“Wasting Away” on IMDB

Horror –  2009 – 89 Minutes

[This review was originally published at our sister-site, DepressedPress.com on April 9, 2012 and was a selection for Boiled Eggs and Brain Eaters 2012.  Note that this movie is listed as “Wasting Away” on Internet Movie Database but as “Aaah! Zombies!!” on Netflix – no idea why, but low-budget movies often have identity issues.]

Low budget movies can either play it straight and hope for the best or try something new and hope for the best.  Those in the latter category can, however, stand just a little taller and a little prouder.  Even if they fail.  This movie makes the effort and tries something new and while it doesn’t always succeed the attempt is more than a little infectious (pun noted).

The hook is that the action is predominately from the perspective of the zombies, who believe that they’ve been “saved” from a horrible plague by a super-soldier serum that’s given them super-powers.  The plague is turning the rest of humanity into super-fast, mindlessly aggressive drones that for some strange reason keep trying to destroy their brains.

The gimmick is indicated – cheaply but ultimately effectively – by switches between color (the zombie’s perceptions) and black-and-white (the “real world”).  The zombies see others as fast-moving, chipmunk-voiced and cartoon-like – others see the zombies as, well, zombies.  Special effects are borderline at best but the use of cheap practical effects is always better than cheap CGI.

Acting is serviceable and many of the characters are successfully likable.  The script is rough but works and for the most part stays on point with several main themes including a sweetly realized love story.  As you might predict with a concept film like this the ending just kind of trials off in several directions without ever truly succeeding in making a point but the ride is nice.

If you’re a genre fan, you’ve already sat through much worse movies with much less to say.  Our verdict on this one (my daughter’s favorite so far this year) is “give it a try.”

“The Horde” on IMDB

Horror –  2009 – 89 Minutes

[This review was originally published at our sister-site, DepressedPress.com on April 9, 2012 and was a selection for Boiled Eggs and Brain Eaters 2012.]

This is the fourth selection in our annual “Boiled Eggs and Brain Eaters” Easter zombie movie marathon.  Since my daughter (who lacks the patience for subtitles) had a previous appointment my son and I decided to give this foreign example of the genre a go.

The French may have (or so I’ve heard) some issues with social graces but apparently no problems at all with crafting a truly kick-ass zombie flick.  This is a prime example of a straight-laced traditional zombie story.

A group of cops decide to take matters into their own hands after a crime boss kills one of their own.  They infiltrate his hideout, situated at the top of a condemned high-rise, to assassinate him but things go pear-shaped.   As the situation heats up the dead start to rise and attack the living and our two groups are forced to work together.

The group, nurturing a very uneasy truce, is navigates through the dilapidated building fighting off the horde promised in the title.  The zombies are fast and vicious and so are the protagonists.  Several of the extended battle sequences can be noted for the sheer, crippling brutality (some aspects of which are called out specifically in the script).

In what’s becoming a more popular choice no background is given on the cause or mechanics of the zombie uprising.  The audience is thrown into the story with as much background as the characters which both allows us to empathize more with them and increases the suspense.  Very little time is spent on exposition or discovery.  The movie knows its audience and wastes no effort repeating details.

There are no new ideas here but doing a well-worn concept exceedingly well is still worthy of praise.  Some people may be turned off by the subtitles that would be a shame.  This is a high-quality, well constructed zombie movie suitable for the most discerning genre fan and rivaling the best provided by American film-makers.

“Zombie Apocalypse” on IMDB

Horror –  2011 – 87 Minutes

[This review was originally published at our sister-site, DepressedPress.com on April 9, 2012 and was a selection for Boiled Eggs and Brain Eaters 2012.]

This is the second selection in our annual “Boiled Eggs and Brain Eaters” Easter zombie movie marathon.  It’s becoming something of a mini-tradition to have Ving Rhames featured in a selection – if he remains true to form we’ll have a new option next year as well.

Any genre fan knows that “SyFy Original”  means a small collection of B-now-C-list actors interacting with terribly realized CGI effects.  This doesn’t change the formula but, unlike the majority of its siblings, features a surprisingly cogent script and (in comparison) quality performances.

We follow a group of survivors attempting to reach the safety of a quarantined island off the coast of California.  Much of the script deals with the survival techniques of the group and the growing pack-mentality of the zombies.  None of these side-threads ever overshadow the main focus.

The movie suffers most from the effects.  Horrible (but I have to assume very cheap) computer effects are used terribly in many places that would have benefited greatly from practical effects.  A computer generated sword cutting a throat or thrusting through a neck just looks wrong.  Terribly, terribly wrong.  The smallest of handguns produce explosive decapitations and gouts of blood added post production have no impact on the characters or the environment.  In all it just looks really stupid.

That being a given for a SyFy Original the movie isn’t actually that bad in total.  While it may seem like damning with faint praise producing a truly average movie is quite the accomplishment for SyFy productions.  There are better (much better) zombie movies available but as a diversion this is inoffensive enough.