2
(nothing direct)
7
(mild violence)
3
(see it only if you have a strong interest in very old zombie flicks)
Revolt of the Zombies tries to build on the idea of mindless humans under the guide of a master rather than the undead variety we know today. That was the notion of zombies during much of the black-and-white movie era. The result is a revolting.
Rumors of robot-like men who can take out a regiment of trained soldiers are spreading. Can a priest-king really be controlling the minds of people telepathically to turn them into zombie puppets? A group of military leaders think so, and they gather their forces for an expedition to Angkor to destroy the zombie secret before it can be used to wipe them all out.
Meanwhile, a love triangle forms between an engaged couple and another man. The scorned lover, while reeling from the betrayal of his fiancee, then loses his job right on the heels of making a major discovery about the zombie secret. He has the choice to use his new knowledge for good or to get revenge on those that have spurned him.
One of the strangest things about this movie is the shift in focus. It starts as a military endeavor, becomes a love story, and then evolves into a conspiracy plot. The drastic changes in tone along with the odd pacing aren't particularly good or bad per se, just kind of weird. The romantic and conspiratorial elements do keep the movie from feeling like a run-of-the-mill B movie even if they do leave the story in something of a jumbled mess.
I’m not familiar with any particular actor in this movie, but the acting isn't terrible. There are no Karloffs or Lugosis here, but the actors are good enough to carry the story. If you see Bela Lugosi as an actor in this don’t be fooled. The only appearance Lugosi puts in is a shot of his eyes pilfered right out of White Zombie.
The movie would perhaps be better described as a suspenseful intrigue, but due to the inclusion of zombies, undead or not, it gets called “horror.” If you're wanting a monster movie you might want to note that the “zombies” are actually regular folks who have been hypnotized. There isn't even the kind of dark voodoo that White Zombie offers.
All in all it’s not a terrible movie compared to some, but it drags in several places. The various elements I mentioned could combine to become a good, nuanced movie, but in this form they are too separated to fully compliment and play off one another.
Morality
There is very little of note in this movie. I didn't notice any strong language, sex, nudity, etc. There is some violence, though. In fact, there’s a relatively graphic shooting of a zombie compared to many of the classic horror movies.
Spirituality
Audio Adrenaline had a great song a while back called “Some Kind of Zombie.” It talks about being dead to sin and being under the command of God in a way similar to the robots in Revolt of the Zombies. It's a fun analogy for fans of horror, but it's an imperfect one. God does not turn us into robots, he stresses that we are individual parts of the spiritual body with different functions. We are not drones or clones but rather beings with varied talents and capabilities complimenting each other and ultimately pointing people to the God that loves them.
My pastor, Jeff, has been given the ability to lead his congregation, putting us in a position to do what we do well as individuals. Brian Welch has been given the ability to reach hearts through music using his love of rock to reach a fanbase that plugs their ears when sweet gospel music plays. C.S. Lewis was given the ability to write thoughts on spirituality in a way that has impacted countless readers using his knowledge of mythology to make his stories more entertaining. I have been given the opportunity to take my enjoyment of cinema and write out the spiritual implications I see in the stories (no, I'm not on the level of these other people, but if you're reading these words then I am, in some small way, impacting you with my works so I'll list myself here).
None of us are the same aside from serving the same master, and while we have all given up our sinful ways we have not given up what we love. We lose the sinful side of ourselves when we give ourselves over to God, but we don't lose who we are. If anything God makes us more ourselves that we could be on our own. The idea that we all have to be white middle-class socialites in suit and tie singing quiet hymns in the pews Sunday morning is a stereotype fading into obscurity at a fast pace.
Final Thoughts
While there’s nothing terrible about this movie there’s little worthy of note despite my long thoughts on us as robotic people. It’s worth a watch if, like me, you happen across it in a collection, but other than that it’s not worth any effort of tracking down. I wouldn't think it would be enough to interest even a Bela Lugosi completest considering the shots of his eyes aren't even original.
Buying Guide
Like so many of these public domain movies Revolt of the Zombies offers a revolting number of various releases.
There are numerous stand-alone DVD versions and at least as many combo packs with various other movies.
None of the releases appear to offer anything different than any other with one exception: some list the run time at 63 minutes and others at 65. I'm not aware of any variations in the edit so I'm not sure why the different times. All list the same video and audio specs (the same as what I covered above). None list any extras.
Final Recommendation:
I can't really say if you'll get more of the movie by going with one of the DVD's that lists a 65 minute run time. I have yet to see any mention of any different edits of the film. I don't see anything in any of those listings that make me think you will get a better quality presentation than you would if you were to get the Horror Classics 50 pack. That's your best bet for a good bargain from the offers I've seen.
My version of the movie comes in a pack of 50 “Horror Classics.”
Video
1.33:
This is the “full-frame” ratio. The image contains trash, uneven lighting, and other blemishes but is fair compared to some old movies.
Audio
2.0 mono:
The audio is clear enough to understand all the dialogue, but that's about the best I can say about it.
Packaging
This particular disc is housed in a cardboard sleeve contained in a Velcro-fastened box (more recently repackaged in plastic). You can read about the set as a whole in great detail in the Horror Classics (50 pack) guide.
This version of the movie runs at about 62 minutes which is shorter than some other listings.
Extras
There are none.