Zombie Flesh Eaters – known elsewhere as Zombi 2 – was originally intended to function as an unofficial sequel to Romero's Dawn of the Dead. Labelled as a video nasty upon release in the UK, it later gained a cult following among horror fans who recognised its colonial subtext and original kills.

When an abandoned boat drifts into a New York harbour, it is boarded by two policemen. They are attacked by (surprise!) a zombie, and while one is killed, the other escapes. The boat was owned by Anne Bowles' (Tisa Farrow) father, who was conducting research on Voodoo in the fictional Caribbean island of Matool. After discovering that her father is still on the island and suffering from a mysterious illness, Anne, with help from journalist Peter (Ian McCulloch) and guides Brian and Susan (Al Cliver and Auretta Gay), heads to Matool to find and save her father.

Before landing, Susan goes for a (nearly naked) swim and comes across a sick-looking man underwater who tries to trap her. This man then goes on to fight a shark (yes, really). When they arrive, they find an island filled with sickness, field hospitals full of the dead or nearly dead, and wealthy landowners exploiting the local workers. As they walk through the jungle, dead conquistadors begin to emerge from the ground, and bodies, both new and old, begin to follow and attack them. The colonial themes are laid bare here, as the original invaders and their descendants continue to chow down on the less wealthy people who live there.

Even through modern eyes, Zombie Flesh Eaters has a lot going for it, not least the scene of a zombie fighting a shark. Filmed with a local shark trainer in zombie make-up wrestling a real shark, it's unlike anything you're likely to have seen before. There are other striking scenes involving an eye and a spiky piece of wood, which the use of slow motion makes particularly uncomfortable. The biggest issue, perhaps, is that of many low-budget Italian films of this era: the overdubbing. It's obvious, clunky, and can be quite distracting. Plus, there is a definite surplus of unnecessary boobs, depending on your point of view. But if you can overlook that, there's plenty to enjoy. The final sequence is quite epic in scope as various buildings are engulfed in flames and the island begins to be overrun.

For its modest budget, Zombie Flesh Eaters is impressive and was clearly influential on its modern undead descendants.

4K Ultra HD Limited Edition Special Features

4K restoration from the original 2-perf Techniscope negative
4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
Original English and Italian front and end titles
Restored original lossless English and Italian mono audio
Optional remixed lossless English Dolby Atmos audio and Italian DTS-HD MA 7.1 audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack and optional English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack
Brand new audio commentary by critics Eugenio Ercolani, Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson
Audio commentary by screenwriter Elisa Briganti, moderated by Calum Waddell
Audio commentary by Fulci biographer Stephen Thrower and horror expert Alan Jones
Sound and Fury: Listening to Zombie Flesh Eaters, a brand new visual essay by author and critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
Repellent: Memories of Zombie Flesh Eaters, a brand new visual essay by author and critic Chris Alexander
Archival introduction by actor Ian McCulloch
From Romero to Rome: The Rise and Fall of the Italian Zombie Film, a 2012 documentary featuring screenwriters Dardano Sacchetti and Antonio Tentori, critic Kim Newman and filmmakers Luigi Cozzi, Ruggero Deodato and Russ Streiner
Aliens, Cannibals and Zombies: A Trilogy of Italian Terror, an archival interview with McCulloch
The Meat-Munching Movies of Gino de Rossi, an archival interview with the celebrated special effects artist
Zombie Flesh Eaters: From Script to Screen, an archival featurette featuring Dardano Sacchetti showing key pages from his original “Island of the Living Dead” screenplay
Music for a Flesh-Feast, a 2012 Q&A with composer Fabio Frizzi at the Glasgow Film Theatre
Original English language “Nightmare Island” screenplay
Theatrical trailers and TV spots