Today I’m going to attempt the impossible and try to explain the Zombi series.
As far as I know this is correct but if you have any further information or posters, VHS covers I don’t have please let me know in the comments section and I’ll do my best to update.
The Zombie film series are a collection of films that started as unofficial sequels to George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead (1978).
When Dawn of the Dead was released in Europe is was re-edited by Dario Argento, you might have seen a few pics of his daughter on this site, and re-scored by Italian progressive rock band Goblin for non-English speaking territories. The film was then renamed Zombi.
After Dawn of the Deads release, Lucio Fulci’s Gli Ultimi Zombi was renamed Zombi 2 (1979) to cash in the films success. From then on unrelated films would use the Zombi name even though none of which were direct sequels and was simply capitalising on the Zombi franchise.
Meanwhile in the UK Zombi was renamed Zombie Flesh Eaters and Zombi 3 & 4 became Zombie Flesh Eaters 2 & 3. Here’s a breakdown by Country
Italy
United Kingdom
Germany
America
Here is the poster for Oltre la morte which was renamed Zombie 4: After Death
To further confuse, Zombie was also released as Zombie 2. Here are a few other films released as part of the Zombie series in America.
La orgía de los muertos became Zombie 3: Return of the Zombies
Christina, princesse de l’érotisme becomes Zombie 4: A Virgin Among the Living Dead
It is mistakenly claimed that Zombie was released as Night of the Zombies in the US however it was the Bruno Mattei (using his alias Vincent Dawn) film Zombie Creeping Flesh aka hell of the Living Dead (1980) which had a pre-release title of Zombi 4 but was never released as such.
Here are other films released around the world under the Zombi title
Zombi 3
Let Sleeping Corpses Lie, Zombie Holocaust and Burial Ground were known as Zombie 3.
Nightmare City was known as Zombi 3: Efialtis stin poli in Greece and Zombie Holocaust was called Zombie 3 in America but I cannot find any actual proof but it does seem true.
Zombi 4
Panic (1982), aka Bakterion, is known as Zombi 4 in Greece but again I can’t find any proof beyond a couple of internet listings.
Zombi 6
Absurd was known as Zombie 6: Monster Hunter
Zombi 7
You’ll notice Anthropophagous was released a year before Absurd yet is Zombie 7. That’s because after the release of Absurd the back of the Video case incorrectly labelled the film as Zombie 6: Monster Hunter and as Absurd was considered a sequel to Anthropophagous, when the film finally got a theatrical release in 1981 it was re-labelled it Zombie 7. However again I cannot find any evidence for Anthropophagaous being released as Zombie 7.
Zombie ’90 director Andreas Schnaas also directed a remake of Anthropophagous
Zombi 8
As you can see it’s complicated. What’s listed as Zombi 8, Night of the Seagulls was originally released 3 years before Dawn of the Dead, which kicked all this off, was in 1978 and I cannpt find any proof this was ever reissued as Zombi 8 in the USA.
So there you have it. I hope you’re not as confused as I am and have learned something new.