Zombie Lake - Review

Over the years Nazis and zombies have become inexorably linked together. Why this happened I'm not exactly sure. Maybe it's because Nazis are the greatest example of how evil humankind can be. Their never-ending thirst for conquest and destruction pairs well with a zombie’s never-ending hunger for human flesh. Zombies are the embodiment of pure evil. Like the leaders of fascist Germany, they are stripped of emotion and moral reasoning. Of course it could just be that Nazi zombies are badass. Whatever the reason, the Nazi zombie sub-genre is here to stay and it’s not necessarily a bad thing. There have been some fantastic Nazi zombie movies over the years like Shockwaves and more recently Dead Snow. Of course, as with anything, it has also produced absolute shit like War of the Dead. Unfortunately the film I watched falls into the latter category. That movie is 1981’s Zombie Lake from French directory Jean Rollin.

The movie begins with its only worthwhile quality, gratuitous nudity. The film begins with the opening credits rolling over naked women sunbathing and enjoying a pleasant dip in what the locals refer to as the “Lake of the Damned’. No body part is spared a close-up as we are treated to an underwater view. We also see our first Nazis zombie floating under the water just below her feet. This is one of only a few scenes throughout the whole movie that I really enjoyed. Watching the zombie stalk her and slowly rise up from the scummy water is fun but unfortunately doesn’t set a precedent for the rest of the movie.