You need proof that the Nazi zombie subgenre is cursed? How about the fact that Shock Waves is widely considered the best of the bunch and it sucks. It’s Ken Wiederhorn’s directorial debut and I have no idea how he was ever allowed behind the camera again afterward. He hasn’t worked since 1998 if IMDB is to be believed, so eventually folks caught on. If they had stopped him after this crap, maybe he wouldn’t have destroyed Return of the Living Dead II.
The problems of this movie are legion. The zombies are frequently referred to as “stylish” but I was unimpressed. They move in rigid sync with each other, wearing dumb goggles and looking for all the world like refugees from a Kraftwerk parody video. They aren’t scary and they’re easily the best part of the movie. The bastards don’t bite, preferring to drown their victims for the most part. The killings are ridiculous and unbelievable.
The movie gives us a creaky tour boat full of Americans who stumble on an island inhabited by former Nazi officer watching over a sunken ship populated by Nazi zombie super-soldiers. Then they get killed. Far too little happens and the movie jumps around a bit due to poor editing, direction and writing. It wasn’t quite incoherent but it was definitely befuddled. It wasn’t suspenseful, gory or funny. It also wasn’t interesting. But it did have Peter Cushing and John Carradine, for all the good it did. Worthwhile only for historical interest.
I know.
One kept hoping for the real bloody, scary takedown. I mean, these ain’t just zombies, man – they’re fucking NAZIS! Double the scare, double the evil, double the… dumb.
It *did* give me hope for my own Nazi zombie script, which will dominate the subgenre.
All I remember about this movie is there were A LOT of shots of zombies slowly rising out of the surf.
@Sid Pink why have I not seen this script?!?
@Jay Clarke You pretty much nailed it. Lots of “stylish” shots of zombie slowly rising from the surf. And lots of drowning. And lots, and lots of boredom.