Diary of the Dead (2007)

George Romero proves he's still the undisputed master of zombie films...

I've never seen a Romero film I didn't like. The man is brilliant; often hampered by a ridiculously low budget and a cast of complete unknowns (or actual non-actors) actors, his ideas & execution always manage to transcend these limitations. Taking the idea of "found footage", he re-boots his vision of the zombie apocalypse, only this time in the form of a video documentary, filmed by a group of survivors.

Diary of the Dead starts with the filming of a student project, with a particularly amusing reference to the current "fast zombie" trend; this had me cracking up - I had to pause the DVD & replay it, just to hear the rest of the dialogue! The filming is interrupted by the news of strange goings on... And everyone scatters to try to find out what's going on, and to seek safety in familiar environments.

We end up with a sort of "found footage road movie", more than anything else; as the main characters proceed across country to reach a variety of "safe" destinations, they encounter a fair sampling of the kinds of unpleasantness you could expect when law and order break down. These are, of course, extremely well-handled by Romero, and have that feeling of gritty realism that is a hallmark of his films.

One of the most interesting inclusions is the (sparing) use of CGI to add to the usual makeup effects; as noted by Rick Baker when making An American Werewolf in London, you can add makeup to a person, but you can't take stuff away (he had no option but to use a puppet for the final encounter with the decomposing Jack in the theatre scene), and this is where CGI has a distinct advantage. There are several scenes where CGI is used to great effect in this regards; one involves a zombie's head partially dissolving, and the other... Well, let's just say it's quite disturbing, and you really can't miss it! Of course, like all of the best well-executed CGI effects, I may be wrong; maybe it isn't...

Anyway, if you're a Romero fan, or if you like your zombie movies, this is an absolute must-see. I won't say it's better than it's predecessors, but it's certainly on a par. Given that this is his 5th "Living Dead" film, that's saying something.

Re-Animator (1985)

How great is this film? I first saw it in the cinema, and was just blown away. It was so audacious, so over-the-top, and just so brilliant! HP Lovecraft's original story was his first professionally published work and was written as a serial, which really shows; every chapter begins with a short recap of a bunch of stuff you already know, 'cause you only just read it... Not his best work, by a long shot. As a fan of Lovecraft's writing, what came as the biggest surprise with Re-Animator is just how much Stuart Gordon "gets" the feel. It couldn't be more different, stylistically, but somehow, it just feels "right".

The biggest problem with trying to make a Lovecraft film is that most of his characters spend their time reading old books and visiting libraries. Doesn't exactly make for an exciting film. Another huge problem, of course, is the constant references to things which can't be described (as they're too horrible). Earlier attempts to film his work were almost universally dismal; they would overlay gothic (as in Die, Monster, Die!), or just go for the weird/psychedelic (The Dunwich Horror). Re-Animator, on the other hand, updates the story to the present day, then goes berserk with the gore, and adds the most bizarre necrophilia scene ever into the mix. And the weirdest thing is that this actually works!

Jeffrey Combs is perfect as Herbert West; he's creepy, nerdy, and has a roaring case of Aspergers. He's also completely obsessed with his quest to return the dead to life, and doesn't let anything, least of all morality, get in the way. The other standout is Barbara Crampton as Megan Halsey; she is one of my all-time favourite screamers, and really pulls out all the stops when it comes to kinky... She is a recurring Stuart Gordon fave, as is Combs, and I can see why.

Richard Band's music is also great; hugely plagiarised from Psycho, this actually adds to the enjoyment. I particularly love the title sequence, with its Psycho theme and anatomical illustrations.

Filmed on a relatively low budget, and, of course, before CGI made some effects ridiculously easy, the film stands up well to the test of time; 25 years on it still looks pretty good, and its just as much fun as it ever was. If you've never seen (or imagined!) a severed head giving head, you need to watch this movie. Its gory, its truly sick, but its also a work of twisted genius. If you make it past the eyeballs exploding and the removal of the cadaver's brain, all within the first couple of minutes, you'll manage the rest just fine!

Død Snø (2009)

This is the reason we watch stupid movies. Not because we like stupid movies, but, because, just every now and again, one of the films we thought was going to be stupid was just great fun. And stupid. Or fun because its stupid. I mean, ya just know that a film featuring Nazi zombies is gonna be a hoot, but will it actually be any good? The good news is that Tommy Wirkola's Norwegian zombie-slasher, Dead Snow, is just great!

I've always been a big fan of the zombie genre, from White Zombie to Romero's classic series (how many is it now? 5?), and just about everything in between. While not a huge fan of the new trend towards "fast" zombies, sometimes I can look the other way, if the concept is good. And, lets face it, when it comes to the things we all love to hate the most, nazis and zombies have gotta be top of just about everybody's list, right?

So, our typical holidaying college students find themselves in a cabin in the mountains (with no cell reception, of course!), and naturally manage to piss off the local boogey-men by helping themselves to some treasure they just happen to find under the floorboards. All pretty pedestrian stuff, so far, but what elevates this film above the general fare is the sense of humour on display throughout. Much like the recent "Undead", what they lack in budget they more than make up for in imagination, and a love of their craft.

The big drawcard, of course, with Dead Snow is the prospect of Nazi zombies. There's just something about the idea which instantly appeals - I know, myself, as soon as I saw the trailer all I could think of was "I've just gotta see this film!". And I was right! And its got chainsaws! Oh joy, oh joy!

Okay, enough rapturous adulation... Don't expect any twists; there are no surprises here - It's a straightforward horror narrative, with all the obvious cliches. What you can expect, however, is to have a great deal of fun while you watch the students confront their tormentors with various improvised weapons. The characters are actually quite believable, in an over-the-top kinda way; they panic realistically, they sometimes act heroically, and they generally make the sorts of stupid mistakes I guess real people would make in the same circumstances. Much more likeable than your average monster-fodder.

The film has some really nice suspense in it, and some wonderful use of the frigid Norwegian environments. I felt cold just watching this film! Be prepared for some incredibly gory shots, though; dangling over a cliff by hanging onto a zombie's intestines, while another zombie is hanging on to you and trying to bite your throat out is one of the less gross sequences, once the body parts start flying. The effects guys certainly don't pull any punches, and the fact that one of the characters is wearing a "Brain Dead" t-shirt should be enough warning...

If you love zombies, then you can't afford to miss this film. If, on the other hand, you think that zombies are just an excuse to spread gratuitous amounts of blood and viscera around, then, well, maybe you'd be better off with the Sound of Music. At least it's got Nazis.