Le lac des morts vivants (1980)

Country of Origin: France / Spain
Year of Production: 1980
Running Times: 88 mins
Format: Eastmancolor     35mm
Ratio: 1.66:1
Sound:

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Eurociné / J.E. Films
Producer: Daniel Lesoeur

SCRIPT
Script: A.L. Mariaux

DIRECTION
Director: J.A. Laser (real name: Jean Rollin)

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Max Monteillet
Underwater Photography: Henri-Jean Alliet
Labs: Technicolor, France

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: María Luisa Soriano

MUSIC
Music: Daniel White

CAST
Howard Vernon (the mayor)
Pierre Escourrou (the German soldier)
Anouchka (Helena)
Anthony Mayans (aka Robert Foster on some prints) (Morane)
Nadine Pascale
Burt Altman
Youri Rad (real name: Youri Radianow) (Chanac)
Gilda Arancio
Marcia Sharif
Yvonne Dani (Dany)
Jean-Rene Bleu
Jean Rollin (Stiltz)
Britt Carva
Fred Sanders
Edmond Besnard
René Douglas
Julian Esteban
Alain Petit
Jean Roville
Claude Sendron

PLOT SUMMARY

A platoon of German soldiers are ambushed by French villagers during World War II and their bodies thrown in a lake. They later return as zombies to take their revenge while one of the undead seeks out his daughter. (Full Synopsis)

Awful but undeniably very funny zombie film with the worst acting and technical goofs you'll ever see. So bad it's almost a classic of it's kind and proof positive that Jean Rollin should stick to vampires in future. (Full Review)

Spain
Theatrical Distributor: Unión Films S.A.
Video Distributors: IVS

UK
Video Distributor: Modern Films (MD09)

USA
Video Distributor: Lightning; Wizard; VCI
DVD Distributor: Image

France
Rating: -12

USA
Rating: R

1981
May
13: France - theatrical release

1982
December
16: Hong Kong - theatrical release

El lago de los muertos vivientes - Spanish title
The Lake of the Living Dead
Het Meer der Levende Doden - Dutch title
Zombie's Lake
Zombie Lake

SEE ALSO
Shock Waves (1977)

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
Zombiethon (1986)

PERIODICALS

Cineinforme no.55 (April 1981) pp.11; 25; 59 (Spain)
review; credits; article

L'Écran Fantastique no.19 (July 1981) p.77 (France)
review

Fangoria no.203 (June 2001) p.67 (USA)
DVD review (by Michael Gingold)

Positif no.247 (October 1981) pp.59-60; 74 (France)
article; review

BOOKS

Creature Features Strikes Back p.453
credits, review

Immoral Tales p.155
review

Psychotronic Video Guide p.635
credits, review

OTHER SOURCES

Sex, Shocks and Sadism p.79
credits, review

KEYWORDS

zombies, nazis, nazi zombies, world war ii, lakes, teenagers, children, amulets, villages, revenge, military, air raids

Last Updated: 1 March, 2009