I Was a Zombie for the F.B.I.

The world wasn't quite campy enough for that tagline when this film premiered. Too bad for the world, says I. I Was A Zombie For the FBI is an ahead-of-its-time, Southern-fried, zomboid romp through retro-B-movie territory, Memphis style.

My vote is intended to split the difference between interested and disinterested fans and original versus DVD versions. I lived in Memphis for 30 years. I am, as they say in those parts, partial to this movie for many reasons. All biases aside, the longer, older, grainier, slower version of Zombie is just plain funnier and more interesting than the recent anniversary DVD release. Most importantly, it's far more faithful to the sort of movie Zombie originally set out to parody; some of the new supers/effects on the new DVD seem intrusive and counter to the style of the original work.

I don't know why this film hasn't garnered a wider cult audience, given its long run on USA's Night Flight in the 80s alongside the likes of Forbidden Zone. Watch it now--especially if you love zombie movies and remember the "cola wars" of the 80s.