My guest, Gabe Powers of Genre Grinder podcast (also on my new network, the Now Playing Network) and I discuss the Italian classic Zombi 2 (1979), which goes by many names including Zombie and Zombie Flesh Eaters. As you’ll hear, Gabe’s specialty is Italian horror including directors Lucio Fulci and Dario Argento (as well as zombie classics), so we discuss a lot of the Italian horrors coming out around this time and George A. Romero’s zombie films in America, to which Zombi 2 is an unofficial sequel. We also cover booby scuba, dusty zombies, and combing the used DVD section for obscure horror gems. This is a truly one-of-a-kind episode for all you Italian horror lovers out there, so get your Letterboxd ready because you’re gonna add a ton of movies to your watchlist!
Gabe is the host of the Genre Grinder podcast, my next-door neighbor on my new network (the Now Playing Network). Each month, Gabe delves in the depths of all sorts of subgenres.
00:00-22:00- Intro + New Theme Music / How Gabe Got Into Horror / The History of Zombi 2
22:00-54:30- Brief Synopsis / Lucio Fulci’s Direction / The Zombies / Music
54:30-1:22:00- Other Zombie Movies / Italian Horror Cinema History
1:22:00-1:35:00- Double Feature Ideas / Book Recs / Outro + Gabe’s Zombi 2 Theme
Please note: timestamps are estimates.
References:
Exclusive Memoir: “Zombie”’s Ian McCulloch Remembers Co-Star Richard Johnson, June 26th 2015, Fangoria
Fulci for Fake (documentary that Gabe mentions)
House of Horrors website
Book list:
Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci by Stephen Thrower (mentioned by Gabe for further Fulci lore)
The Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema From Fodder to Oscar by Robin R. Means Coleman and Mark H. Harris (mentioned by Chloe)
Broken Mirrors/Broken Minds: The Dark Dreams of Dario Argento by Maitland McDonagh (mentioned by Gabe)
Eaten Alive!: Italian Cannibal and Zombie Movies by Jay Slater (mentioned by Gabe)
Profondo Argento: The Man, The Myths and the Magic by Alan Jones (mentioned by Gabe)
Roberto Curti’s books on the Italian Gothic (mentioned by Gabe for further research on Italian horror)
Wizard Jail, a Visionaries Rewatch Podcast (Gabe’s other podcast)
Genre Grinder Cares (merch with profits donated to charity, currently donating to the Minnesotan org Gender/Justice)
Follow Gabe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.
Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.
Check out more film pods on the Now Playing Network
The music used in this episode is from the soundtrack and trailer for Zombi 2 (1979) used for educational purposes.
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