A plane filled with contaminated people lands at an airport, spreading their disease and turning the population into violent zombies.

Not for the faint hearted, Umberto Lenzi's gory thriller excels in the putrid, as weapon-toting zombies massacre all before them. Now with three minutes of cuts restored, witness the slaughter on DVD in glorious widescreen.

TECHNICAL FEATURES

Picture The old Stablecane video label release of the 80s was never much of a looker, so this DVD doesn't have to try hard to impress. That said, it does - with a print that's in reasonable condition, bar a little dirt and minor damage here and there.

Seeing the film in 2.35:1 is certainly a vast improvement on the old pan and scan video. And detail is surprisingly good.

Sound A gutsy 2.0 mono mix ensure all tearing and slaying noises are relayed effectively, as well as a typically cheesy Italian music score.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Tales of the Contaminated This new 12-minute interview with Umberto Lenzi is a great extra feature for those who miss the heyday of Italian horror.

Lenzi doesn't work much now and has distanced himself a little from some of his most gory films. But he has pride in his career and is practical in explaining the choices he made.

Lenzi admits that some of the actors he used were stiff as boards, but then points out that financing for his features would rely on hiring someone who might be big in, say, Mexico.

He's equally upfront about the shooting script for "Nightmare City", describing it as "horrible". He discusses what he was trying to do with the film, while trying to keep the producer - who merely wanted a Romero/Fulci zombie clone - happy.

Umberto Lenzi Biography It's not often we'll mention a biography on a DVD as most are quite poor. But this is a well-written, up to date piece that features plenty of quotes from Lenzi, and accurate information.

Trailer They don't make 'em like this any more!

TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Region: 2
Chapters: 24
Ratio: 2.35:1 (anamorphic)
Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 (mono)
Audio Tracks: English Dub
Subtitles: None
Captions: None
Menus: Animated, with gore and music. Yum
Special Features Subtitles: The 'Tales of the Contaminated' featurette comes with subtitles.

This DVD was reviewed on a JVC XV-S57 DVD player.