which, sad to say, was an apt description. It was not a soundtrack for a horror movie.

g) Krisna, the Hindu guru, lived in Llangwell. That name has to have been inspired by Larry Talbot's Welsh home village of Llanwelly.

h) This movie including a scene where the head of a live chicken was cut off. Personally I found that absolutely disgraceful. Now, I am not a vegetarian. But killing for the sake of food is one thing. Killing for the sake of art (and I use the term very loosely here) is something else entirely.

i) In addition to Paul Naschy, actors common to both Horror Rises from the Dead and Vengeance of the Zombies were Luis Ciges, Montserrat Julió, Vic Winner and Elsa Zabala. Now two movies does not a pattern make, but I've watched and rewatched so many Universal and Hammer horror movies that it just makes sense to start paying attention to who keeps appearing and reappearing in these ones right off the bat. Is there a Spanish equivalent of Michael Ripper?

j) And then there is Mirta Miller. She appeared in two other horror movies with Paul Naschy. And, sadly, the three remaining movies on this collection do not include those. She is a doll.

Originally posted May 7, 2018 on forums.tcm.com.
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LawrenceA
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Re: Vengeance of the Zombies (aka La rebelión de las muertas) (1973)

Post by LawrenceA »

I thought I was getting deja vu reading these Naschy posts until I noticed that they were "reprints" from the TCM boards.

I enjoyed your reviews, and am glad to see you preserving them.
Watching until the end.
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LiamCasey
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Re: Vengeance of the Zombies (aka La rebelión de las muertas) (1973)

Post by LiamCasey »

LawrenceA wrote: January 26th, 2023, 9:54 pm I thought I was getting deja vu reading these Naschy posts until I noticed that they were "reprints" from the TCM boards.

I enjoyed your reviews, and am glad to see you preserving them.
Thanks. You just made my night. I enjoyed writing them and didn’t want to lose them once the other site finally took the deep six. My deal with myself, though, is that I need to post a new review in conjunction with an old one.
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EP Millstone
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Re: Vengeance of the Zombies (aka La rebelión de las muertas) (1973)

Post by EP Millstone »

LiamCasey wrote: January 26th, 2023, 8:19 pm Vengeance of the Zombies (aka La rebelión de las muertas) (1973) - Blu-ray

. . . And it does make one wonder why, in the case of the first two movies in this set, Paul Naschy the writer needed to provide Paul Naschy the actor with opportunities to physically caress his totally or partially nude female costars. Was the nudity there simply to increase the paid attendance by the stereotypically male audience of horror movies? Or was there some self-image gratification going on here?
In (I think) Horror & Fantasy in the Movies, author Tom Hutchinson wrote about Naschy baring his barrel-chested physique in his movies, prompting French audiences to exclaim, "Maintenant les bananas ("Now the bananas!"!"

Hey, if an actor wants to write scenes with him caressing near-nude or totally nude actresses -- and the actresses are willing to perform the scenes -- more power to him, say I! Nice work if you can get it!
LiamCasey wrote: January 26th, 2023, 8:19 pm . . . This movie including a scene where the head of a live chicken was cut off. Personally I found that absolutely disgraceful. Now, I am not a vegetarian. But killing for the sake of food is one thing. Killing for the sake of art (and I use the term very loosely here) is something else entirely.
I share your attitude. As far as I'm concerned, the killing of animals -- even the simulated killing of animals -- in a movie is disgraceful, deplorable, damnable, and inexcusable! Unfortunately, Humane Society protection (“No animals were harmed”) is not practiced in all countries.
"Start every day off with a smile and get it over with." -- W.C. Fields
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