Zeder

Reading some of the reviews for this movie really gets me going. Kids,STAY AWAY FROM INTELLIGENT HORROR MOVIES!! Go watch another "Smiling Pervert Zombies" or something of that nature. This movie is way above your intelligence level and you will NEVER get it. Don't hate this movie because there is not enough zombies in it! It never promised to be a zombie gore fest. Instead,it is a great horror movie with a wonderful premise and some really spooky scenes("awakening in the coffin "scene!) Great,original movie and I LOVED it!! Well recommended!!

A young journalist buys a second hand typewriter and finds that he can read the imprints on the ribbon,revealing what was last typed on the machine.He pieces together the story of the scientist Paolo Zeder,who discovered K-Zones,areas in which the dead are restored to life.Stefano later encounters a group of scientists who are trying to prove Zeder's theories."Zeder" was directed and co-written by Italian maestro Pupi Avati,whose "House with the Windows That Laugh" is often regarded as one of the masterpieces of Italian horror.In "Zeder" Avati masterfully mixes a genuinely creepy atmosphere with intriguing metaphysical concepts.Unlike Lucio Fulci's gorefests it features little if any gore.There is plenty of an ominous atmosphere of unsettling dread throughout,even when not much is happening.You seldom see zombies,except in occasional glimpses.Overall,"Zeder" is weird and unusual enough to hold interest.A must-see for fans of Italian horror.8 out of 10.

It's a shame some video companies mis-market films in a deliberate attempt to get consumers to rent or buy movies based on false assumptions. Zeder is one such film that sadly falls into this category here in the US. Ravenous zombies claw their way out of man-hole covers and sewer gratings on to city streets in search of human flesh... or at least that's what the box depicts. Unfortunately for some, Zeder was never intended by anyone, other than the US video distributors, to be a zombie movie! What Zeder is, is an inventive horror-thriller that has quite a few unique ideas that, while fumbled at the very end, are engaging and fresh. More of a horror-mystery than anything else, a writer follows a trail of strange events that lead him to a secret society of occultists who are experimenting with some ancient, highly secret ways of returning the dead to life. This is a much simplified version of the plot and I don't want to give too much away. There are some great creepy moments and lots of plot twists. Granted the film ain't Zombie, just like it ain't Gusseppe Verdi. You shouldn't expect it to be either one. Take it as it is and enjoy it or try and force it to conform to what you want it to be and be disappointed.

Avati's 'Zeder' is true maturity when reflecting on the Italian horror genre. This film does't deliver close-up shots of pig entrails, nor does it steal cannibal stock footage to liven up the pace. Instead, it relays a story that was conceived by a genius, and allows the viewer to piece together the puzzle in his or her mind. The old marketing campaign, which displayed a decaying zombie exploding over a sewer drain, was definitely used to lure in sales and deceive buyers. This was no fault of the producers or director, but of typical American greedy distributors. If your the type to not judge a book by its cover, you may find a gem. Besides, anyone that sees this film as being 'pointless', 'dull' and so on should probably stay watching Speilburg Hollywood Schlock! Oh yeah, have you noticed this film's plot is similar to that of King's 'Pet Semetary'? Many speculate one may have plagiarized the other. In truth, Avati filmed and released his product over a year before King wrote his book. This film is a thinking man's horror film. Check out Avati's House with laughing Windows if you like Zeder.

I bought this movie as "Revenge of the Dead", the cover had zombies rising out of the ground. Thankfully, I knew when I bought it, that it is not a zombie movie per se. I can see why people get ticked, but I rather enjoyed this movie. One person wrote it had good atmosphere and I would be inclined to agree. The plot is basically, a writer gets a present and for some reason is inclined to read the ink ribbon which reveals places known as k-zones. These are places where if a dead body is placed they come back. There are numerous things I have a problem with though despite enjoying it for the most part. Like why is this writer so obsessed with finding out what the k-zones are. There is a part where he talks to someone on the phone and you can't hear what is being said, and the movie kinda fizzles near the end. In fact the best zombie attack is at the beginning of the movie.