Oasis of the Zombies | 1982 | France/Spain | Jesús Franco

Another contribution from the prolific and dedicated Jess Franco, this was another production from Eurociné who were responsible for the release of the similarly themed Zombies Lake. Known originally as Abyss of the Living Dead, the story starts with Captain Blabert who was responsible for destroying a Nazi Afrika Korps unit that was transporting riches out of the desert territory, only to find himself the sole survivor. Many years later, he’s killed for the location of the treasure, leading his son Robert to chase after the gold in the African sands, though the matter becomes infinitely more complicated when it’s revealed that the Nazis are still guarding the loot as undead revenants who roam the dunes in search of victims. Possibly better on paper than what ended up on the screen, the genuinely creepy zombies and stunning locations are somewhat marred by languid pacing, long periods of inaction and a somnolent, soporific soundtrack that suddenly switches into high-pitched dirges at any given time. The zombie theme mixed with Nazis was probably all it took to lump this in with the other offending nasties.