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CURSE OF THE CANNIBAL CONFEDERATES Directed by Tony Malonowski
Troma Team, the film studio and video distributor, has recently released several of their catalogue titles (and re-titles) through budget DVD company Brentwood Home Video in a series of three-disc sets titled "Toxie's Triple Terror" (named after their proudest creation, the title character in The Toxic Avenger). In this third volume (along with Demented Death Farm Massacre and Deadly Daphne's Revenge), Curse of the Cannibal Confederates (the re-titled video version of Tony Malanowski's Curse of the Screaming Dead) is the first feature. A very rare and elusive 16mm effort from the early 1980s, Curse of the Screaming Dead features flat acting, dark visuals and drawn out gore scenes. However, its charm is undeniable if the viewer's mood requires a unique zombie film.
A group of hunters venture deep into the woods of a Maryland forrest. They have plans to hunt and party the weekend away. One of the members of the group discover an old Confederate cemetery, along with some artifacts from the Civil War. The Hunters decide to keep a diary that was kept by the leader of the Confederate battalion. Enraged by the theft of their sacred diary, the Confederate soldiers rise from their graves. The legion of the dead manage to kill and devour a few members of the group, and even a couple of police officers who patrol the area.
The rest of the hunters take refuge in an old house in a clearing outside the woods, and are pursued by the relentless army of the dead. A few more from the group are eaten by the zombies before it is discovered that there is a simple solution to the zombie problem..... Curse of the Screaming Dead was very hard to find on home video before Troma re-titled and re-released it. Well before there was an effort to keep video cover art clean, the Mogul video version of this film featured graphic front cover art (a zombie eating a piece of grue) that rivaled Comet Video's Color Me Blood Red. The film itself is very slow-moving with the exception of two extended (and overlong) gore sequences. Only indiscriminate fans of zombie films will enjoy Curse of the Screaming Dead.
The film is presented in 1.33:1. The visual quality is no better than the VHS versions from the 1980s. Although the dark 16mm image is grainy, it is all the more difficult to notice any artifacting. The sound quality is also noticeably poor. Hissing and pops are prevalent, mainly due to the lack of resources originally available at the time of production. The only extra featured on this release is the Troma Team video trailer. Unfortunately, the original marketing material is not featured on the disc. It would have been a nice addition, and a good opportunity to see how the original trailer was presented.
This DVD release could have been handled a lot better, however, the fact that the film has been released at all (and for such a low price) is a blessing. With any luck, Troma will re-visit this title with better materials and more extras.
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