bradleybean86 If you were referred to this movie via a search for a classic 'zombie' action/gore-er and are expecting something fast paced with a lot of cool deaths that border on action over drama and mystery - you've been misled by the title. I'm not sure the director intended us to receive this as a 'Dead/Zombi' type title, but it seems that it was marketed over here that way (and who can blame them?)It's a pretty moderate to slow paced mystery that borrows a lot and innovates a tad (can't expect any more.) There are some cool sequences of discovering various types of secret doors inside dated structures etc. Don't expect it to be anywhere as engrossing or epic as Inferno, but in that same spirit. What lucio fulci or argento would have done differently is probably added depth to this not by trying to overcomplicate the plot but to add in some truly scary horror elements that involve either on screen or implied brutality from the antagonist(s) that we are unquestionably convinced that they are evil and malicious. A little over the top kill or two only makes the seemingly serious parts 'seem' more serious but makes the movie more of an exciting coaster rather than the not so exciting unfold events that take place here.No cool 'creatures' 'killers' or anything of that nature. I suppose the idea is to creep us out but too many other movies (even 10-20 years older than this) had already gone above and beyond what this movie is trying to do years later. So even though it's 3 years older than me, I must say as an 80's child that this doesn't hold up anywhere near the other true giallo titles. And always keep in mind, ratings are numbers and never let them discourage you from seeing something you're interested in; if not just to appreciate other titles more !

Witchfinder General 666 Pupi Avati is doubtlessly a one-of-a-kind director, and while his contributions to Italian Horror cinema are not at all typical for their sub-genres, they are highly memorable. Avati's 1976 Giallo "La Casa Dalle Finestre Che Ridono" ("The House With Laughing Windows") must be one of the greatest Gialli ever made, even though very atypical, and low on sleaze and murders. If one wants to refer to "Zeder" of 1983 as an Italian Zombie Film, then it is even less typical for its sub-genre, as the film almost completely lacks the gore that Italian Zombie flicks such as Lucio Fulci's films are so famous and notorious for. However, it is a highly atmospheric and original cinematic experience, and a film that my fellow fans of Italian Horror definitely should not miss.The writer Stefano (Gabriele Lavia) gets an old typewriter as a gift from his wife Alessandra (Anne Canovas). By accident, he finds out that it used to belong to Paolo Zeder, a scientist who had been researching a gateway from the beyond in the 1950s...The film is sometimes said to have inspired Stephen King when he wrote his famous novel "Pet Sematary". And while I am not quite sure whether this is true (the film was released in Italy only months before King's novel) there doubtlessly are certain parallels. Avati's film is rather slow-paced, but it oozes atmosphere from the beginning to the end, and the plot is fascinating. Avati understands how to create genuine eeriness without constantly employing gore-effects. The beautiful cinematography, picturesque settings and wonderful Score by Riz Ortolani fortify the gloomy atmosphere. Gabriele Lavia, who is maybe most widely known for playing supporting roles in Dario Argento's films (most notably in "Profondo Rosso"), is a fantastic actor and he is once again great in his role here. Anne Canovas is drop-dead gorgeous and fits greatly in the role of his wife; the typically sleaze-loving Eurohorror audiences might be disappointed that she keeps her clothes on throughout the movie. Overall, it should be said that "Zeder" is not a film that should be approached expecting a gore-drenched Zombie massacre. However, those familiar with some of Pupi Avati's work wouldn't anyway. While the pace may be a little slow, the film is an intelligent, eerie and highly atmospheric wholesome that no true lover of Italian Horror cinema should miss. My rating: 7.5/10

HumanoidOfFlesh A young journalist buys a second hand typewriter and finds that he can read the imprints on the ribbon,revealing what was last typed on the machine.He pieces together the story of the scientist Paolo Zeder,who discovered K-Zones,areas in which the dead are restored to life.Stefano later encounters a group of scientists who are trying to prove Zeder's theories."Zeder" was directed and co-written by Italian maestro Pupi Avati,whose "House with the Windows That Laugh" is often regarded as one of the masterpieces of Italian horror.In "Zeder" Avati masterfully mixes a genuinely creepy atmosphere with intriguing metaphysical concepts.Unlike Lucio Fulci's gorefests it features little if any gore.There is plenty of an ominous atmosphere of unsettling dread throughout,even when not much is happening.You seldom see zombies,except in occasional glimpses.Overall,"Zeder" is weird and unusual enough to hold interest.A must-see for fans of Italian horror.8 out of 10.

Oslo Jargo (Bartok Kinski) *Plot/ending analyzed*This is a very un-typical horror film which makes it quite refreshing and interesting. For most of the beginning I was quite enthralled by the pacing and the effort of the protagonist to reach some sort of conclusion. The start of the film shows us a house in Italy in the early 1920's and it is haunted by some horrendous and malicious ghost who has recently killed an old hag, next comes a clairvoyant and a scientist who walk into the basement where the girl clairvoyant assumes the identity of the dead man from a previous life. Once they find the bones of the man, they find a wallet and it reveals that the man was 'Edward Zeder', an albino, lunatic-philosopher who had believed in "Kai-zons", areas which were places where death had no value, this is an ancient idea which stems from the Persians and the Greeks. Arrive in Italy in the 1970's where a struggling writer who smokes too much is using a typewriter and he finds that the ribbon has some used text upon it and he types up a few papers from what he finds and has a mystery upon his hands. He goes through the usual odds and ends in an attempt to crack the mystery of the "Kai-zons" and he visits a small village where there is a cemetery and all sorts of weird people. The end of the film, in which his girlfriend dies and he takes her to a "Kai-zon" to bring her back, is a result from the lack of his willingness to have loved a living creature while she was alive and it is quite expected when she eats his neck. This is a very good film and the director is quite capable of pushing a story of interest along. For those of you expecting a zombie film, this isn't it.