Zombies Lake | 1981 | France | Jean Rollin

Another zombie-themed cash grab from Eurociné, the production was originally meant to have Jess Franco in the director’s chair until he was replaced by Rollin at the last moment… though Rollin eventually used a pseudonym as he was unhappy with the final product. In one of the strangest narratives of the genre, a small French village is soon besieged by a legion of undead Nazi soldiers, emerging from a mysterious lake on the outskirt which was reported to have supernatural properties. As the mayor tries in vain to contain the problem, one of the zombies stumbles upon his living daughter, forming a bond that proves to be problematic with the other marauding revenants. This relationship however may just have the solution to ridding the village of the flesh-eating ghouls once and for all. Poor in almost every regard except for its strikingly crisp photography, this film turned out to be one of Eurociné’s most lucrative ventures, presumably for its demented silliness. The DPP looked unfavourably upon it for both the Nazi zombie theme and the sheer amount of full-frontal nudity.