The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies [1964]

This movie did not really deliver on its title. How could it, I guess? But even so, this movie didn't involve anyone or anything becoming a zombie in any literal sense of the word. If by "stopped living" you mean "became more primal and was imprisoned in a house" than I guess the title applies. But all of that is revealed in the last ten minutes of the film. 

To back it up, this movie takes place primarily at a carnival and follows a few different characters, most of whom are dark-haired women who all kind of look the same. There's an evil fortune teller named Madame Estrella, distinguished by her mole, who throws acid in the face of a man who spurns her for her sister in the beginning. There's a dancer in the show who drinks a lot, much to the chagrin of her boss and dance partner. There's a girl who goes to the carnival with some "bad boy" in a hoodie and his foreign friend and they're clearly our POV characters. Estrella tells the girl during a fortune telling that someone close to her will die and says she can't read the fortune of her bad boyfriend (foreshadowing is a narrative device ...). The boyfriend then goes to a "strip tease" show starring Carmalita, who lures him backstage where Estrella, her sister, hypnotizes him to kill the classy alcoholic dancer and her partner. We have no idea why. Also, this happens 50 minutes into an hour and twenty minute movie even though this feels like a midpoint. Later, boyfriend tries to strangle his girlfriend after witnessing a spinning umbrella with stripes. He goes to Estrella where she throws acid in his face and tries to get him to join her harem of disfigured goon men but he kills her and Carmalita. We get a seaside chase scene and the cops all shoot down the men including boyfriend.

The strange thing about this movie, aside from the lack of anything actually resembling a zombie, is that it really doesn't develop a plot until the film is more than halfway over. The entire first half of the film is just full of dance numbers from tons of different dancers, singing performances from at least three different people, and montages of the POV characters going on amusement park rides. The question is why? Are all these performers friends of the director? Did they plan out the plot and realize the movie was vastly too short so they added in all the acts? It was reminiscent of The 420 Awards of all things. 

Either way, the film wasn't painful and we got a few good laughs but it's nothing to write home about. Maybe watch the MST3K episode instead?

Spoon Rating: 3

REWATCH: Creating Rem Lezar [1988]

On the anniversary of the start of Bad Movie Night, we decided to do a rewatch of Creating Rem Lezar. In spite of having seen it twice before, we could barely remember it outside of how fun and insane it is. We especially didn't remember that the Twin Towers have a significant moment in this film and the inappropriateness of that on this day of all days did make us giggle because we're terrible and traumatized. Sarah tried to insist that Adam should be Rem Lezar for Halloween. He said no, but we'll see.

 Read the original review here.