In 1943 a special convoy of Nazi soldiers was taking six million dollars in gold into the African desert. The soldiers killed everyone they came across. They didn’t want any witnesses. A group of British allies led by Captain Blabert (Javier Maiza) were sent to intercept the convoy. They were not told what the convoy carried. Eventually the allies and the Germans meet at an oasis in the desert. The two factions obliterate each other. The only survivor was Captain Blabert.
Blabert was found by a small passing caravan and taken to the home of Sheik Mohamed Al-Kafir (Antonio Mayans). He is nursed back to health by the Sheik’s daughter Aisha (Doris Regina). Once he is well, he returns to his superiors to complete his military service. Before he leaves, he unknowingly gets Aisha pregnant. Two years later, after he completes his term of service, he returns to find that Aisha died in childbirth, and he now has a son.
Years later Blabert tells a treasure seeker, Kurt (Henri Lambert), where the convoy was intercepted. Kurt kills Blabert and takes a map showing the location of the treasure. Kurt puts together a small expedition into the desert to find the oasis and the gold. The expedition gets to the oasis and sets up camp. During the night they are attacked by zombies. Kurt manages to escape but he is bitten in the process.
Back in Britain, Blabert’s son, Robert (Manuel Gelin), finds a diary written by his father that details what happened in the desert. He decides to go and find the treasure himself. Along with some friends he heads to Sheik Al-Kafir’s home to get directions to the oasis. The Sheik tries to dissuade him from going but to no avail.
“Oasis of the Zombies” (English) AKA “La tumba de los muertos vivientes” (Spanish) or “The Tomb of the Living Dead” AKA “L'Abîme des Morts-Vivants” (French) or “The Abyss of the Living Dead” was released in 1982 and was directed by Jesus Franco. The film had a bunch of different titles including “The Grave of the Living Dead”, “The Treasure of the Living Dead” and “Bloodsucking Nazi Zombies”.
There were two versions of the film shot at the same time, a Spanish version and a French version. Some of the actors were different in each film. Many of the scenes in the two films are different as well but the basics are the same most of the time. Some thought the Spanish version was a lost film, although hard to find, it is still available. The French version was dubbed into English.
For some reason only the Germans turn into zombies. They are decent looking Zombies once you get to them, but the movie is rather tedious long before that. What doesn’t help is the constant changing from scene to scene. That and the flashback with narration are a little boring. Part of the problem is the editing; it doesn’t really flow very well. It’s not one of Franco’s better films.
There are some bad copies and some good copies of the film in circulation. Since most of the zombie action happens at night you need a good copy of the film to really see what is going on. Otherwise even the zombie part will appear boring.
Director Franco has a cameo as a zombie.