▁the ▁produ cers ▁immediately ▁h ired ▁French ▁horror ▁film ▁director ▁Jean ▁Rol lin ▁to ▁direct ▁it ▁( l ater ▁re - tit ling ▁it ▁Z omb ie ▁Lake ). ▁Many ▁fans ▁regard ▁this ▁as ▁a ▁Franco ▁film , ▁although ▁Franco ▁only ▁contributed ▁the ▁basic ▁plot ▁points . ▁Rol lin ▁later ▁said ▁in ▁inter views ▁he ▁only ▁did ▁the ▁film ▁as ▁a ▁favor ▁for ▁the ▁Les oe urs , ▁and ▁that ▁if ▁he ▁had ▁known ▁" how ▁bad " ▁the ▁script ▁was , ▁he ▁would ▁not ▁have ▁done ▁it . ▁He ▁later ▁deleted ▁it ▁from ▁his ▁film ography ▁( the ▁film ▁did ▁very ▁well ▁finan cially , ▁however ). ▁ ▁The ▁Les oe urs ▁later ▁had ▁Rol lin ▁shoot ▁new ▁z omb ie ▁foot age ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁to ▁be ▁added ▁to ▁Franco ' s ▁A ▁Virgin ▁Among ▁the ▁Living ▁Dead ▁( 1 9 7 3 ) ▁for ▁its ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁re - release . ▁Rec ently , ▁Franco ▁pur ists ▁ins isted ▁that ▁Virgin ▁be ▁released ▁in ▁its ▁former ▁un ad ul ter ated ▁form ▁on ▁DVD , ▁as ▁the ▁added ▁Jean ▁Rol lin ▁foot age ▁greatly ▁slow ed ▁down ▁the ▁pace ▁of ▁the ▁film ▁and ▁was ▁really ▁only ▁fill er ▁material . ▁ ▁Franco ▁later ▁directed ▁another ▁film ▁for ▁the ▁Les ou ers ▁called ▁O asis ▁of ▁the ▁Z omb ies ▁( a . k . a . ▁Blood su ck ing ▁Naz i ▁Z omb ies ▁on ▁V HS ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 8