Review of Nightmare City (1980) by Pure Rock Fury — 10 Jun 2008

You can forget the snore-inducing "28 Days Later", for this hidden gem is the true first "running zombies" movie. Actually, these "zombies" are less the walking dead than crazed, infected mutants who used to be human.

The premise involves some sort of Chernobyl-esque disaster turning otherwise normal humans into scarred mutants that somehow come across knives for stabbing at will and instantly learn rudimentary kung fu manuevers, though more defensive than the other way around.

While some may wonder why a movie like this ever gets made, I sit here wondering why more of them didn't get made. "Nightmare City" is classically Italian as the story is a paper thin plot of a nuclear world gone awry.

However, despite the alleged socio-political message, "Nightmare City" is mainly an excuse to maim, stab and skewer every human possible within 90 minutes at the hands of these mutant-zombies.

Unfortunately, I feel I can say no more as to avoid ruining the truly bizarre and hilarious moments that this movie produced for me, ensuring that I will never look at a roller coaster the same way ever again.

Bravo! This movie is a bit of genius.