Zombie Lake

Zombie Lake is a 1981 French-Spanish horror film directed by Jean Rollin and Julian de la Fuente. The film is set in a small village near a lake. The villagers are haunted by the ghosts of German soldiers who died during World War II.

The movie opens with a group of German soldiers who are escaping from the Allied forces. As they cross a nearby lake, they are ambushed by the French Resistance and all of them are killed. Years later, the village near the lake is still haunted by the ghosts of the dead German soldiers.

One day, a group of young women arrives in the village for a swim. They are surprised to find that the lake is completely empty of water. Curious, they explore the area and find a hidden underground cave that leads to the lake. The women are confronted by a zombie soldier who drags one of them into the water.

The village mayor, played by Howard Vernon, is aware of the haunting and has been keeping it a secret from the villagers. However, when the zombies start attacking the villagers, he is forced to reveal the truth. The mayor, along with a young writer named Paul (Pierre-Marie Escourrou), decides to investigate the source of the haunting and put an end to it.

Paul and the mayor's daughter, played by Anouchka, soon discover that the Nazi soldiers were responsible for the brutal murders of villagers during their time in the area. They also find out that the mayor had a secret affair with one of the German soldiers who fathered him a daughter he had been trying to protect. He made a deal with the spirits of the undead, promising to provide them with victims and nourishment in exchange for them leaving the town in peace.

Paul and the daughter try to break the deal and dig up the corpse of the German soldier who was the father to the mayor's daughter. This angers the spirits even more, and the zombie soldiers rise again with increased fury. The villagers struggle to survive the onslaught of the undead, and a showdown with the mayor ensues.

Despite the low budget and the dubious acting, Zombie Lake became a cult classic among fans of horror and exploitation cinema. The film was infamous for its graphic violence, full frontal nudity, and a bizarre scene that features a woman shaving her pubic hair while sitting on a tree.

The director, Jean Rollin, was known for his surrealistic and erotic take on horror movies. His style was greatly inspired by the works of the Marquis de Sade, and his films often featured beautiful actresses in various stages of undress. Zombie Lake was no exception to his unique style, despite its shortcomings.

In conclusion, Zombie Lake is an entertaining low-budget horror movie with plenty of gore, nudity, and campy acting. While it may not be a masterpiece of cinema, it is a fun ride for fans of cult classics and exploitation films.