Release Date: July 1st, 2005 (NYC-Village East Cinemas), by Lions Gate Films. The Cast: Felicity Mason, Mungo McKay, Rob Jenkins, Lisa Cunningham. Directed by Michael and Peter Spierig. BASIC PREMISE: A group of survivors battle zombies who take over their town. ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: There is plenty of gore and graphic violence to please every horror fan. The tongue-in-cheek humor is quite effective, but it becomes too silly at times. The editing and cinematography is an ode to the horror movies of the 70’s and 80’s, especially The Evil Dead. However, the macabre plot is often redundant and contrived, especially during the last third of the movie. In fact, some of it is even confusing at times. The special effects look intentionally fake but that is probably because of the low budget. The acting is decent without any stand-out performances. The script and character development, though, especially because it is hard to care about any of the characters—they are given very little background about their past. Nonetheless, the zombies look frightening and there are quite a few gruesome killings of both zombies and humans that make this movie a guilty pleasure. SPIRITUAL VALUE: There is not much to think about because nothing is really meant to be taken seriously. Even the extra-terrestrials who show up look so silly and even stupid. The only message this film has is that only the strong can survive. INSULT TO YOUR INTELLIGENCE: It is not quite clear how the world reacts to the invasion/infestation of zombies. There are a few cops who come to help, but where does the national army and the media fit in? It feels like the people outside of the town just ignore them until the end. NUMBER OF TIMES I CHECKED MY WATCH: 2 THE BOTTOM LINE: A macabre movie with tongue-in-cheek humor and silly special effects. There is not much to think about—just a lot of guilty pleasure for all you horror fans. RECOMMENDED WAY TO WATCH: Movie Theater (2nd Run) Main Page Alphabetical Menu The "U" Menu ______________________________________________________ |