Legion of the Dead is a 2001 English-language German horror comedy written and directed by Olaf Ittenbach. Known for his low-budget, indie splatter horror films, Olaf is notable for directing such films as The Burning Moon (1992), Premutos: The Fallen Angel (1997), and Garden of Love (2003); as well as providing special effects work for Rigor Mortis – The Final Colours (2003), BloodRayne (2005), and La petite mort (2009). The film, often confused with the 2005 Asylum film of the same name, is set in California but was shot in both America and Germany.
William and his sidekick Luke have just started a relaxing trip through the beautiful California desert when they stumble upon a small town where, unbeknownst to them, a mysterious tall blond man and his sadistic henchmen are killing people to create a Legion of the Dead!
Implementing (a very loose approximation of) a hyperlink cinematic narrative, Legion of the Dead features a combination of seemingly unrelated plotlines that collide into one explosive storyline. Cutting between two hitchhiking brothers kidnapped by a serial killer, a supernatural duo on a killing spree to grow the legion’s size, a barmaid’s mysterious past from which she cannot escape, and an ominous blonde-haired figure whose true intentions are unclear, the first act can feel relatively disjointed as a result. The jerky switch between plots can be a jarring transition, cutting from one to another with little intuition. However, the flow of these narratives is consistent, and it doesn’t take long to get back into the groove after the initial swap.
Additionally, as these plotlines coalesce into one cohesive story in the final act, there are readily discernible influences from Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)—most notably the bar fight scene. (That isn’t to say that the film’s influence can’t be seen throughout the entirety of Legion of the Dead, though it’s certainly the most on-the-nose example.) The high-octane, chaotic bloodbath that ensues certainly follows a similar formula to Robert Rodriguez’s sanguineous vampire romp’s twist.
While mostly serious in tone, the film adds undertones of slapstick comedy for comedic relief. This is predominantly provided by side characters, Jeff and Nicholas, two brothers endowed with supernatural abilities tasked with killing indiscriminately to add to the legion’s ranks. As they progress their way through their narrative, their hijinks usually equate to Odd Couple-esque bickering and Nicholas suffering some kind of self-inflicted injury that should kill him. Though sometimes bordering on childish at points, there are some genuine laughs to be had at their expense. And, while somewhat a palate cleanser, these scenes still fit within the serious narrative and are actualised with some fairly grisly special effects.
Featuring entirely practical special effects, Legion of the Dead presents some impressively bloody scenes scattered throughout its runtime. From a remarkably opening scene of the aftermath of a visceral massacre to Jeff and Nicholas’s murderous tomfoolery, the film implements its body prosthetics and blood work for maximum impact (and comedic effect) at a reasonable pace. However, the final act certainly turns this violence up to eleven with its action-packed bar scene. Full of body-horror-esque monstrous transformations, brutal dismemberment, and bloody shootouts.
With a multitude of engrossing storylines and genuinely hilarious at points, Legion of the Dead is another bloody classic from one of the masters of German splatter horror. Though the acting and writing may be stilted at times, the film more than makes up for this with its all-out action and splatter and is sure to be a kick for fans of Ittenbach’s work and horror fans in general.
Legion of the Dead (2001) is available to purchase from Unearthed Films’ Website here.
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Hey there, I’m Jim and I’m located in London, UK. I am a Writer and Managing Director here at Grimoire of Horror. A lifelong love of horror and writing has led me down this rabbit hole, allowing me to meet many amazing people and experience some truly original artwork. I specialise in world cinema, manga/graphic novels, and video games but will sometime traverse into the unknown in search of adventure.