I can't think of any sub genre of Horror that I enjoy more than zombie films. I don't know what it is, but I just love a good zombie film, even better, is a great zombie film. Fulci's Zombie 2, (aka Zombie, aka Zombie Flesh Eaters, aka Woodoo, and so forth) is a prime example of how to do a zombie movie right. With so many versions of this film floating around (and more in the pipeline) this simple question lies ahead; "Should I add yet another copy of Zombie 2 to my collection?" To find the answer, we'll take a look at Japan Shock's Region 0 PAL DVD of Fulci's masterpiece.

Zombie 2, known in the US as Zombie, is Fulci's answer to Romero's Dawn of The Dead. While Dawn is a better film, Zombie 2 is most certainly not to be discounted. We're going to keep the plot synopsis to a minimum, there are much more important things to discuss. Battling zombies in the tropics has never been so much fun. Tisa Farrow (yes, Mia's sister) stars as Ann, a young woman in search of her missing father. Ann travels with Peter West (Ian McCullough) to the island of Matoul to get to the bottom of some crazy experiments that seem to be reanimating the dead.

Zombie 2 has the reputation of being one of the sickest and goriest films ever made, and to this day, still does not disappoint. Fulci, always known for his eye fetish, produces one of his best and most realistic gore scenes to date. Of course, I am speaking of the wood splint through the eye, which needs to be seen to be believed. Zombie 2 is fast paced and never boring, and the red stuff flows plentiful. Let us not forget the underwater battle between the zombie and shark, simply outstanding!

Not only have I seen Zombie 2 many, many times, (including once in the theatre) I have at one point or another owned just about every home video version available. From the full frame budget priced Zombie 2 EP tape, to the Japanese Laser Disc, and most recently Anchor Bay's version under the Zombie title. Not a one, has ever blown me away visually, so I'm taking that into account for this review. I think it needs to be said that Fulci is not quite as "colorful" a director as say, Argento. Take into account some other Fulci films currently available on DVD. There's Gates of Hell, Don't Torture a Duckling, New York Ripper to name a few. While all of these films have outstanding transfers, they all share one comment element, drab, muted out colors. Anchor Bay's The Beyond, is the sharpest and brightest of the bunch, but still, it's a far cry, from something like Argento's Suspiria, which is bursting with color. Fulci has a style of his own, and colors that leap off the screen just isn't a part of it. Even the print of Zombie I saw in the theatre left a lot to be desired, with colors that just sank.

Japan Shock's DVD of Zombie 2, is a good transfer, not great, just on par with the rest. The framing is a bit tighter than Anchor Bay's DVD, (currently out of print, soon to be repressed) but It doesn't appear as if we are gaining or losing information. Anchor Bay's Zombie 2 has a really bad reputation, but I never really had a problem with it. Japan Shock's transfer is a bit darker, especially in the night scenes, but not so much that it's a distraction in any way. I'd go so far to say that Japan Shock's version is quite similar to the old out of print Japanese Laser Disc. Sound is clear, Dolby Digital Mono, which I actually prefer to Anchor Bay's souped up, tinny 5.1 remix. The Anchor Bay version also has an audio commentary exclusive to their disc with actor Ian McCullough. Exclusive to Japan Shock's release is a very cool extra, the complete soundtrack, including 40 tracks! The original remastered soundtrack, along with all the remixes, and tribute versions on the Blackest Heart Media CD release. This alone adds great value to the disc, along with a nice slideshow presentation of promotional materials and foreign poster artwork.

The bottom line, there really isn't one presentation that stands out above the rest. I don't know if we'll ever see a definitive version of Zombie 2. I'm pleased with just about every version I currently own. Die hard collectors, may want to pick up the Japan Shock version for the alternative extras. Anchor Bay is due to repress their version, and a few other companies have announced Zombie 2 on their release schedule. For my friends overseas, with PAL players, pick up this DVD, you will not be disappointed. Locals in the US, if you have a PAL compatible player, and don't have the soundtrack, this just may be the ticket for you.

NOTE: Keep in mind this is a PAL DVD, therefore, if you are in the US, you will need a PAL/NTSC converter. The packaging and disc also state Region 2, but this is in fact a Region 0 PAL DVD.