Zombie Flesh Eaters
Dir Lucio Fulci / 1979 / Italy
This was first Refused Classification in February 1980 for reasons of gratuitous, frequent, high (explicit/intensity) violence. The version submitted by Pacific Telecaster ran 2442.40mtr (89m 16s). An appeal to the Review Board in the same month was unsuccessful. A reconstructed version was prepared running 2342.60mtr (85m 37s). This was finally passed in May 1980, but only after the removal of a further 2.3mtr (5s). It was this print that had a theatrical release.
Starbase Video were the first label to issue this on video in Australia. I currently have no running time for this, though I would assume it is the same as the censored theatrical release.
This was back before the censors in 1982 when Central Video submitted an 86min tape. Described as the British Reduced Version, it was passed R18+.
1987 saw Video Excellence grated an R18+ for an 84mins (v) VHS. This submission is out on their Infinity Video Sales label and actually runs 82m 48s. Incidentally, in case you are wondering, the cover art has been taken from the US Camp Video release of Gore-Met, Zombie Chef from HelL.
The following scenes are absent from the
Infinity tape.
Missing the prologue of Dr Menard shooting Ann's father in the head as he comes back to life. This scene is repeated (in a censored form) at 51min 58sec.
BOAT ZOMBIE
BEFORE - First cop attending to the sails, hears
a scream and looks up.
CENSORED AT 6m 24s - Zombie biting the neck of the cop, and blood pumping out.
AFTER - The cop leaves the sail and goes to see
what is happening.
BEFORE - Zombie is shot by the first cop and is
briefly shown falling off the boat.
CENSORED AT 7m 03s- The zombie falling into the water.
AFTER - Shot of the World Trade Centre.
PAOLA'S DEATH
BEFORE - Paola having her head pulled toward the splinter.
CENSORED AT 43m 15s- Splinter of wood going into Paola's eye, then snapping off.
AFTER - Brief aftermath shot of her face with the
broken splinter in her eye.
ANN'S FATHER
BEFORE - The body of Ann's father coming back to life, Dr Menard raises the gun and shoots.
CENSORED AT 51m 58s- Zombie (Ann's father) being shot in the head.
AFTER - Dr Menard holding the gun up and standing
motionless.
ZOMBIE FEAST
BEFORE - Shot of Paola's hand and close-up of Ann's eyes.
*CENSORED AT 57m 48s- Four zombies eating Paola's body.
AFTER - Shot of Ann's face with her now looking
down and away.
CEMETERY ZOMBIES
BEFORE - Zombie rising from the ground and Susan standing watching it.
CENSORED AT 65m 27s- Zombie slowly rising from the ground, standing to face Susan, then biting her neck. Shots of blood pumping out, and her body falling to the ground.
AFTER - Brian appears and shoots the zombie in the back.
BEFORE - Zombie turning the face Brian and him holding the gun.
CENSORED AT 65m 45s- Shot of the zombie's face.
AFTER - Peter running to pick up the metal cross.
BEFORE - Peter hitting the zombie with the cross and knocking it to the ground.
CENSORED AT 65m 49s- Peter slicing off the top of the zombie's head with a cross, exposing its brains.
AFTER - Brian walking towards the body of Susan.
BEFORE - Zombie rising from the ground and a cross slowly falling over.
*CENSORED AT 67m 03s- Close-up shot of zombie's face with worms in the eye socket. Shots of zombies rising from the ground.
AFTER - Peter, Brian and Ann running through the
jungle.
ATTACK ON THE CHURCH
BEFORE - Zombie hand appearing at the window. Peter comes to close the window and spots the zombie.
CENSORED AT 72m 21s- Peter grabs a shovel and hits the zombie in the face. He then smashes it over the head, exposing its brains, before pushing its body out of the window.
AFTER - Peter dropping the window shut.
BEFORE - Zombie attacking Dr Menard.
CENSORED AT 72m 50s- Zombie biting flesh from Dr Menard's cheek. Menard falls to the ground and the zombie is shown feeding on him.
AFTER - Zombie rising from the body to face Brian.
BEFORE - Brian raises the gun and fires
CENSORED AT 72m 59s- Brian shoots zombie in stomach, then in the head. It then begins to fall out of shot.
AFTER - Zombie now out of view. Shot of a bloody wall.
BEFORE - Zombie grabbing victims arm.
CENSORED AT 73m 44s- Zombie grabbing the arm of one of the church people and tearing the flesh away. Shot of zombie with flesh in its mouth.
AFTER - Victim slowly sliding down the wall.
BEFORE - Brian shooting at the zombies.
CENSORED AT 76m 07s- Brief shot of Brian shooting a zombie in the head.
AFTER - Group of zombies entering the building.
BEFORE - Peter aiming at a zombie as it raises from the floor.
CENSORED AT 76m 16s- Peter shooting zombie in the head.
AFTER - Brain shooting at zombies.
BEFORE - Peter and Brain throwing Molotov cocktails
CENSORED AT 76m 58s- Burning zombie getting its head blown off, and a second zombie getting shot.
AFTER - Brian saying to Brian "Two more!" as she hands him more Molotov cocktails.
BEFORE - Falling, burning wood and the zombies marching towards the group.
CENSORED AT 77mi 12s- Zombie rising up through the burning wood, before being hit by a large piece of the roof.
AFTER - More shots of falling, burning wood and
the zombies marching towards the group.
ESCAPE FROM THE CHURCH
BEFORE - Peter, Brian and Ann running into the back room of the building.
CENSORED AT 77m 46s- Zombie spinning around to the camera after being hit in the face. Peter hitting a second zombie, and a shot of its bloody face.
AFTER - Peter, Brian and Ann running out of the building.
BEFORE - Brian saying to Peter "Shoot her West!"
CENSORED AT 78m 20s- Shot of Susan's face and Brian saying "Shoot her, what are you waiting for?"
AFTER - Peter holding the gun up.
BEFORE - Peter aiming and shooting.
CENSORED AT 78m 23s- Susan being shot in the head as Peter looks on, another shot of Susan's face.
AFTER - Peter running to Brian and saying "Come on Brian, let's get to the boat.
In 1988 the censors did not seem to have any problems with this cut footage. A compilation tape titled ZombieTHon (see below) was passed R18+ and contains virtually all the violent scenes. Only two scenes (marked above with *) are missing, and this is not the work of the censors.
In February 2004 (as ZOMBIE) Umbrella Entertainment had a 91min (v) passed R18+ (High Level Violence). The uncut DVD was released in August 2004 and runs 91m 05s. Umbrella re-issued it in December 2005 as part of THE ULTIMATE ZOMBIE COLLECTION box set. Also included are ZOMBIE HOLOCAUST and BURIAL GROUND.
Zombiethon
Dir Ken Dixon / 1986 / USA
This compilation of clips from various Zombie films contains most of the censored scenes from the Australian release of Zombie Flesh-Eaters (Identified here under its US title of ZOMBIE). In 1988 the censors had no problem with the scenes that had been removed a few years earlier. The footage makes up almost the first 16minutes of this Virgin Video release. Only the Zombie Feast scene and a brief shot of Zombies rising from the earth are not included here.
See the entry for ZOMBIE FLESH-EATERS for a full description of the uncut footage that can be found here.
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