June 6: Junesploitation’s topic of the day — as suggested by F This Movie— is Paul Naschy! We’re excited to tackle a different genre every day, so check back and see what’s next.

Released in Spain as La rebelión de las muerta (Rebellion of the Dead Women), this León Klimovsky-directed and Paul Naschy-written movie was also released in Italy as La Vendetta dei Morti Viventi (Revenge of the Living Dead), in Germany as three titles — Rebellion of the Living Dead, Invocation of the Devil  (blame The Exorcist) and Blood Lust of the Zombies in 1980 to cash in on Dawn of the Dead — and after playing double features in the U.S. with The Dracula Saga, it returned — like a zombie — from Independent Artists as Walk of the Dead, complete with a “Shock Notice” before every murder.

I can’t even imagine what people who saw this expecting Romero thought. It’s closer to the 40s zombie movies mixed with some giallo, as a serial killer is murdering gorgeous women, all of whom are brought back to life by a mystic named Kantaka (Naschy), who is building an army of, well, sexy female zombies. He also has a brother, Krishna (Naschy in a second part) making people feel good about themselves and enlightened. Naschy even gets a third role as Satan!

At the heart of the movie is Elvire (Rommy, The Killer With a Thousand Eyes), the kind of ravishing redhead that seemingly only lives in Eurohorror movies. She’s just lost her father and butler. Kantaka wants to add her to his growing group of sensual and sultry walking dead.

A lot of people say bad things about this movie but they are closed minded folks who can’t grip the fact that a surrealist Spanish horror film with a fuzzed out jazz score, Paul Naschy, Mirta Miller (Dr. Jekyll vs. the Werewolf), María Kosti (The Night of the Sorcerers), lots of slow motion, plenty of stock footage and the kind of feeling that even Naschy said felt drug-induced can be what movie watching should be about. I could care less being into what’s the hottest and parroting the words of film Twitter. Nope, I’m happy watching an absolutely battered copy of this, so excited that Rommy is in a cover version of an Italian gothic by way of an American zombie movie, diaphanous white gown and all. This movie is made on location in its own world and we’re all the better to spend just a few minutes within it.

You can watch this on Tubi.