Search - Nightmare City on DVD

Keith A. (Keefer522)
Reviewed on 10/15/2013...

A radioactive leak causes residents of an unnamed urban metropolis to turn into blood sucking ghouls. While the inept military tries to figure out how to contain the problem, a crusading TV reporter and his wife struggle to escape from the city before it's completely overrun.

Also known as "City of the Walking Dead," "Nightmare City" is, without a doubt, the most hilariously silly, fascinatingly stupid, yet awesomely action packed and carnage filled Italian/Spanish "Dawn of the Dead" ripoff ever made. Seriously, this is old school, low budget, Eurotrash grindhouse cinema at its best and worst, all rolled up in one movie. You can't take your eyes off of this thing cuz it's so over the top and utterly ridiculous. Every horror geek needs to see this movie at least once before they die.

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Chad B. (abrnt1) from CABERY, IL
Reviewed on 4/26/2011...

More Insanity From Italy

During the 80s the Italian film industry made numerous films that must be seen to be believed. This film is an amazing train wreck. If you're a fan of bad cinema check this out. Logic doesn't exist at all. A bunch of contaminated people lay siege to a city and go on a killing spree. The contaminated r zombie like in many ways and drink their victims blood. Bad acting, large plot holes, inept directing, cheesy gore & an ending that makes no coherent sense.

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Exactly the same as Anchor Bay's

David B. Minter | Kentucky | 04/18/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This review is for the Blue Underground DVD release of Nightmare City with some extended information to inform potential buyers. As has been said, this DVD is exactly the same as Anchor Bay's 2002 DVD release except it has a different cover to it. Even the text and images on the back of the DVD case are the same. The 2 extras are the same as well. Tales Of The Contaminated City, an interview with the film's director, Umberto Lenzi. Lastly, included is the original theatrical trailer.





So, if you own the Anchor Bay DVD and are expecting new extras on this DVD release, you're out of luck. It's exactly the same disc. But, if you've never owned Nightmare City, I do recommend it. (Plus, Blue Underground's DVD is cheaper new.) It's a nice change of pace with blood suckers instead of flesh eaters, super fast super strong zombie like creatures, able to fly airplanes, drive cars, and use garden tools to murder anyone in sight. Speaking of pace, the film is nicely paced, too. Lenzi did a good job on the directing in this picture. One nice touch is the use of a synthesized soundtrack, and early example of its use in movies."

Defining These Zombies Could Be A Nightmare!

Eric Ericson | Venice, Florida USA | 02/21/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Hmm, I kept wondering how did alot

of these 1980's classics slip by

my teenage thirst for Horror

back then? I probably would have

loved this even more back in the day....



A few years later though......



Another in the long line of Zombie

related Italian cinema, this is probably

the film that birthed the "Zombies can

run and use tools" genre that no doubt

inspired modern-day films like 28 Days Later &

the 2004 remake of Dawn Of The Dead. I believe

this is one of the first places it started, and not a

bad beginning. This film, about an unindentified plane

full of "zombies" land in the city's main airport and cause

chaos & death the minute the hatch opens, definitely

plays up to the Nuclear Radiation fears of the 80's,

and works well in this genre. But be warned, this isn't your

typical Zombie movie.



In fact, these aren't zombies at all. They are the infected

living who crave the uninfected red blood cells of others,

so don't expect them wanting flesh or brains here. Also, like

said before, these guys can haul serious butt. According to the plot, rigormortis isn't a factor here, the radiation has turned them into supermen, unable to be stopped..unless by a bullet to the head (ah, some things never change). Also, to the mix is the look. Instead of rotting flesh in a gray, green, or white form, the radiation slowly turns their skin into burned mounds of flesh, which some have called "Hamburger Heads". This helps the plot as if they looked like regular Zombies it might not have worked as well. And you never saw a group of mindless creatures know how to use garden tools so well, but I kept asking myself "Where the Heck did they get so many hand hatchets? Did the Hardware store have a sale?".



Storyline faults aside, this movie keeps a steady pace while

covering all the bases. One male & female survivor:check,

stupid goverment:check, wideshot full of undead walking in

the distance:check. Though it will leave you with questions,

like why is it we haven't seen any infected who got attacked

earlier in the movie (except for one towards the end), and

is the ending genius or just plain irritating (wouldn't our

lead guy say "This seems awfully familiar...")?



But if you want gore this movie has a good amount with

effects that range from cool to cold, a plot that would

earn it the Zombi 3 title (but others beat it to it), and

all that would be expected from Italian 80's Horror and then

some. Sure, it isn't a traditional Zombie movie, maybe it would

be nice to place next to your copies of Demons 1 and 2, but

the result is pretty much the same. Definitely something

worthy to add to your related collection.



P.S.: I should also note that if you bought Anchor Bay's

excellent version from 2002, DO NOT buy this one if you're looking for an upgrade. This disc is the EXACT SAME VERSION/MASTER as Anchor Bay's, just with a different cover. If you can find Starz/Anchor Bay's for less, go with that but it is OOP now, so if Blue Underground's is all you can find you won't miss a thing."

A different type of zombie movie!

John Lindsey | Socorro, New Mexico USA. | 09/02/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"
An airplane full of passengers heading into the city's airport has people contaminated with radioactive material turns into vicious bloodsucking cruddy-faced, fast-moving, weapon weilding mutant vampire-esque zombie monstrocities that start to attack the city and infect people with their bites. The only way to destroy them is clearly a bullet to the cranium, a jouranlist (Mel Ferrer) with his wife must flee the city of horror with mass hysteria pleaguing the big town.



Entertaining, wild and bizarre Mexican/Spanish/Italian Sci-fi horror action movie from Umberto Lenzi ("Cannibal Ferox"). This movie pratically created the fast-moving zombie subgenre that influenced "Dawn of the Dead 2004" and "28 Days/28 Weeks Later" with the similar infected beasts but these creatures are somewhat of a hybrid of mutant, vampire and zombie since they also drink blood like vampires due to the radition in their cells. The music score is awesome as there's alot of violence and gore in this movie including some cheesy exploding heads, the ending is a cop-out as many would complain but i think this movie is pure grindhouse cinema fun for anyone who likes the zombie genre.



This DVD is a re-issue of Anchor Bay's DVD with the same brilliant transfer and sound quality including the extras like trailer, featurette and bio of Lenzi.



Also recommended: "Grindhouse", "Hell of the Living Dead (a.k.a. Night of the Zombies, Virus, Zombie Creeping Flesh)", "Demons", "City of the Living Dead (a.k.a. Gates of Hell)", "The Toxic Avenger", "Night of the Living Dead (1968 and 1990)", "Dawn of the Dead (1978 and 2004)", "Day of the Dead (1985)", "Zombie Strippers", "Scanners", "The Stuff", "Dead Heat", "Akira", "Class of Nuke'Em High", "28 Days Later", "28 Weeks Later", "Let Sleeping Corpses Lie (a.k.a. Living Dead at The Manchester Morgue)", "The Crazies", "Land of the Dead", "Diary of the Dead", "Undead", "C.H.U.D", "Lifeforce", "Return of the Living Dead Trilogy", "Cannibal Apocalypse", "Resident Evil Trilogy", "Night of the Comet", "I Am Legend", "The Omega Man", "Zombi 2 (a.k.a Zombie, Zombie Flesh-Eaters)", "Versus", "Bio-Zombie", "Night of the Creeps", "Wild Zero", "From Dusk Till Dawn", and "The Beyond"."