Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Gay Zombie - A closeted gay man comes back from the dead as a zombie and discovers that coming out may be more difficult than being one of the living dead! Double bill this amusing short with Creatures from the Pink Lagoon. R1 DVD.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


The Plague - Children around the world fall into comas and awake ten years later as zombie-like killers intent on murdering the adults around them. Chiller starts off good but finishes up with a silly, biblical-inspired confusion, I mean conclusion. Clive Barker had something to do with this, but it's hard to tell what. Albert Camus had absolutely nothing to do with it. R1 DVD.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Zombies Zombies Zombies - Taglined Strippers Vs. Zombies (though not to be confused with Zombie Strippers), this entertaining zomedy has strippers, hookers and pimps uniting to battle ghouls created by a bad batch of crack. Offers up plenty of laughs, cheap gore and a few boobs, though it's not quite as energetic as it should have been.

"You zombies have just fucked with the wrong ice princess!"

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Game Over - Cool little short finds two best friends driven apart after one of them is bitten by a zombie. The doomed one then goes through the five stages of denial while his buddy imagines various ways of destroying him handling the situation. The English accents here are a bit thick so the producers were kind enough to offer subtitles on the R1 DVD (available from Indieflix).

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


Night of the Not So Living Dead Guy - Parody of Night of the Living Dead finds a couple menaced by a very slow-moving zombie. Goofy little short is worth a look.

Watch it here.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: * out of ****


The Vineyard - Late eighties oddity stars character actor James Hong (he also co-wrote and co-directed) as an immortal vintner who invites nubile starlets to his island home. There he drains their blood to fuel his immortality elixir (don't ask, it's an ancient Chinese secret). He also happens to be in the habit of burying his victims in his vineyard, victims who return from the grave seeking revenge! Watchable, and has its moments, but Hong here seems like a subpar Bond villain (what with all his hulking henchmen) slumming in a slasher flick where the zombies are ultimately incidental. Don't confuse this with Jean Rollin's The Grapes of Death.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Bonus zombie movie trailer! Not work safe!

Deadlands 2: Trapped

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Mostly shorts this time as I'm waiting on some upcoming zombie releases...


Impulse - Ballerina Meg Tilly returns to her hometown where everyone has gone nuts: people have lost their inhibitions and are running amok, peeing on cars, robbing banks and gunning down hapless kids. Can her doctor husband find the cause before it's too late? Mid-eighties infected flick never really catches fire but is serviceable enough; Tilly is mighty easy on the eyes. R1 DVD.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


Dead Country - Awful Aussie outing finds a chubby alien (who looks like your goofy uncle) stranded on Earth after his spaceship blows up. Unfortunately the explosion has caused an outbreak of zombies! By turns stultifying and stupid, this rates half a star only for some nice boobage. Available on the Catacomb of Creepshows DVD.

1/2* out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Grave Mistake - Typically low rent zed flick pits a troubled vet, an abusive dad and his son, a single mom and her son, and a dorky zombie specialist against hordes of the living dead. Entertaining as far as these things go, but hampered by some over the top characterizations. Available on the Catacomb of Creepshows DVD.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Bring Out Your Dead - Harmless Aussie short about a guy who spends too much time playing a zombie video game, much to the chagrin of his wife. Where's Monty Python when ya need 'em?

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: * out of ****

Watch it here.



The Blackest Dawn Chronicles: Dust to Dust - Online series has its raspy-voiced hero traversing a post-apocalyptic world killing zombies and goblins. In this episode he kills, well, zombies and goblins. Supposedly set on an Earth beset by a nuclear winter, the sun-dappled forest where the action takes place would seem to decry that. If you can get past that, this is still only marginal fare.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


The Blackest Dawn Chronicles: Zombies - In another episode of the online series, our hero takes on a hard to kill zombie. Meh.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: * out of ****

Watch The Blackest Dawn Chronicles here


Zombie Holiday - A young man goes home for the holidays and discovers that his family has been turned into zombies in this humorous short. Not to be confused with Holiday of the Dead.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****

Watch it here


Crappy zombie jokes:

What do zombies like to eat for dinner?


Warning Spoiler! Click to show

What do Italian zombies like to eat for dinner?


Warning Spoiler! Click to show

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

O.C. Babes and the Slasher of Zombietown - Orange County's SAG rejects take refuge in a bar during a zombie outbreak where they fall victim to a psycho killer. Too bad the filmmakers didn't join them there. Ten Little Indians meets Dawn of the Dead with feeble results in this cheapo rip-off - hell, the only zombies are seen in footage copped from Night of the Living Dead! Bury this deep, my friends. Not to be confused with Chopper Chicks in Zombietown, Zombie Town or O.C. and Stiggs. R1 DVD.

BOMB!

Splatometer rating: * out of ****


The Vanguard - The future. Society has collapsed. One giant corporation rules everything. In the wastelands roam the Biosyns, savage zombie-like creatures who are being systematically exterminated by government soldiers. Battling both is Max, a mute warrior who may hold the key to mankind's salvation. If this sounds like self-important pablum, that's because it is. The meat here is a guy running through fields and forests killing amped-up infecteds with his axes. But even this offers us nothing new while the rest is just dreary and monotonous. R1 DVD.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


The Supernaturals - Star Trek's Lt. Uhura traded in her phaser for an M-16 to star in this middling eighties horror opus. Here she leads a platoon of soldiers from the army's 44th regiment into a southern forest on a training exercise. But little does she know that ghostly Confederate zombies haunt the woods and aim to get revenge for being massacred by Union troops (from the very same regiment) over a century earlier! Damn Yankees! DVD-R.

"Your dick is hallucinating!"

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Noctem - Above average German zombie movie (though that's not saying much) has two undead apocalypse survivors fleeing to safety in the countryside. There they join a group of survivalists who may be more deadly than the ravenous zombie hordes! Cheap but effective, the Night of the Living Dead-inspired climax is the best thing about it. DVD-R.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


The Corpse Eaters - Early seventies undead flick (produced by a guy who owned a drive-in) finds two couples partying in an abandoned graveyard. There one of them has the super bright idea of reciting some mumbo jumbo that supposedly raises the dead. Before you can say "Oh, shit!" they're attacked by shambling, very hungry zombies! Ha ha! As shoddy as you'd expect, but it does boast some gooey chow scenes. DVD-R.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Loves of the Living Dead - Goofy Japanese obscurity about two cute lil' J-girls who own a boutique. Their new dressing room mirror harbors a demoness named Pinkish Red, the two guys across the way are trying to score with them, and an old school chum has accidentally raised an army of the dead! When Pinkish Red escapes the mirror she grabs one of the girls and drags her down to hell. Can the kidnap victim's friends (along with a ghostly cabbie) get her back? Entertaining in its own, crazy quilt, kaleidoscopic way, but eventually it wears out its welcome. DVD-R.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


Dead Beat - Worthless short has a weird mortician reviving a female corpse with electricity. She dances around a bit and then collapses. And that's it. Frankenhooker it ain't. R1 DVD.

* out of ****

Splatometer rating: zero out of ****

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Quarantine - Solid remake of the Spanish film [Rec] follows a reporter and her cameraman as they shadow two firemen responding to an emergency call in an apartment building. Unfortunately for them the residents have been infected with a virus that's turned them into raging cannibals! To make matters worse, the authorities then seal off the building, trapping them inside with the ghouls! Mostly a mirror image of the original, but expertly done and suitably intense - I swear the girlfriend nearly broke several of my fingers during the jolt scenes!

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Night of the Living Babes - Two pals go to the Zombie Ranch Whorehouse and discover that the Madam is up to no good. What are her dastardly plans? Forgettable piffle doesn't seem to know what audience it's aiming for. But, as Kissinger would say, at least I saw boobs. DVD-R.

* out of ****

Splatometer rating: zero out of ****


C.H.U.D. II: Bud the Chud - Comedic sequel has teen buddies stealing a corpse, little knowing that it's a C.H.U.D. Bud the Chud that is! Ol' Bud is then reanimated and goes on a brain-chomping binge that results in an outbreak of Chudism. Fast forward to the cute girl running around in a bathing suit. Okay, it's not as awful as I'd heard, but it's still pretty lame - throw it in the "emergency zombie fix" pile. Essential viewing if you're doing a paper on eighties hair. The script is credited to "M. Kane Jeeves" which may be the writer's way of saying one should be drunk while watching. DVD-R.

*1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Night of the Day of the Dawn of the Son of the Bride of the Return of the Revenge of the Terror of the Attack of the Evil, Mutant, Alien, Flesh Eating, Hellbound, Zombified Living Dead Part 2: In Shocking 2-D - Long-winded title to writer/director James Riffel's version of Night of the Living Dead. For some reason Riffel decided it'd be a great idea to take the film and add a new, comedic soundtrack (not to mention splicing in non sequitur interludes). The resulting curio is as pointless as a circle and just about as funny. They're coming to get you, James! DVD-R.

* out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Re-Animator: 1942 - Herbert West in World War II! Hunkered down in a bomb shelter, can Herbert perfect his reanimation experiments before he's overrun by enemy forces? Modest short puts our hero in a novel setting but adds no context. Still, Nazis and zombies? That's entertainment!

Watch it here.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

This past weekend I was on a huge scary movie kick. I just sat back an rented a bunch of scary movies. I mostly had a Ray Harryhausen marathon, watching all of his classics. 20 Million Miles to Earth, and Earth vs Flying Saucers. At the video store they just got a new BLU-RAY collection called Ray HarryHausen Collection and it had all of them in there. I also rented "The Devils Chair" and "Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer". Both good films but for different reasons. Devil's Chair being scarier and Monster Slayer as more of scary action film.

YouTube - The Devil's Chair official trailer

YouTube - Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer trailer

YouTube - Caught -from Ray Harryhausen Collection on Blu-ray Oct. 7th

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Night of the Living Dead: 30th Anniversary Edition - NOTLD co-scribe John A. Russo concocted this remodeled version of George Romero's horror classic. Fifteen minutes of original footage was excised from the film to make way for a new beginning and ending. The intro has two good ol' boys carting the recently-executed body of a child murderer to the cemetery - a corpse that turns out to be not so dead (this would be the famous NOTLD cemetery zombie). I can live with this scene though it's quite unnecessary. The ending features scream queen Debbie Rochon (always nice to see) as a reporter who interviews a mad priest - a man who was bitten by a zombie and survived. The priest rants and raves about demons and hell, scaring the reporter off. This tacked-on finale is even more superfluous then the new opening and really grates. Additional zombie footage has also been inserted into the film at various points: car crash victims get up and pal around with a one-armed zombie waitress, eventually joining the party at the farmhouse. More zombies is always good so these scenes are the least of my concerns. Overall the new material, shot on video, adds nothing to the film and clashes stylistically with Romero's original footage. The worst thing about this edition however is the forgettable new score by niche composer Scott Vladimir Licina, whose ego-stroking moniker belies his lack of talent. This annoying goth geek plays the manic preacher in the new footage and makes the cast members of the original version look like Oscar-winning thespians. I can't bring myself to hate this edition as many NOTLD fans seem to, but at best it's a curio that most will want to watch only once. R1 DVD.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Trailer Park of Terror - A sextet of troubled teens and their counseler are forced to spend a night in a dilapidated trailer park, home to a horde of ghostly zombies who enjoy filleting outsiders. Pretty much a rip of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but with the living dead replacing inbred yokels. Well actually, these zombies DO seem like inbred yokels. Not bad, just awfully familiar. Does boast some nice gore though. R1 DVD.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Dance of the Dead - It's the night of the prom and wouldn't you know it, there's a goddamn zombie outbreak! Can an oddball assortment of teens and a nutty gym teacher save the dance from being crashed by the hungy living dead? Enjoyable trifle is fun but imminently forgettable. Not to be confused with the same-named Masters of Horror episode. R1 DVD.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Hollywood Mortuary - An egotistical make-up artist finds himself on the outs with the film industry after a downswing in the production of the horror movies that made him famous. He then takes a job as a mortician and reanimates (via a voodoo potion) the corpses of two film stars (ostensibly Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi). Sending them on a mission to save his career, he discovers much to his horror that they have plans of their own! Cheap but nifty little scarefest should entertain fans of qolden age horror. R1 DVD.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Bay of the Dead - It's surfers versus zombies in this awful Aussie short. Well actually it's a lot of surfing footage and very little zombie action (not to mention no bikini-clad babe action). Throw this one on the barbie. R0 DVD.

* out of ****

Splatometer rating: zero out of ****


Heavy Metal Zombies - German short has two metalheads rocking out to a mysterious new album only to discover the music has turned them into zombies. Then they eat their buddy. The end. Not to be confused with Death Metal Zombies or Hard Rock Zombies. If only someone would make Hip Hop Zombies my life would be complete. Not.

Watch it here.

*1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: zero out of ****

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead - Full bore Troma-fest (of the good kind) finds all hell breaking loose after fried chicken entrepeneur General Lee Roy opens an American Chicken Bunker store on top of an ancient Indian burial ground (the Tromahawk tribe to be exact). Vengeful Indian spirits then invade the store's supply of chicken products, turning customers into fowl, flesh-eating zombies! One of Troma's best films features lesbians, boobs, gore, scatological humor, tasteless jokes and musical numbers that are actually good (though my favorite is the deleted S-U-I-C-I-D-E number - can't go wrong with dancing Jews!). (Plus it's hard to miss with a cute and spunky heroine who spends half her screen time topless!)

"The chickens have declared jihad on us all!"

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ***1/2 out of ****


Johnny Sunshine - Seamy tale set in a world overrun by zombies. The living have barricaded themselves in walled cities where they've made snuff porn the entertainment du jour. The most popular star is Johnny Sunshine, a leather-clad hottie who finds herself embroiled in a plot that endangers all she holds dear, including her own life! Potentially interesting material is weighed down by its cheap veneer as well as its ultimately pointless zombie subplot.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Pastiche of the Dead - Anthology of zombie shorts plays out like a series of deleted scenes. Pretty much worthless.

* out of ****

Splatometer rating: * out of ****


Shadows of the Dead - Earnest story of a couple who find themselves infected with a virus that's turned them into zombies. Odd, talky entry in the zombie canon seems more like a filmed play with its limited characters and sets. A good try, but this topic has been better handled in other undead films. Not to be confused with the zombie short of the same title.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Day of the Dying Living - Watched the first four episodes of the web series that anyone can contribute to. It shows too. Zzzzzzzz.

* out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


Z! - A bickering couple must put aside their differences if they want to escape their zombie-infested campground. But can they outwit Amy the naked zombie? Not nearly as enticing as it sounds. The best thing I can say about it is that I've seen worse.

*1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


Scream Farm - Zombies, drug dealers and teenagers collide in this not-too-bad living dead tale. Chemically-enhanced marijuana begets an outbreak of the living dead, trapping a slimy drug lord and a group of teens at the titular Halloween attraction. If you can make it through that awful opening sequence you'll be alright.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

I was hoping Netflix shipped me POULTRYGEIST last Monday but they didn't and now it's on a "long wait". Hopefully I'll get to it soon as the reviews I've read makes it sound like Troma's best since the first Toxie.

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Zombie Apocalypse - Better than average homegrown zombie outing has two college chums and a goth chick teaming up with a mysterious, machete-wielding government agent after the titular event. And, as if wallking, flesh-eating corpses weren't enough to deal with, the agent's protege turned nemesis is tracking them down with the intent of killing his mentor! Just what has turned them against one another and what is their connection to the living dead? Nothing special in the technical department, but entertaining enough. R1 DVD.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Stay Dead - Three roadtripping friends are trapped on a farm belonging to redneck siblings after an outbreak of the living dead. Otherwise forgettable short sports a few chuckles.

Watch it here.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


Working Stiffs - A woman returns to her accounting job after suffering a nervous breakdown and discovers that her boss is now employing zombies! With her co-workers taking advantage of the situation, can she defend the rights of the undead and at the same time avoid having her brains eaten? Cheap but ingratiating entry in the zombie mythos mixes undead antics with snarky workplace humor.

Watch it here.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Dead Set - Satiric British mini-series incorporates the real life Big Brother television show into its vision of a zombie apocalypse. The residents of the insular Big Brother house are completely unaware that England has been overrun by the living dead until a bloodied staff member stumbles into their midst. Do they stay in their well-stocked enclave or make a run for it? Surprisingly good (and surprisingly gory) show loses a few points for its shaky-cam action scenes, but is still one of the best zombie flicks in years. A stylistic companion piece to 28 Days Later and the Dawn of the Dead remake. R2 DVD.

***1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: ***1/2 out of ****


Night of the Living Jews - Humorous short finds a farm family menaced by, you guessed it, zombified Jews. One-joke premise is well made and has a few laughs, but the hero's lack of acting chops hurts. R1 DVD.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


Onechanbara - Goofy flick about a cute Japanese girl who runs around in a bikini killing zombies with her mystical sword. You want more than that? How about sibling rivalry, oafish companions, avenging moms and mad scientists? Yep, it's more J-zombie madness! Fun, if not entirely satisfying. R0 DVD.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

always good to see a new post in the Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread!!!

Thanks Steve!

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Steve you'll have to check out NIGHT OF THE GROPING DEAD, which was just released on disc 2 of AN EROTIC WEREWOLF IN LONDON. It's pure shit but I got a few kicks out of it since the "zombies" return just to molest women. Misty Mundae film.

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Brain Dead - The latest from Kevin Tenney (Witchboard and Night of the Demons) pits the usual ragtag group of folks (two college hotties, two escaped cons, a lecherous preacher and his amply-bosomed squeeze) against alien parasite-controlled zombies who crave, what else, brains! Schlocky affair brings nothing new to the undead table but does sport a nice eighties vibe thanks to copious gore (with an emphasis on head trauma) and some nice t&a&b (yes, we've got bush). Not to be confused with any other movie with the words "brain" or "dead" in the title. R2 DVD.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Battle of the Bone - A trio of friends kung fu their way through a Belfast plagued by rioting football fans and flesh-hungry zombies. Can't miss formula of Irish accents, martial arts and the living dead does indeed miss the mark, with endless chase scenes that bog the film down. This flick sorely needs a dose of Jackie Chan. R0 DVD.

* out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Zombie Hunters: City of the Dead - Yet another undead series, this one focuses on a group of vigilante zombie killers who defy the authorities after New York is infested with the living dead. The low budget shows but actually adds to the gritty feel of the show. Gets better as it goes along. The first four episodes have been compiled on R1 DVD.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Brunch of the Living Dead - Above average short has two college chums caught up in an zombie outbreak while on a hunt for chicken waffles. Not sure what those are, but I'd rather take my chances with the undead. R1 DVD.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Hell's Ground - Schlocky, schizophrenic Pakistani horror offering has five friends driving to a concert through the titular stretch of countryside, unaware that a contaminated water supply has spawned an outbreak of zombies. After running out of gas and being spooked by a pack of the living dead, the group is stalked by a burqua-wearing killer and must fight for their lives! Goofy blend of the zombie and slasher genres is fun for fans, others beware. R1 DVD.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: ***1/2 out of ****


Shadows of the Dead - Moody short about a doctor who flees for his life and sanity during a zombie epidemic. Unfortunately there are worse things lurking about the post-apocalyptic countryside! Not to be confused with the feature zombie film of the same name. R1 DVD (Fangoria Blood Drive Vol. One).

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Beneath the Surface - Ingratiating tale of an emo teen who uses voodoo to raise his murdered (and quite beloved) childhood pal from the dead. But commanding her living dead corpse to get revenge on her killer proves to be quite the difficult task! Well done for its budget, with likeable protagonists and an old school-style zombie (not something you see too often these days). R1 DVD.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


Dead and Floating in Three Rivers - A serial killer is faced with the shambling corpses of his victims in this cheapo short. R1 DVD.

** out of ****

Splaotmeter rating: ** out of ****


The Removal - Humorous short about a morgue attendent whose fondess for horror movies gets the better of him as he retrieves his first corpse from a gloomy hospital. R1 DVD (on the Dead and Floating in Three Rivers disc).

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


Spark of Life - A street artist races against time to stop his ex-girlrfriend from imbibing an alcoholic energy drink that turns people into zombies. ALIHB. R1 DVD.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: * out of ****


Ultro-Pep The Movie - Laughably cheap but engaging story of a guy who battles an evil corporation that uses zombies to promote its newest soft drink. R1 DVD.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


Zombie Spoof - Godawful homegrown effort has various people battling zombies. A real snoozer despite the pulsating (and non-stop) soundtrack. Just because you're a "spoof" doesn't give you the right to be this bad! R1 DVD.

BOMB!

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


280 Days Later - Pretty good short set in the 28 Days Later universe. An isolated farm family faces off against a wandering infected with disastrous results. Very similar to a sequence in 28 Weeks Later.

Watch it here.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Coming soon! Zombie Cheerleading Camp

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Got a few flicks to chat about, but I'm waiting on a few more before I post about 'em. In the meantime, check these out:

George Romero's ...of the Dead

Romeo and Juliet Vs. the Living Dead

Scourge of the Undead

Not work safe!

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Zombie Cheerleading Camp - A Nazi zombie virus infects a group of aspiring cheerleaders in this undead outing that doesn't quite deliver the cheesy goods its title promises. Still, the filmmakers don't overreach themselves and manage a modestly entertaining affair. Plus they were kind enough to throw in some boobs. Not to be confused with Cannibal Cheerleader Camp. R1 DVD.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Resident Evil: Degeneration - CG-animated entry in the series seems to mostly ignore the other Resident Evil films as special forces operatives Claire Redfield and Leon S. Kennedy (Alice is sorely missed) battle zombies, mutating monsters and evil scientists. Probably more in keeping with the video games (especially given the animation), but I wouldn't know much about those. R1 DVD.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Prison of the Dead - A group of paranormalists converge on a castle turned funeral home to attend the late night viewing of an old friend. But the castle is infamous for once having been a place of confinement and torture for local witches. The desperate ghosts of these witches possess the bodies of the bereaved in an attempt to escape their final resting place. Unfortunately their undead executioners rise from their graves and begin hacking their way through the possessed! Full Moon cheapie offers little in the way of suspense, gore or zombie action. Skip it unless you want to torture yourself. R1 DVD.

* out of ****

Splatometer rating: * out of ****


Bloodsuckers from Outer Space - Deliberately schlocky eighties effort about a wind from outer space that invades the bodies of small town Texans, turning them into bloodsucking zombies (the director admits to having written this in three days). Works both as a campy homage and as an entertaining drive-in flick. R1 DVD.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Fast Zombies With Guns - What's worse than slow zombies? Fast zombies! What's worse than fast zombies? Fast zombies with guns! That's the rather thin premise of this low rent actioner. A mob boss has an informant killed with a strange virus (I suppose a gun would be too obvious) that turns its victim into a flesh-eating zombie. Before you can say mama mia there's a full-blown epidemic of the living dead! And these ghouls are armed to the teeth (guess there was a sale at the Zombie Gun Shoppe)! Can the usual ragtag group of survivors make it to safety? Short on sense, but at least there's lots of blood-spraying action. R1 DVD.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Day of the Dead (tv version) - SciFi Channel cut of George Romero's (then) climatic zombie epic could also be called the wimp version. Shorn of most of its gore and naughty language the film loses almost all of its visceral impact. I think there may have been a few added scenes, but they were brief and of no consequence. For Romero completists only.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


How to Survive a Zombie Attack - Yet another faux public service short advising viewers on how to survive an outbreak of the living dead. Some scattered laughs if you've a few minutes to kill.

Watch it here

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: * out of ****


The Good, the Bad and the Zombie - Comic western zombie short outta France stars Tromatic Lloyd Kaufman and Jean-Pierre Jeunet regular Dominique Pinon as respectively, a shaman and a cowboy who encounter slapstick zombies in the Old West. Not quite sure what was going on as there aren't any English subs but the pairing of Kaufamn and Pinon plus zombies makes anything worth a look. Supposedly the basis for a proposed feature film, which may explain its fragmentary nature.

Watch it here

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Facility 4 - Tense short, made in the U.S. but set in Russia and filmed in Russian, follows two soldiers as they battle their way out of a bioweapons facility after an outbreak of the living dead.

Watch it here

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Story of the Dead - Gruesome (if innocuously titled) undead short from Belgium has three friends running afoul of a zombie while on their way to a concert. A bit too dark at times, but otherwise a well-made little scarefest.

Watch it here

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Dead Snow trailer (Nazi zombies!)

The Dead Outside trailer (Scottish zombies!)


Dumb zombie joke: what do you call it when a zombie can't sleep?


Warning Spoiler! Click to show


Coming soon! The movie I donated twenty bucks to and got my name in the credits: Fistful of Brains! Plus the latest from the late Bruno Mattei!

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

An American Carol - What the heck is this movie doing here you ask? Well, this Michael Moore lampoon features a sequence in which documentary filmmaker Michael Malone and judge Dennis Hopper blast away at ACLU zombies. Best part of this otherwise so-so satire. R1 DVD.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Bitez - Three pals throw a party that gets crashed by the living dead in this modestly entertaining $1.99 zombie flick. Ya gotta kinda like a movie where the actors can hardly keep from cracking up. R1 DVD.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Horizonica - Dutch zombie treat has various types dealing with an outbreak of the living dead. Entertaining at first, but its meandering nature and overlength eventually do it in. And seriously, is Lloyd Kaufman in everything these days? R2 DVD (with no English subs).

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Island of the Living Dead - Big ol' slice of cheese from late schlockmeister generale Bruno Mattei (here using his alias of Vincent Dawn) has the world's dumbest band of treasure hunters (led by one Captain Kirk no less!) ending up on an uncharted isle where they run up against the living dead. Not to mention ghostly monks. And a vampire too (I think). No giant apes though.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Zombies: The Beginning - Sequel to Island of the Living Dead has the sole survivor of that movie accompanying a squad of marines back to....hey wait, this is just like Aliens, but with zombies! Ah, Bruno, we're gonna miss ya!

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


The Adventures of Jim T. Zombie - Mildly amusing short has an outcast teen zombie being taught the ways of cool by a hipster. Fonzie he ain't.

Watch it here

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: * out of ****


Zombie Phase Zero - Four friends try to find the source of a zombie epidemic before they're turned into the living dead themselves. Strictly amateur night.

Watch it here

* out of ****

Splatometer rating: *1/2 out of ****


The Danse Macabre - Inconsequential short has a woman encountering zombies late at night.

Watch it here

*1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: * out of ****


Trailer Gallery

The Risen

Bio-Dead

Urban Scumbags Vs. Countryside Zombies 2008

The Book of Zombie

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Steve, where did you find the two Mattei films? I know they're suppose to be released overseas but I haven't been able to find either one. I can't believe no one over here has bought the rights up yet as they've been offered for the past two years. There's still two cannibal movies out there unreleased in R1 as well as two WIP films from his later day career I'm hoping gets released.

HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD is one of the greatest bad movies ever made so I have high hopes on these two zombie films. The screenshots I've seen look incredibly gory.

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Michael, I got my copies of the Mattei films from diabolikdvd.com

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

For fans of Italian zombie movies

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

from hell to avenge himself on the descendant of the sheriff who killed him.
Along for the evil ride are his cadaverous and skeletal henchmen, a nasty bunch
who promptly set about slaughtering everyone in their way. Cheap redo of
High Noon (down to the sheriff being named Kane) sports a goofily
endearing battle between the sheriff and his deputies and the undead posse, but
has little else to offer. R1 DVD.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Dead Shit - Two charmless Jay and Silent Bob knockoffs
(unfortunately neither of them stays silent) battle zombies and a demoness in
this thankfully short undead tale. R1 DVD.

* out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Sick and the Dead - Engrossing story of three zombie apocalypse
survivors, one of whom is a psychopath who proves to be more of a menace than
the flesh-eating living dead. Not without its flaws, but a good try. R1 DVD.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Zombie Film Fest - Collection of six short zombie films from
Biddle Productions (the DVD also includes tne non-zombie short Timmy
LaGoof):

Zombie A Go-Go - Four zombies walk into a bar and face bigotry
from its still-living patrons. Meh.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****

Zombie Fast Food - A group of zombies chow down on their idea of
fast food. Double meh.

* out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****

Lil Red - A modern day Little Red Riding Hood encounters a
zombified werewolf. Triple meh.

*1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****

Zombie Corp - A middle class family considers getting a zombie
maid in this poor man's Fido.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: * out of ****

The Zombie Race - Mildly amusing short has a news crew covering
the micro sport of zombie racing.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****

Vegetarian Zombie - A journalist investigates the case of a
purported vegetarian zombie.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


The Deader the Better - Two cemetery caretakers battle zombies in
this gleefully gory homage to black and white horror films.

Watch it here

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Otto; or, Up With Dead People - Artsy German offering has a recently risen zombie roaming around looking for purpose. Along the way he encounters gay lovers, Andy Warhol-esque film directors and stars in a film about himself. Utilizing a variety of cinematic techniques, Otto is either a sly jab at self-important arthouse fare or an overlong example of the same. Interesting up to a point, but eventually overstays its welcome. R1 DVD.

** out of ****

Splatotmeter rating: *** out of ****


Dead City - Brit zombie flick told in three parts. In part one a man arrives at his suburban home and discovers that his live-in girlfriend has changed the locks, a consequence of finding another woman's phone number in his jacket pocket. While pleading with her to reconcile he receives news of a zombie outbreak. In the comic-tinged second part, three people make plans to escape the movie theater they're trapped in, but with few weapons and cellphone interruptus, will they ever escape? In part three, three buddies make a beer run despite hordes of the living dead. This Tarantino-esque entry runs a bit long and bogs the film down, but on the whole this is a diverting zombie outing. R1 DVD.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****
Edited by SteveGon - 7/14/2009 at 12:49 pm GMT

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Flesh is Good - Dear God in Heaven but this film sucks. I'd rather go to a Michael Bay film festival then be subjected to Flesh is Good again. It's one of those movies you know is going to be awful after the first five minutes, but you keep watching anyway hoping it'll get better or you'll at least have the crappy zombie movie fortitude to sit through it. Not so here. I made it through another ten minutes before I decided to read the phone book instead (occasionally listening to and glancing at the action onscreen). A follow-up to the equally atrocious Of the Living Dead, this one has two guys and a couple of kids sitting around a campfire swapping zombie stories and imagining ways in which Of the Living Dead could be better (or something like that). I've seen other no-budget zombie movies that were more technically inept, but this trash is simply unwatchable. You only think you've seen a bad zombie movie until you've seen this pile o' poo, truly a wretched piece of filmmaking. Flat, unfunny and incredibly uninteresting. You want to waste $15? Take the cash and wipe your ass with it, you'll get better results. Flesh is not good. R1 DVD.

Bomb!

Splatometer rating: * out of ****


Capital of the Dead - Obscure indie effort from Brazil has a bipolar guy and his friends fighting for their lives after a religious prophecy sees Brasilia (the capital of Brazil, hence the title) infested by the living dead. Unoriginal to be sure, but otherwise fairly accomplished and entertaining. R0 DVD.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Fistful of Brains - Two mysterious, feuding brothers both raise armies of the living dead that overrun the small North Carolina town of Shadowhawk. Fun zombie western has some interesting characters though it's sometimes hampered by its miniscule budget and a not-so-polished screenplay. Yep, that's my name in the credits under "proxy zombies." That's what $20 gets ya these days. R1 DVD.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Zombie Jamboree - Videotaped chronicle of the 25th Anniversary celebration (in 1993) of George Romero's Night of the Living Dead. Not as bad as I'd heard, but it lacks focus, veering off too many times on non-NOTLD topics. For diehard fans only. R1 DVD.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Sombre Zombie - Contemplative short has a corporate drone trying to decide whether he should go to work during a zombie outbreak.

Watch it here

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Just watched Days of Darkness on demand and all I have to say is..... WHY?

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Mombie - Sharp black comedy has a single mother returning from the dead to finish raising her beloved children. But with the media, scientific community, ex-husband and the anti-zombie lobby breathing down her neck, will she be able to finish the job? And more importantly, can her maternal instincts keep her hunger for human flesh at bay? R1 DVD.

"Go to bed....or I'll eat you!"

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Zombie Dearest - Crappy short about a little girl who is mistreated by her zombified mother. Owes more to Cinderella than it does to Christina Crawford's memoir, and poorly made by any account. Anyone got a coathanger? R1 DVD (an extra on the Mombie disc).

* out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


Decay - Sly remake of Ingmar Bergman's Shame has a chronically glum couple (who seemingly drifted out of an Aki Kaurismaki picture) dealing with the consequences of a zombie uprising. Talky and light on the undead action, but smart and compelling. R2 DVD.

***1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Daycare of the Dead - Claymation short sees a daycare overrun by flesh-eating zombies. While the living dead enjoy their toddler buffet, a brave (but rather stupid) band of teachers attacks with weapons improvised from classroom objects. Will anyone survive the gore-drenched melee? Will a lone, gun-totin' two year old save the day? Dumb, revolting and hilarious, but eventually it overplays its hand. R1 DVD (Tales of the Undead).

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: ***1/2 out of ****


Dead Wedding - A living dead couple battles zombie prejudice after they decide to get married. Silly and belabored. Another short from the Tales of the Undead DVD.

"Until....um, death do you part..."

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: * out of ****


Night of the Living Dead Werewolf - Animated short from the aforementioned Tales of the Undead DVD shows what happens when a werewolf pounces on a hapless zombie. You pretty much get what you expect with this one. Too brief to be of much consequence.

*1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Godzilla Vs. the Livng Dead - The big G takes on an army of zombies in this short from the Tales of the Undead DVD. Slightly less lopsided then Bambi Meets Godzilla, but much bloodier. One-note perhaps, but it does serve up some inspired splatter.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: **** out of ****


Voodoo Hoodoo - Forgotten (and deservedly so) Wheeler and Woolsey film has the obscure comedy duo running up against a voodoo master and his understaffed zombie army after Wheeler inherits a Caribbean sugar plantation. Wants to be a comedy version of White Zombie, but pretty much fails on all fronts. This was made in the late thirties when the duo was on the decline and it shows. Woolsey died soon after this was finished (but didn't return as one of the living dead). Interesting only in that it predates Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. TV viewing.

* out of ****

Splatometer rating: zero out of ****


D.C. Dead - D.C. Comics jumps on the zombie bandwagon with this gory animated feature. Lex Luthor exposes Superman to a heretofore unknown type of Kryptonite that turns the Man of Steel into a gut-chomping zombie. After chowing down on his longtime nemesis, Supes goes on a rampage and turns just about every other D.C. character to the dead side. Can Batman (natch) and a motley team of heroes and villains (including the Joker!) stop the ghastly tide of super-powered zombies? R1 DVD.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ***1/2 out of ****


Code Red Zombie - Crazy undead anime rips off Resident Evil in its tale of a naked hottie who infiltrates an underground research facility in order to investigate claims of scientific malfeasance. Unfortunately it's been overrun by zombies! Fortunately she's a master of the katana! Lots bloody slicing and dicing follows! R3 DVD.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Trailer Gallery

Hitchock's The Birds is remade as:

Virus Undead

Teen angst with zombies:

Make-Out With Violence

Politics and the living dead:

Zombies of Mass Destruction


Not a movie (but who knows?):

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Edited by SteveGon - 7/14/2009 at 12:57 pm GMT

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

I can't wait to see Dead Snow. Should be the best thing since Shockwaves!

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Here's another upcoming zombie flick that looks good:

The Dead

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Check out SPLINTER.

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

I'm with ya on that one! I'll email Jon Mulvaney...

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Seems like the Zombie viewing has diminished Steve...

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Well, this thread was never hoppin' to begin with - just a few diehards like me.

And unfortunately my movie viewing has dropped off since I got married.* The wife has two young ones** so my time gets eaten up quickly between that and the job. I've also pretty much worked through the catalogue of available older zombie flicks so I have to rely on new releases which isn't as easy as it sounds - many of those are indie efforts that don't get much press so they can be hard to track down. Still, I did just buy (don't tell the wife!) a couple and Eat Me! The Musical should be out soon so this thread ain't dead yet!

Nice to see you're still around, BTW.

* Several hours after we were married we were in a theater watching Watchmen - what she gets for marrying a nerd!

** Thankfully they're boys so I'll be spared the Hannah Montana movie!

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Is D.C. Dead a real flick or is it an April 1st prank? I googled and came up empty.