AFM update: Bruno Mattei's ISLAND OF THE LIVING DEAD (L'ISOLA DEI MORTI VIVENTI)
A page for Bruno 'Vincent Dawn' Mattei's Italian zombie movie Island of the Living Dead (L'isola dei morti viventi) has been added to the website of the international sales agent for the movie, FilmExport Group s.r.l.. As was previously reported here on ScreenAnarchy, distribution rights for that movie and for Mattei's Italian women-in-prison (WiP) movie The Jail: A Women's Hell (Anime perse) are being offered for sale by FilmExport Group at this year's American Film Market (AFM) in Santa Monica, California. Island of the Living Dead is scheduled to be screened at Le Merigot #1 on Monday November 6th at 9:00 a.m. and Tuesday November 7th at 11:00 a.m.. The Jail: A Women's Hell is scheduled to be screened at Le Merigot #1 on Sunday November 5th at 9:00 a.m., and at Le Merigot #2 on Monday November 6th at 7:00 p.m..
Below is a synopsis for Island of the Living Dead from the aforementioned page for the movie on FilmExport Group's website.
In the year 1600, on a Spanish province island, soldiers are escorting carts loaded with corpses... while unloading those corpses in a crypt, one of them falls down and then comes back to life. Recovering from his astonishment, the captain opens fire aiming at the reviving man's head, blowing it into thousands of pieces but other corpses rise again while the terrorized soldiers flee... the island is aflame, everything is burning, but for the soldiers there is no escape... other living dead slaughter the men.
Back to nowadays...
A boat is still, under the burning sun; its crew are coming to grips with the raising of a chest. Everything seems to be proceeding well, when the bottom of the chest breaks dispersing once again all its contents in the sea. The group are discouraged but there is more bad luck to come... all of a sudden, a thick and impenetrable fog envelops the boat... that then runs aground on something that isn't signalled by the radar.
At dawn they discover they have run aground near an island... the island is not marked on their maps. Kirk, the captain decides to go and explore the island, while Max the engineer will stay on the boat in order to repair the damaged engine...
After disembarking on the shore of this mysterious island they split in two groups: Sharon, Mark and Tao will go and search for food and drinkable water, the others will explore the island with captain Kirk [emphasis added]...
Advancing through the thick vegetation, Sharon sees some crosses... they have found an old cemetery when... in the distant fog they can see somebody. Sharon gets closer but only when she is very close to the being they realize the horrifying truth: it's a dreadful monster, the being flings itself against her but only Tao's sacrifice will rescue her from death.
Elsewhere on the island, captain Kirk and his men discover the ruins of some fortifications of visible Spanish features. The group advance in the fortress... the scene is gloomy... all of a sudden, part of the floor breaks under Fred's feet... The others immediately go to his rescue but only then they realize they are in a torture chamber.
In this old hall Victoria discovers an old book written in Latin. Kirk reads a few lines: it's about dead men and women that rise again to new life to attack other men...
In the meantime, Max is still busy trying to repair the boat's engine... he hears noises on deck... thinking it's Kirk he goes closer; he freezes through shock when he finds in front of him some monstrous beings, living dead. It's the end... they are devouring him alive and with a last effort he manages to start the engine causing an explosion that blows the ship into thousands of pieces.
The explosion can be heard by the men on the island who all run towards the shore: the scene is discouraging, the boat is on fire and their friend Max is on it.
The night draws in, there is nervousness and fear amongst the group. Kirk tries to handle the situation - they must find a safe shelter for the night, they are desperate, prisoners on a mysterious and dangerous island, not as desert as it seemed.
Fascinating discoveries, horrible and tenebrous situations alternate between real and surreal events, while the survivors fight to stay alive...
Island of the Living Dead poster (see above left - 24 KB JPEG version)
FilmExport Group: Island of the Living Dead
* * *
The Jail: A Women's Hell trailer (downloadable 3.2 MB WMV file - viewer discretion is advised)
The Jail: A Women's Hell poster (56 KB JPEG)
FilmExport Group: The Jail: A Women's Hell
ScreenAnarchy: The Jail: A Women's Hell article (May 17, 2006)
