nightmare city

Even amongst the annals of Italian cult cinema, few movies are as deliriously out-there as Umberto Lenzi’s Nightmare City (1980). A Dawn of the Dead rip-off that paved the way for sprinting zombies, this is the sort of movie you recommend to someone who claims to have “seen it all.” Until this one is crossed off their list, they most definitely have not!

The apocalypse begins with no preamble. A military plane carrying scientists scheduled to discuss a nuclear disaster lands unexpectedly. When the doors open, an army of irradiated madmen overwhelm the military police and proceed to tear their way through the city. Not zombies per se, these radiation-scarred freaks are covered with scabby wounds and drink the blood of their victims, passing along their nuclear disease exponentially.

While the script sounds almost traditional now in terms of an apocalyptic horror set-up, Lenzi’s execution is anything but. His zombies (for lack of a better term) run, jump, stab, bite, and fire machine guns. In fact, other than their lack of speech, their mental faculties seem really none the worse for wear. They are, however, suspectible to a shot to the head, thank goodness.

What makes Nightmare City so much damn fun is its eagerness to please. It’s scenarios are so implausible or downright ludicrous that one can’t help but be awed by the attempt, the most memorable being a zombie attack during a live TV show featuring a cast of Solid Gold dancers. Star Hugo Stiglitz plays a bearded journalist on the run with his girlfriend through the countryside to escape the unstoppable horde. It’s a bit like watching Ron Burgandy take on the undead…and often just as amusing.

The film’s bad taste effects are quick and amateurish (sliced breast, poked-out eye, etc) mostly consisting of the zombies pretending to stab someone just before the camera cuts away. But it’s all part of the charm. Lenzi - probably quite by accident -created a nihilistic, splatter film that’s more entertaining than movies with ten times the budget. For fans of the weird and wacky, Nightmare City is a dream come true.

Raro Video presents the film in a new HD transfer on blu-ray and it looks amazing, whether you’re watching dubbed or subbed. Extras include a 50-minute interview with Lenzi from 2000, original trailer and a great set of liner notes by Chris Alexander of Fangoria Magazine.