The Revolt of the Zombies

"T-Bolt!  The Zombies are revolting!"

"Of course they're revolting.  All that rotting flesh and bits hanging off...  Put me off my lunch."

No, no.  The 1936 movie The Revolt Of The Zombies if what I'm talking about.  A Christmas gift DVD for an early Drive-In Theater gem.  

They refer to the World War.  I wondered which one (didn't know the year yet.  dang Roman numerals...) but when they referred to the Austro Hungarian front...  Ahh.  The Great War.  Almost as good as the Super Duper Extra Fantastic War.  You know the one.  Good times.

Anyway, these are Cambodian zombies.  Angkor Wat to be specific (good job on the matt paintings in the studio).  They even used some Asian actors for this one.  Well, extras.  The speaking part Cambodians were the usual robed up make-up wearing Caucasians with fake Southeast Asia language skills.  There have been lots of RoMERO missions to that part of the world, too.

Zombie make good soldiers if you doll them up in uniforms and convince them to hold rifles with fixed bayonets.  Of course I've never seen actual zombies made up in such a way, but this was 75 years ago.

It plods like a typical 1930's movie, with the usual love-bird set up.  The story involves an imported Cambondian Priest helping the French kill some Austrians with zombies that he controls with his mind.  Civilized man decides that zombies are TOO horrible (though effective) to use as a weapon.  Before they can get the secret from the Cambodian, he is murdered by some other Asian character.  The principles go on an expedition to re-discover the secret for making a zombie.  The smart guy is a bit milquetoast and get's cuckolded by his wife and his best friend, which he accepts initially.  Eventually he get's a bit peeved to be used so horribly right when he figures out the magic smoke plus ESP trick.  Bad timing for the world, a new minted megalomaniac with a desire for revenge and now tremendous power is his alone!  But how to stop him?!

Anyway, yada yada yada... Bela Legosi's eyes are used as a special effect. No, not as a prop to be eaten.