If there is one thing we know to be true about Quentin Tarantino, it is that he is a fountain of obscure cinema knowledge. Even a casual observer can see various influences from older, forgotten movies in the filmmaker’s own work. So, when Far Out UK rediscovered when Tarantino showed Brad Pitt a bizarre and once-banned horror film, we knew it could have literally been anything.
It turns out that while working on Inglourious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino found out Pitt had never seen Zombi 2 (also known as Zombie or Zombie Flesh Eaters). The filmmaker quickly loaned him his 35mm print so he could fix this oversight immediately. If you, like Brad Pitt, are late to this shark-invested zombie pool party, let me show you what you have missed out on below.
Zombi 2 was directed by Lucio Fulci. It was written by Elisa Briganti. The movie stars Tisa Farrow, Ian McCulloch, Richard Johnson, Al Cliver, and Auretta Gay. The film is a sequel to Zombi, the re-edited European version of George A. Romero’s 1978 Dawn of the Dead.
Per the synopsis, “A New York reporter (Ian McCulloch) follows a woman (Tisa Farrow) to an island where a doctor (Richard Johnson) faces an epidemic of the undead.”
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Zombi 2 was released in theaters on August 25, 1979. The film was banned and deemed too violent in the UK. This means that this Lucio Fulci title was classified as a video nasty back in its day.
Those who do not have access to Quentin Tarantino’s physical media collection can watch the film for free on Pluto TV. It is also on AMC+ if you are a subscriber.
Have you seen Zombi 2? If so, did you see the unedited version that got it banned? Also, were you surprised that Quentin Tarantino had a 35mm print to loan out? Let us unpack it all at @misssharai.
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