In 1978, Dawn of the Dead was released. It is considered the greatest zombie movie ever made by many. In its wake, the end of the 70’s and early 80’s came a slew of other, lower quality zombie films. Hell of the Living Dead is often called “the poor man’s Dawn of the Dead” and for good reason. Its score is done by Goblin who also worked on Dawn‘s soundtrack, Hell of the Living Dead features a heavy nod to Dawn‘s famous elevator scene, and both films centers around cops caught up in the unfolding zombie apocalypse. While Dawn was shot on Italian money but was an American film, Hell of the Living Dead is a fully Italian production complete with poor dubbing.
Hell of the Living Dead is full of tropes, doesn’t shy away from nudity, and is often over the top in more than just its gore. Still it does deliver more than a few memorable moments including an animal gnawing its way out of a zombie, some crazy antics and dialogue from its characters, and numerous fun action scenes.
All things considered, Hell of the Living Dead is far from a zombie masterpiece
but it is a hell of a good time for fans of the genre!
