Professional author, Tom Harris(William Joyce), quite the ladies' man, is commissioned by his aggravatingly persistent editor, Duncan Fairchild(Dan Stapleton), to write a piece on an island supposedly containing voodoo and zombies. When there, he falls in love with the lovely, radiant Jeannie(Heather Hewitt), the daughter of Dr. Biladeau(Robert Stanton)who is working with associate Charles Bentley(Walter Coy)in creating a cure for "the world's deadliest disease". Harris soon discovers that the island is indeed populated with tribal villagers who practice voodoo(..their dances around a campfire are showcased three different types for long periods)and zombies with glop faces and bulb eyeballs. Harris soon realizes that the villagers plan to sacrifice Jeannie, and that the zombies are actually created scientifically as a result of the experimental procedures through a snake-venom procedure on island innocents by the doctors seeking a cure that seems out of reach. Also in danger are Harris' editor Duncan and his nagging, grating wife Coral(Betty Hyatt Linton, whose voice at high screech were like nails down a chalkboard for me)along for the adventure. Harris and company will not be getting off the island easily as the villagers and their zombies(..those turned into these ghouls are actually humans without the possession of choice or will, robots used as objects of destruction)are in hot pursuit. Someone, however, is secretly calling the shots, treated as a demi-god wearing tribal gear and paint on his face and head so that he's unrecognizable, speaking orders to his voodoo lieutenant who then sends the zombies on the attack, to either harm or capture.
Poverty-row at every respect, from the cast to the make-up effects. Harris is quite a symbol of machismo, shirt unbuttoned, exposing his chest, always punching somebody out that threatens him. The sets of the laboratory is completely naked of the usual machinery one is accustomed to(..even Ed Wood's "Bride of the Monster" had more mad-scientist props than this film has)and the island setting is barely used to any effect(..the film's centers on the voodoo parties and the place of refuge and relaxation for Harris and company;until their lives are endangered, that is). The zombies do get a chance to kill a few folks, but not in the ways fans are expecting(..this was before Romero would shock the world with zombies eating the flesh of the living). There's a weak beheading and a plane is blown to smithereens by a zombie carrying dynamite walking right into a spinning propeller. Harris is a tall, handsome actor with a certain stature who had the look of male heroes at this time. Flirting with the girls in bikinis at the opening, we get an idea of how male heroes were starting to emerge thanks to Sean Connery. "I Eat Your Skin" isn't a proper title, so I just refer to it as it was initially intended, "Zombies." It's too bad that the zombies in this picture lack in the scary or creepy department(..we actually see, through the use of dissolve, how a human changes into these things). Perhaps it's Del Tenney's failure at producing an atmosphere that generates such a result regarding the zombies seeming less eerie or chilling. My copy of the film suffered from poor quality, but seeing that this movie had such little entertainment value to offer(..it seems to bring enjoyment to the hearts of fans of camp)I wasn't that disappointed.
Poverty-row at every respect, from the cast to the make-up effects. Harris is quite a symbol of machismo, shirt unbuttoned, exposing his chest, always punching somebody out that threatens him. The sets of the laboratory is completely naked of the usual machinery one is accustomed to(..even Ed Wood's "Bride of the Monster" had more mad-scientist props than this film has)and the island setting is barely used to any effect(..the film's centers on the voodoo parties and the place of refuge and relaxation for Harris and company;until their lives are endangered, that is). The zombies do get a chance to kill a few folks, but not in the ways fans are expecting(..this was before Romero would shock the world with zombies eating the flesh of the living). There's a weak beheading and a plane is blown to smithereens by a zombie carrying dynamite walking right into a spinning propeller. Harris is a tall, handsome actor with a certain stature who had the look of male heroes at this time. Flirting with the girls in bikinis at the opening, we get an idea of how male heroes were starting to emerge thanks to Sean Connery. "I Eat Your Skin" isn't a proper title, so I just refer to it as it was initially intended, "Zombies." It's too bad that the zombies in this picture lack in the scary or creepy department(..we actually see, through the use of dissolve, how a human changes into these things). Perhaps it's Del Tenney's failure at producing an atmosphere that generates such a result regarding the zombies seeming less eerie or chilling. My copy of the film suffered from poor quality, but seeing that this movie had such little entertainment value to offer(..it seems to bring enjoyment to the hearts of fans of camp)I wasn't that disappointed.