Undead

 

 

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As I've said in other reviews, zombie films are my least favorite type of horror films. Zombies are ugly, boring, and - despite all the talk - rarely do we ever get to see one of them actually eating a brain. This disinclination toward zombies on my part, though, actually helps me appreciate the truly great zombie movies all the more, and Undead, from those twisted Spierig brothers Down Under, is a great zombie film. Not only is it deliciously gory, it also manages to form a coherent plot around not only zombies but aliens, abductions, and acidic rain; that makes this much more than your standard "last one standing" zombie survivor story. I wouldn't put this Aussie product up there alongside Night of the Living Dead or Dawn of the Dead, but it's pretty darn close, mate.

Everything's peaceful in the little town of Berkeley (that's Berkeley, Australia, of course; nothing's ever peaceful in Berkeley, California) - until, that is, strange meteorites begin raining down all over the place and periodic showers of burning dark rain begin falling. Clearly, these aren't your normal meteorological events - most people hit by meteorites don't get back up, and they surely don't start ripping people's heads off and eating their brains. The zombies, constantly on the attack, spread their uglified condition even faster than panic can spread among the local populace, and pretty soon we're down to six survivors holed up in the old farmhouse of the town nutjob. Everyone laughed at Marion (Mungo McKay) when he told of being attacked by zombiefied fish and abducted by aliens, but now he's the only one with half a clue about what is going on all around them. If you don't mind, I'm going to refer to Marion as Torgo from here on out - Marion isn't a good name for someone with the best set of guns I've seen in quite a while, and the guy looks way too much like Torgo from Manos: Hands of Fate for comfort - it's pretty creepy, actually. Anyway, Torgo finds himself holed up with Rene (Felicity Mason), otherwise known as Miss Catch of the Day 2002; an annoying pregnant woman who claims, even in the midst of a zombie holocaust, that she should have won the coveted Miss Catch of the Day title, and her man; and two police constables, a female who specializes in cowering uselessly and a male who tries to hide his cowardice by strutting around like he's in charge. Despite the fact it takes them a good half hour to figure out that you have to go for the head if you want attacking zombies to go down and stay down, they manage to make a break for the border - only to find themselves fenced in with the most inexplicable of barricades. Then, as if hordes of attacking zombies and frequent outbreaks of acidic rain aren't bad enough, aliens start popping up to add to the fun. Maybe you're thinking this still sounds like your average zombie film, despite the alien presence. Well, it's not, as the plot involves a really nice twist that changes your perspective on everything that's happened. It's downright existential, and when's the last time you could say that about a zombie film?

The special effects are great, especially considering the movie's low budget. The Spierig brothers know that zombie films are supposed to be gory. They serve up tons of blood, more beheadings than I could count, heaps of bloody guts spilling out of abdominal cavities, some wickedly different head injuries that made me laugh with evil glee, severed limbs, and all sorts of stuff that will make a nervous Nelly feel quite sick to her stomach. The meteorological events are fairly convincing, the alien activities on and above the earth are very nicely done, and you've simply got to love those zombiefied fish. What more could you possibly want in a zombie movie than all that?

After having lost everything, Rene (played by Felicity Mason) tries to leave her hometown of Berkeley but is unable to get out when the town is struck with a meteor shower. Instead of leaving giant craters and demolished buildings in their wake, these meteors leave something else: an infection that transforms humans into zombies.

The town now overrun with the undead, Rene barely survives and meets up with Marion (played by Mungo McKay), the town nut who claimed he was abducted by aliens a long time before. Soon joined by others, the group of survivors find temporary solace in Marion's cabin before the dead come a'knockin' and force there way in.

Blood and guts ensue as this band of not-so-merry-men try and fight their way through throngs of the undead and leave town.

They almost make it, too, if not for that giant, spike-laden wall bordering the town, keeping everyone inside.

This flick starts off as your run-of-the-mill zombie movie. Nothing wrong with that. Not at all. The blood, the guts, the guns--ah, yes, everything that makes up a good zombie flick. Even Marion's Matrix-like fighting style works well in the context of the story (though when that style was first introduced, I had a hard time buying it but quickly got used to it).

What separates this zombie flick from all others I've seen is the twist it takes when we find out these aren't your standard zombies, but instead the product of "something beyond," namely intergalactic stuff. Toss in a few aliens and you got yourself a unique zombie film that pays more homage to the zombie clichés than actually follows them like a rulebook.

This is an independent film and I only point that out because it being indy really added to the gritty feel of the whole thing, enhancing the movie. This didn't carry that too-smooth-yet-too-cheap look that B-movies have. Even the directors' love for the genre really shone through in this and the cast did a fantastic job.

I can understand now why this movie got the cult following it did.

If you dig good solid zombie flicks, check this one out.

Ok i don't drink, i don't take drugs, i don't smoke, i'm pretty normal in the mental and physical department of my body so maybe that's why i didn't like this movie? I mean i love non-hollywood, weird, and independant films but when i saw all the postive reviews and articles about how this movie rocked and stuff, and then there's little old me thinking at the end of the film "WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST WATCH??"

I'm sorry that you might be confused by this review but I'M THE ONE WHO'S CONFUSED..TRUST ME!

It disaster started off with a little humor and gore which reminded me of one of my fav films "DEAD/ALIVE" (That's a good thing!) then 30 minutes later, everything went haywire and this zombie flick turned into a menage-a-trois between the movie "BRAIN DEAD" "THE TRANSPORTER 2", and "WAR OF THE WORLDS". (That's definitly a bad thing!)

So maybe i don't have a degree on rating films, or work for a "cool" independant magazine in the movie section but i do have eyes and a brain and some sort of sense of humor and i'm sorry, but this movie honestly was a waste of time and money on my part and yes, it's just my opinion of course.

Plain and Simple..let's just say this, if you love all Zombie films like i do, i mean like the George Romero's and company flicks then this is not for you, trust me...nooooooooooooooo way.

If you loved and i mean loved "Brain Dead", "Meet the Feebles", and any other of these type of films, then you'll enjoy this one..or maybe not...i don't know and i don't care and i'm still confused!

Oh well...maybe the producer or director or anyone associated with this film can email me to explain what the hell was going through they're minds during the first script reading, post production and actual filming of this movie....maybe then, it'll be clearer!

But while i'm waiting, maybe i should start drinking!

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