Like most 13-year-old boys, Jimbo (Brad Ashby) has that one girl he is crushing on hard, and despite there being this whole “zombie apocalypse” thing going on, he will do whatever it takes to win the affection of Sarah Jane (Mia Wasikowska).
Written by David Michôd and Spencer Susser (who also directed), I Love Sarah Jane is an Australian lensed short film that focuses on a group of children living their day-to-day lives in a world that has been ravaged by zombies. While the details are minimal, the kids are left to their own device likely because their parents were killed at some point. To pass the time, some of the kids screw around with a captured zombie and do other things that kids without parents around are apt to do. But this is not the case for Jimbo, who is more concerned with spending time with Sarah.
I Love Sarah Jane looks at young love through the dingy windows of the zombie apocalypse, and does so in a way that is effective in its simplicity and genuine approach. The short features some very high production value with a backdrop that perfectly conveys a world ravaged by an apocalypse, all of which is brought to life by some great looking cinematography. Furthermore, the film has some incredible looking makeup effects on display, specifically with the short’s main zombie (non) threat.
I Love Sarah Jane clocks in at about 14 minutes, and it’s a wise way to spend 14 minutes of your time, as this is a fantastic little zombie flick that adds a level of humanity that doesn't feel manufactured or generic. Check it out below.
There was a time in the ‘80s where aerobics was so popular that the fashion and rhythmic aerobic moves integrated itself into anything and everything one could imagine. Naturally, this would eventually lead to aerobics making its way to film, specifically the horror genre. While there are plenty of examples of aerobics in horror (Death Spa, Aerobicide, Murder Rock, Slash Dance, etc), one of the most memorable comes from a small but incredible dance scene in Umberto Lenzi’s pseudo-zombie opus Nightmare City.
This scene in question takes place in a television studio, where a number of beautiful women adorned in powder blue leotards erotically erratically dance in a fashion that, despite their best efforts, lacks any sort of synchronization. I would assume the standards would be higher for TV, but then again, the fact that people actually watch a show where women wearing blue spandex perform aerobic inspired dance moves on a set designed by Milton Bradley only proves that people will watch anything. Considering that shows like MTV’s The Grind actually existed, I probably should have never even questioned it.
In any event, the song used for this moment is titled Sustain, and is provided by legendary Italian composer Stelvio Cipriani. The tune is gleefully upbeat in a fashion that makes one want to put on a pair of roller skates and glide through the streets of 1980’s New York while eating an ice cream cone. Of course, a bunch of nice looking ladies in blue onesies is innocent enough, therefore the song is quite fitting; however, things take a frightening turn when the dead body of one of the aerobiciders (that’s a fake word… feel free to use it) is discovered. At this point all hell breaks loose, as a gang of radioactively infected zombies come bursting into the studio, violently attacking everyone in sight and in a variety of grisly ways.
This scene works for a number of reasons, the main one being the fact that it’s so completely ridiculous. Regardless, it has a way of tapping into a fear; a fear of being overwhelmed by madness without any warning; a fear of being suddenly vulnerable in a place that should be safe, which in this case is at work. Sure, the “infected” are wearing bad suits and their makeup looks like puked up breakfast cereal smeared on their faces, but the dance sequence and subsequent attack scene are a highlight of a film that, despite my enjoyment, is a little uneventful.
What is essentially a pairing of A&E's Emmy award winning series, Intervention (which usually finds a way to make me feel somewhat better about my addiction to Charleston Chew candy bars) and the zombie subgenre, George: A Zombie Intervention (2011) takes two overplayed genre conventions, zombies and humor, and injects them with a fresh idea that doesn't necessarily equal a winning combination.
The premise is fairly simple, showcasing zombies as people who are, as per usual, dead and enjoy the sweet, succulent taste of human flesh. However, they are also able to function as normal human beings and are accepted members of society, but there is the rare occurrence of a zombie going on a human flesh binge, which is the case with this film's titular character, George. Seeing his problem as a form of addiction, George's friends get together to intervene, giving him the ultimatum of going to rehab or losing them as friends. As you would see in any given episode of Intervention, George doesn't believe he has an eating humans problem and becomes standoffish to the idea of rehab. However, as the night grows long and more people begin to show up - and even more begin to mysteriously die - George must eventually face his demons.
The zombie subgenre, or, more specifically the zombie/comedy subgenre, has become so over saturated that there is barely even the smallest sign of a fresh idea in what is produced nowadays. Naturally, there are still a few that shine through; films that are able to take a tired genre staple, inject a fresh idea into it and deliver something fun and refreshing, even in an overly submerged market. Director J.T. Seaton, who co-wrote the film with Brad Hodson, had what was initially a great idea, but it's how that idea was executed that holds George: A Zombie Intervention (aka George's Intervention) back.
Where George: A Zombie Intervention falls flat is in how unnecessarily over-the-top silly it tries to be, which results in the film feeling like an overlong comedy skit that simply overstays its welcome. The concept is already funny, but to go so overboard takes away from the humor that comes naturally from the initial idea. A perfect film that I could compare George to is 2006's Fido, a zombie film with a hysterical concept but a subtle, stick to your guns execution. The humor in Fido was tongue in cheek, subdued and sharp, and it is those aspects that made that film a joy to watch. George: A Zombie Intervention pushes the matter too far and it affects the film's overall appeal. There are some very funny moments, but most of the more successful comedic moments come from subtlety as opposed to the times when full-on humor was being attempted. The comedic tonal changes and ideas are confused and tedious, leaving the film to be scatterbrained and, more importantly, left this viewer with a slightly bored taste in his mouth.
Regardless of the film's major comedic flaw, George: A Zombie Intervention is not a terrible movie in regards to the filmmaking and acting. For a low-budget movie, the film looks good enough quality wise. Most of the performances are decent, with Carlos Larkin given the standout performance as George. It was also nice to see genre actress Lynn Lowry (I Drink Your Blood, The Crazies) in the film, as she does a commendable comedic job playing a half-assed interventionist hired to help George with his problem. In addition, the budget make-up effects are very good and the film does deliver a few fun gore moments that should be best appreciated by genre fans of my generation.
I wish I had more positive things to say about this film, but so much of it hinges on the humor. Sadly, much of the humor simply did not work for me. I am incredibly picky (and cynical) when it comes to my comedy, and I generally do not find much of what the mainstream considers to be funny all that humorous, so maybe the humor might work for you. I wouldn't want to necessarily discourage people from giving George: A Zombie Intervention a shot because it's not a terrible film, I just didn't find it to be a very funny one.
No matter how many times I had heard great things about the 2006 Canadian zombie film, Fido, I still, for whatever reason fronted on it. Finally sitting down to watch it recently, I found myself far from disappointed, and while there are many ways to handle a horror comedy, Fido does so with the sharpest of wit and a double dash of social commentary, avoiding the over-the-top route that many of the genre seem to take.
Directed by Andrew Currie, Fido is set sometime in the 50's where - due to some cosmic space dust the Earth passed through - all of the dead have come back to life, fittingly, with a taste for human flesh. A massive war against the zombies ensued and with the end of that war came the birth of ZomCom (short for Zombie Comedy?), a government funded corporation that found a way to domesticate the living dead so they could be used as servants. Special collars were created to control the zombies, and every household in America has one of their own. These tamed un-dead do everything from laundry and mowing the lawn, to even being used for tasks like delivering the newspaper and working as crossing guards for school children.
Fido focuses on the Robinson's, a seemingly normal family consisting of Bill, his wife Helen and their son, Timmy. While they seem as normal as anyone else does in their perfect little suburb, they lack one thing, a zombie. This is something of an embarrassment for Helen, as it's all about appearance in their snotty neighborhood and being without a zombie is less than the best. Due to a childhood trauma during the "Zombie Wars," (as they're referred to) Bill has always been against getting a zombie, but to fit in with the rest of their neighbors, Helen gets one anyways and Bill begrudgingly goes along with it.
Timmy Robinson, who is sort of a loner and is picked on by his peers, befriends the zombie when he saves Timmy from some bullies. Timmy aptly names his new best friend and pet, Fido, and they form a strong bond much like a boy and his dog would. However, when Fido's control collar malfunctions, he eats one of the neighbors, resulting in a small zombie outbreak and the possibility of the Robinson's being held accountable and being sent to the forbidden zone by the ZomCom corporation. If you can't tell by the name, the forbidden zone is bad news.
Fido relies less on outrageous jokes and goes for the comedy jugular in a much smarter and more subtle way. While there are some very funny moments, Fido is not a laugh riot, but more of a cleverly thought out comedy with a heavy splash of satire on American culture. There's peer pressure to be like everyone else as seen with Helen feeling the need to own a zombie like her neighbors as well as Timmy being bullied for, essentially, not supporting ZomCom. There are moral questions about the enslavement of these flesh eating creatures for personal use and whether or not they really are nothing more than just monsters, or is it fear projected on society that makes these zombie more monstrous than they might be. Are the zombies a product of fear themselves and they react violently due to how the human population reacts to them? With this situation also comes the subject of racism with the zombies taking the place of minorities in this perfect little white bread American setting.
Many of these social issues are as fitting then as they are even in our modern times. Setting the film in the 50's works as that is a time when America is perceived as cookie cutter and easily influenced with the use of fear tactics (Fido fittingly starts off with a propaganda film about the zombies, which is shown to kids in school). It's a perfect contrast to the world we live in today and while some would look back on that time and think how ignorant people were, really, nothing much has changed outside of the country being more cynical and somewhat more informed due to technology. More informed doesn't equate to less ignorant, however.
The 50's setting is perfectly captured and the look of Fido is spot on to that time period but through the eyes of a TV sitcom as opposed to real life. There are great little touches like the edges of the movie being slightly rounded, to make it look as if it's playing on an old styled television or the clearly fake background when characters are driving their cars. There are many elements that are akin to an episode of Lassie, complete with "Timmy" asking Fido to go and find help when stuck in a bad situation. Funny enough, instead of barking to get help, Fido growls and grunts.
All of the portrayals are fantastic with a great cast that consists of Dylan Baker, Carrie-Anne Moss, and K'Sun Ray making up the Robinson's and Billy Connolly playing the titular role of Fido. Carrie-Anne Moss actually stood out the most, as I would never had pictured her being able to play the role of 50's housewife, but she pulls it off incredibly and looks quite nice doing so, which was an even bigger surprise.
Fido is not an in your face comedy like Zombieland, or even to an extant, Shaun of the Dead. With it's setting and how the humor is handled, it is more along the lines of the Tim Burton classic, Edward Scissorhands, than anything else. Even with all of the social commentary throughout the film, it never feels forced, instead, it comes to the viewer naturally during the movie and when further thought is provoked. Even in the oversaturated zombie and horror comedy markets, Fido finds a way to breathe some fresh air into both genres, and I can only suggest you take a whiff of these un-dead flowers for yourself.
Hell of the Living Dead is a 1981 Italian zombie film, and as with many Italian zombie films, it is a rip-off of a handful of other successful movies of the time, namely, Dawn of the Dead. Sometimes completely boring, sometimes completely entertaining, this sloppily made film is more than fun and even more than ridiculous with its poor gore FX and incredibly painful and overly used stock footage.
Brought to us by Bruno Mattei, Hell of the Living Dead was co-written by frequent Mattei collaborator, Claudio Fragasso, who also did some of the second unit directing that, consisted of effects work to beef up the grue. If the name Claudio Fragasso sounds somewhat familiar, it's because he is the man responsible for bringing cinema one of its finest films ever constructed, Troll 2. That should tell you all you need to know…
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I didn't know Rumer Willis worked with hazardous materials?
(If you are not aware, Rumer Willis, daughter of Bruce and Demi, has a massive noggin. Like, Rocky Dennis makes fun of her massive)
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"You got something on your shoulder…here, let me get it for you!"
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"Who wants to hear some of my freestyle? Throw your guns in the air..."
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"Remember, whomever cums last, has to eat the cookie. All of it."
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"Wake up honey, it's 7:45, you're gonna be late for work…"
"I'm not going in today, babe…I'm feeling a little under the weather, and I'm DEAD tired!"
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"Your lack of breast milk really irks me, daddy…"
"Guess this will just have to do then."
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"You wouldn't by any chance happen to have a napkin on you? That damn buffalo wing sauce gets everywhere, doesn't it?!"
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Even the natives can't help but get swelled heads when they run into a naked white women with jungle bush. Just ask the guy with the diaper.
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"Hey, I could really go for some of that Oil of Olay you got over there…"
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The disturbing and corrupting effects that rap music has on decent white women.
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"Nope, I don't see your cat up here either."
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Looks like someone didn't get the memo.
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"Anyone seen the lifeguard around? Um, help?"
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I'm chewing in the rain, chewing in the rain…
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"Hey, let us in and we'll tell you all about Jesus…at least take a few of these pamphlets!"
I had very low expectations for 2009's Dead Snow, which could possibly be due to the fact that it was touted as a horror comedy and I was hoping for something a little more serious I guess. Many of the reviews I looked at were (and still are), for the most part, lackluster and the complaints about the film only ensured that I would more than likely hate it. As it turns out, those reasons that I should dislike Dead Snow are very much there, but for some reason, they didn't bother me all that much.
Directed by Tommy Wirkola, Dead Snow follows a group of medical students who take a trip to a secluded mountain cabin for a weekend of skiing and fun. Their good time is flipped upside-down when they are faced with the threat of vicious Nazis, but these aren’t Neo-Nazis were talking about here folks…nope, these are Zombie Nazis, straight out of (Compton!) WWII! Now, why would Zombie Nazis do something this uncalled for? Well, there's this conveniently (but well) told back-story where it’s explained that during WWII, a group of Nazis tried to steal valuables from the local people near the end of the war. The townsfolk took action into their own hands, attacking and killing many of the Nazis, and chasing the remaining ones into the frigid mountains, where it is thought that they all had froze to death. Since then, there have been many deadly and strange occurrences to happen in the surrounding area.
Now, Dead Snow is a Zombie film, but it really does not follow the structure of one, nor, outside of a few scenes, does it hardly ever feel like one. Instead, much of the film, especially the first half, follows the structure of a Neo-Slasher movie. I guess with the feel of a Neo-Slasher film mixed in with the snowy and secluded setting, Dead Snow has a lot in common with another well know Norwegian horror film, 2006's Fritt Vilt (better known in the States as Cold Prey). Both films have similarities, but are essentially quite different from one another, however, it is easy to compare the two in many ways but one, which is Dead Snow is less serious when it gets down to the nitty gritty.
Marketed as a horror comedy, Dead Snow is looked at and compared to films like Shaun of the Dead and the more recent, Zombieland. However, I would not consider it as much a horror comedy, as I would a fun horror movie with comedic moments. I don't think it tries to be as funny as the films just motioned and the humoristic elements seem to be more so at the film’s tail end, when the Undead-Nazis really make their presence known. When the attempts at humor are made, they work pretty well and there are some very funny moments that aren't too over the top and some that are slightly so. Things like a Nazi taking a bite out of one of the characters, only to come up with a mouth full of feathers from the heavy winter jacket. Or, a character that fights off an attacking Nazi while hanging off the edge of a cliff by the intestines of another Nazi. Pretty funny stuff.
Too many powdered jelly donuts?
Even though it's been done many times before, Dead Snow has a great setting and the surrounding winter wonderland is the perfect place for blood to be spilt. And there is plenty of blood, guts, brains, and even the before mentioned intestines, to satisfy the basic gore needs of some horror fans. However, one of the issues that I take with this film is the fact that there is a liberal use of CGI blood. Now, there are some great effects on display in Dead Snow and many of them look practical, so I don't really understand the need to put in the extra-extra fake blood. Only thing I could come up with is maybe the folks behind the movie wanted to bloody it up a little more after the fact, so they added in the CGI blood afterwards to meet their quota. Bad move.
Now, I already alluded to the fact that I liked Dead Snow, but there are plenty of issues with the movie outside of the CGI blood work. Besides the zombified Nazis, it's not a very original film at all. There is very little that we all haven't seen before, from the setting and the story, to the characters as well as the interaction of those characters. Then there is the one thing that can always irritate most any horror fan…self-referential horror characters and situations. There's a ton of self-referencing in this film, from conversations about Friday the 13th and April Fools Day, to a horror-nerd character wearing a Braindamage shirt, who also warns about certain situations and how they would play out in a horror film. Even some little moments like a trip to a tool shed for weapons, i.e. a chainsaw, are clearly inspired by Evil Dead II.
Still, the referential stuff wasn't completely annoying, even though I didn't really like it and it made me cringe a little, it did not ruin the movie for me. Maybe it was because the movie was subtitled, making it less obnoxious? I don't know, this entire film has stuff that would normally bother me, but with this film in particular, these things just didn't. Maybe my low expectations helped and I could have been in just the right mood to enjoy Dead Snow, but it could also be that it's a wicked fun movie, problems or not. It's very well made, with some great music, solid acting, and some very funny little moments. There are also a few standout scenes that display some serious talent, one being a buried alive scene, as well as a scene where a character wakes up from being unconscious, only to see through groggy eyes that they are being eaten alive.
I think the filmmakers behind Dead Snow did exactly what they set out to do and for the most part, they did it very well. They certainly did it much better than what was done with Cabin Fever 2. I can see many people not liking this film and to a point, I don't blame them. There was quite a bit of hype for Dead Snow and it doesn't live up to that hype whatsoever, but there is a lot of mindless fun to be had with the movie and it's certainly worth a watch with expectations in check.
1979’s Zombie Holocaust is a film that I have a bit of history with and one that brings back some nostalgic memories for me. Sometimes known as Zombie 3, but better known by myself for its U.S. release under the title Doctor Butcher M.D. - M.D. being short for MEDICAL DEVIANT, of course. It is a movie I had seen way back in 8th grade (yikes!), when a good friend and fellow horror fiend had told me about the film and all of its gory glory. This same friend had two VCRs (which back in 90-91 was rare and badass) and would tape every horror movie he rented from the almighty video store, including one Doctor Butcher M.D. So I saw it many many years ago and my memories of it were more that it was a big gory deal for my buddy and myself, but besides that, I couldn’t tell you much more about it.
Flash-forward to about a year ago when I was scoping out the used DVD scene at FYE, when I stumbled upon a cheap copy of Zombie Holocaust. Not knowing anything about its connection to Doctor Butcher beforehand, I was very delighted to read that it was the original Italian version of the film from my youth and one that I had not thought I would probably never see again. Plus, it was like $5 bucks, so that made it all the greater.
Like I said, my found memories are not so much of the movie itself (cause I barely remember it), but of the time in my life that it reminded me of. So I had no expectations in watching Zombie Holocaust outside of some cheap gore and poor dubbing. It is a clear cash in on the zombie craze as well as the popularity of cannibal films at the time and it takes a lot from Fulci’s classic Zombie (or Zombie 2) with some of the same locations, and even some footage from Zombie is used in Zombie Holocaust.
Directed by Marino Girolami and written by Fabrizio De Angelis and Romano Scandariato, Zombie Holocaust even has a story very similar to Zombie in that it starts of in “big city” New York and eventually ends up placing the characters on an expedition in a foreign land filled with many dangers. In New York, a doctor named Lori (Alexandra Delli Colli) discovers a cult of flesh eating, organ stealing foreigners. When the cannibals are caught in the act, they go crazy and proceed to take their own life. The only clue left behind is a symbol painted on the flesh eaters body, a symbol that kind of looks like a set of butt checks to be completely honest with you.
Lori meets up with another Doctor, Peter Chandler (played by Ian McCulloch who also appeared in Zombie), who organizes a mission to find out exactly what is happening with the organ stealing, which is apparently an epidemic that has been happening in more than just New York. Joined by a reporter named Susan (Sherry Buchanan) and Peters assistant, George (Peter O'Neal) the four head out on an expedition to the primitive island of Keto, which is where the butt check symbol stems from. This island inhabits many dangers, with one being the cannibalistic natives and the other being the zombies that are a result of the work done by the mad Dr. Obrero (Donald O'Brien), better known (to me) as, Dr. Butcher…MEDICAL DEVIANT! MWAHAHAHAHAHA! *Cough-cough*
Overall, the movie is poorly made, even for a cheap Exploitation rip-off of genres and films that were being done by better directors like Umbero Lenzi with his cannibal films and of course Fulci with Zombie. Zombie Holocaust is watchable and not the worst filmed movie ever, but in general, it’s near incompetent. There are dubbing issues, but that almost comes with the territory in any film of this type, so no need to harp on it. Even if the dubbing was good, however, it wouldn’t help with dialogue that is just poor to the point of humor at times.
Our characters are standard and very typical - and trying to make anyone believe that the ever so beautiful Alexandra Delli Colli character of Lori is more than eye candy, is as mad as DOCTOR BUTCHER! She has degrees in medicine and even has one in anthropology, which is just kind of funny since at no time does any sense of brilliance leave her lips…though, her clothes more than once leave them hips - and thankfully too.
Even though it isn’t a well-made movie, Zombie Holocaust is not a terrible film by any stretch – it’s not great, just more of a middle of the road one. The biggest issue that can arise with a movie of this nature (besides craftsmanship) is pacing and it’s surprisingly a well-paced movie with very little downtime. It movies along quickly and there is something always going on to keep the viewer entertained in one way or another. I mean, the movie has cannibals, zombies, nudity, and gore, so there is no excuse not to have something interesting to see every ten to fifteen minutes and the goods are delivered.
As far as the gruesome stuff goes, Zombie Holocaust lives up to its rep and my memories as the gore count is very high and most of the FX are executed and “fuck yeah!” inducing. There is a great booby trap scene when a character gets one of those beds of sharpened sticks sprung up onto his body, trapping him while the natives proceed to slit his throat and go to town on his tasty flesh. Then there’s an eye gouging of epic proportions that put quite the smile on my face. The cannibals provide most of the good stuff, not the zombies – in fact, the zombies are strangely not very prevalent in a movie that is titled Zombie Holocaust.
Though they aren’t in the film much, their impact on me is something worth mentioning. I do love that the zombie’s make grunting and moaning noises along the lines of something you would hear from a fourteen-year-old boys bedroom while reading one of his dad’s Hustlers. Even better, they look like old dog crap – like when it gets all brittle and white…they are very ashy zombies to say the least and Oil of Olay would make for a great Christmas present for these undead creatures if you ever decide to visit Keto (Kaelin?).
I actually really enjoyed the ending of this movie and some of the best stuff is with Dr. Obrero and his MEDICAL DEVIANCY! as he performs his mad brain surgery on the poor reporter, Susan. Pretty mean-spirited stuff and this scene was actually shot pretty well in a great ramshackle sort of cabin setting that was also a setting used in…you guessed it, Zombie! Even during these moments, Zombie Holocaust finds a way to once again steal from another film with some of the things that happen to Lori, being very reminiscent of things that happen to Ursula Andress character in the Sergio Martino film, The Mountain of the Cannibal God.
Messy and imperfect, Zombie Holocaust completely steals so many things from so many movies (that stole from so many others!) and has very few original qualities about it. However, this “thievery” makes for a fun mishmash of so many different types of Italian Exploitation films that it is hard not to enjoy for how much shit is thrown into the blender. Not every sip tastes great, but overall, I enjoyed my Zombie Holocaust smoothie and can recommend it to any one that is a fan of these genres.
