B-movie director Fred Olen Ray and his cronies at Retromedia have been doing a good job at bringing some of the more obscure horror flicks out on DVD and this 1972 drive-in fare fits that bill perfectly. I remember seeing the video for this years and years ago when I was a youngster just getting into horror flicks and now I can see it in all it's no-budget glory.

The story goes as follows: a group of prisoners (we know they're prisoners by the fact they all have matching blue shirts - not to mention the numbers written on them in obvious black marker) who are working at a jail camp where the production of formaldehyde is going on. Soon enough though a group of the inmates (who just so happen to enjoy sniffing the emballing fluid) hatch an escape plan and take off from the camp. Too bad that they're all killed by the trigger-happy guards. But all that fume huffing pays off as they all come back from the dead as green-faced zombies out for revenge.

If you're a fan of low-brow movies (and really, who isn't?) then this'll be right up your alley. It's snappy, short and senseless entertainment that's lacking in logic, explains nothing and has so many campy moments you can't help but smile at least a little.

Director John Hayes actually does manage a few striking moments (like the motorhome attack scene); but really we're just here for the cheese - and we get it in gobs. There's a groovy musical score (that mostly sounds like demented jazz), a "heartwrenching" visit by the girlfriend of the "hero" that's humourous just for the overacting and you have to wonder just how all the prisoners got to look so decayed/zombiefied when they'd literally been buried for mere hours. (Chris Hartley, 7/27/04)

Directed By: John Hayes.
Written By: Jack Matcha.

Starring: Phil Menneally, Duncan McCloud, John Dullaghan, John Dennis.

Picture Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen.

Picture Quality: This is a little bit better than VHS but still suffers from grain, specks and wear lines. It doesn't look great, but just having it on DVD is a feat.

Extras: There's an annoying "Son Of Ghoul" introduction you have to skip over (it's not even close to being even amusing), a trailer for Grave Of The Vampire (which played as a double feature with Garden... and was apparently sent to them in error) and an ad for their website.