from Eve Blaack, Hacker's Source Magazine (print only)
I have been waiting a long time to view this film. I loved Strange Things Happen at Sundown, Fratto's first feature film, and I have been anxiously awaiting his second. When I found out it was a zombie film, I knew it would be originally well written and executed. And since I am also a zombie geek, this would be right up my alley. Well, today is the day!
No one is dying. Technically speaking yes, but the walking dead don't realize it at first. You die, you get right back up. You are not a shuffling brain dead zombie. Your mind and brain are in tact as if you never left this world. Being dead is not fun. Your wounds never heal, any new wounds bleed, you still feel pain and emotion. You crave raw meat, not human flesh. And you are "mortally challenged". The only way you can kill a zombie is by totally obliterating the entire head.
Angela ( Gina Ramsden) and Joshua's (Joshua Nelson) relationship is on the rocks. After Joshua murders her (bullet to the head and chest), Angela must now deal with her new undead life and a society of hatred towards her. She turns to a support group for the mortally challenged. She checks singles ads for the recently deceased and invests in a new line of make up "Look Alive and Smooth Skin" - (for filling in bullet holes and lacerations, now available in travel size) trying to blend in with the living and be "normal".
Louis (Kevin T. Collins) kicked out of the support group for his negativity and, befriending Angela, he introduces her to a radical undead terrorist organization. Run by Good Mother Solstice who holds a secret for destroying the living and the next step in evolution.
Meanwhile, Joshua joins the Commandant's vigilante army to destroy the zombies way of life. They hunt down the zombies, doing unspeakable tortures and dismemberments, leaving a message telling the rest of the undead to take their rightful place in the grave by running to a volunteer termination center. And wait til you see when one of their own dies. Joshua and Angela will cross paths again. And the final battle of love lost and revenge will be fought and who comes out the winner in the end?
Many issues are raised; Can you testify at your own murder trial? Are the recently dead taking over the low wage jobs, leaving the living unemployed? Are we back in the 60's with civil rights being violated? Is it allowed to have inter-living relationships? How does the world deal with the urgency of the situation? And is this the final sign for the return of Jesus or has God turned his back? And what are funeral homes doing to stay in business?
A serious look at the human race with dark humor, Fratto has a hit. Original and what I like to term as intelligent horror, he opens a new chapter to the meaning of living dead. This is a director we will hear from again and again, breaking boundaries in our beloved genre.
The acting is outstanding with Joshua Nelson's (Ryan's Hope, A Pound of Flesh, Aunt Rose) lead; he is more than capable of carrying the film. In full throttle playing the bad guy full of anger, hatred and brutality, makes one wonder what he is like off camera. Well I have met Nelson, and I can assure you the reason he can play these roles so well is that he is totally opposite off screen. Yes, I am blowing your cover Nelson. You are a teddy bear!
Gina Ramsden (Strange Things Happen at Sundown) as Angela portrays the meek, sweet, vegetarian trying to cope in a world she is thrust into unexpectedly as a seasoned actress. Her character grows into a strong woman fighting for her rights and very existence. She is smart to take this role and she plays it exactly in that manner; smartly.
Both Christa McNamee (The Commandant) and Mary Jo Verruto (Solstice) as the leaders of the two groups are totally over the top and rightly so. Their extreme personalities enhance the characters and are pulled off really well.
Effects range from OK to outstanding, done by Demonic Pumpkins FX. Some of the zombie looks bother me a little, but the majority of them are very well done. This is a high gore film, with lots of wounds and buckets of flowing blood and, yes, for you flesh eating fans, you do get some of this. After all, variety makes the world go round. The decapitated heads look great with one on a stake, his eyes moving, it gives you the creeps. Overall a great job.
The music by Andy Ascolese, Marc Fratto and Frank Garfi moves and enhances the film right on cue. Another thing about Fratto's films is he does not use heavy metal, rock or rap like so many indie film makers do. He likes to incorporate classical music along with his own instrumentals, thus adding more class to the final product.
My final comments on this would have to be it's one of the best zombie films with depth and thought provoking topics to come out in years. I haven't enjoyed a zombie film this much since Shaun of the Dead.
Since this was a screener copy, it did not come with any extras, and they are still shopping it around for a distributor. I know I will be among the first to buy my copy when it's available. Meanwhile, keep an eye out for this on the festival circuit.
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