Flicks: Doc Of The Dead (2014)

Alexander Phillipe presents a look at the modern zombie movie and the genre's rising subculture.

Now that the unholy holiday of Slash-Mess has come and gone it's time to celebrate the crispy wasteland that marks the start of another horrifying calendar year. What better way to do so than featuring the very first documentary on the 'Blender with: Doc Of The Dead (2014)?

Doc Of The Dead is written and directed by Alexander Phillipe. Phillipe has tradition of making quirky documentaries including Psychic Octopus (2012), The People vs. George Lucas (2010) and the Star Trek geek documentary Chick Flick: The Mike Miracle Story (2003).

The early screeners for this new film, which is currently in production and set for a 2014 release, show depth starting with candid interviews with George Romero (original Night Of The Living Dead) and also a sense of absurd humor - especially with Simon Pegg (Shaun from Shaun of The Dead). This documentary attempts to put the modern zombie movie and the genre's rising subculture into proper perspective from a fan's point-of-view.

If this wasn't good enough for you, O scaleless manlings, Red Line Media, known for their caustic, goofy and technically astute "Honest Trailers" and long-form "Q-without-A's" styled short films also contributes to the film.

The Sleaze-A-Saurus heartily anticipates this "outsider" documentary about what was, until very recently, an outsider genre free from insidious Hollywood meddling!

References:
IMDb, Doc Of The Dead (2014)
Doc Of The Dead, Official Site
Joe Blo.com, The People VS George Lucas Interview

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Slash-Mess Day Eleven: Zombie 108 (2012)

The Zombie Apocalypse strikes Taiwan and all beautiful women survive? That settles it. I'm moving!

What is more infectious than zombie movies? They are being made in Cuba (Juan Of The Dead), The UK (Shaun Of The Dead, The Horde) and even Norway (Snow Dead) by the dozen but the genre actually started as an American production with White Zombie (1932) referencing Haiti's "zombo" and witchcraft related phenomena.

Today, not to be left behind, Taiwan has produced their own modern gem called Zombie 108 (2012). This movie features all the best from it's recent predecessors plus adds the one of the most incredibly sexy creatures on Planet Earth - the long-haired, long legged, brown-eyed, Yvonne Yao.

She is truly beautiful to look upon. And to make this movie even more appealing she is not alone in the beauties featured through out Zombie 108!

The concept of the Asian Woman is long lusted after in the West. Hu-mon males in the Western Hemisphere are known to greatly desire attractive asian females for her physical perfection, thoughtful obedience, willingness to please, trim figure, delicate bearing and rich inner tapestry of emotions. This is a syndrome called "Yellow Fever" and - it is not always fatal.


Winner of the Most Attractive (and also edible) Female Hu-mon for 2012 - the comely Yvonne Yao.

Now, let's do the math. Yellow Fever plus Zombie Fever (fatal) = underground hit!

In this film, the zombie virus strikes the over-populated heart of Taipei already boiling over with a population of 6.9 million people. The Taiwanese Army and SWAT teams attempt to oversee an evacuation but repeatedly fail against the enormous tide of undead, Mad Max styled thugs and good old human panic.

Caught in the middle is Yvonne Yao and her daughter Chloe. They have managed to survive streets and supermarkets full of hungry zombies only to find other survivors that have been maddened by the zombie related-events.

They take refuge in the once trendy, outlying neighborhood of Ximending where a gang of criminals that control the city don't want the police involved in their sanctuary. They are more than happy sniffing mountains of coke off of the trim, naked bodies of dozens of dark haired china dolls. And you know? Who on Earth would blame them?

These gangs attack the police and the military but when both find themselves under attack by zombies there is an alliance as they try and escape from the worst of the zombie plague.

A very interesting, raw feature film directorial debut by Joe Chien who is inventive even in the increasingly "tired" zombie genre. This movie has many good qualities and performances that have made it stand out in this genre.

References:
IMDb, Zombie 108 (2012)
Wikipedia, Taipei
Yvonne Yao.com, Official Actress Blog
Horror Talk, Zombie 108 Review

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Flicks: Cockneys vs Zombies (2012)

Get ready for another brilliant British satire of the Zombie Apocalypse.

Cockneys vs Zombies (2012) is a satirical romp in the vein of Shaun Of The Dead (2004) and features under-educated, city dwelling Londonites known as Cockneys fending off the zombie apocalypse. The film co-stars the remarkable John Ford who starred in the unforgettable role of Brick Top from Guy Ritchie's Snatch in 2000. Ford is at his most verbose and violently charismatic in this role as well.


Skynyrd! Skynyrd! Skynyrd! Skynyrd!

A gang of bank robbers emerge from their first heist to find that the east-end has been infested by zombies. With the equipment to tackle the un-dead in hand, the unlikely heroes fight their way across London to rescue a group of foul-mouthed plucky pensioners who are finding inventive ways of their own to stave off the attack. Starring Michelle Ryan, Harry Treadaway, Honor Blackman, Richard Briers and Alan Ford.

The movie invades select U.K. theaters on August 31st 2012.

References:
IMDB, Cockneys Vs. Zombiesd (2012)
IMDB, Alan Ford
Facebook,Cockneys vs Zombies

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Slash-Mess Day 5: Return Of The Living Dead (1985)

Dan O'Bannon (Aliens writer) directs his own version of the Night Of The Living Dead.

When a bumbling pair of employees at a medical supply warehouse accidentally release a deadly gas into the air, the vapors cause the dead to once again arise from their watery graves and go on a cannibalistic rampage through Louisville, Kentucky. Here, the re-animated hu-mons seek out seeking their most favorite of foods, KFC: Kentucky Fried Chippies.

The steady and nuanced direction by Dan O'Bannon, writer of "Alien", run through out this brilliant installment of Romero's zombie genre that revolves around counter-culture outcasts (punkers, new wavers and beady eyed morticians), maximum effects and then: even endowing some of the zombies with a limited power of speech (Send...more...paramedics...SNARF!). Dark humor, excellent undead effects, prosthetic make-up and much better casting make this 80's update a classic in it's own right.

References:
IMDB, Night Of The Living Dead (1985)
IMDB, Tom Savini

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Flicks: The Horde (2011)

Another typical cops, robbers and .... zombie movie? WHA-A-A ?!?

IFC distributes this French tale of a crooked cops on a mission to assassinate some petty thugs when things take a sudden left turn due to an uptick in the population of peckish zomboids. No, no not the "Pip-Pip" and Cheery-o!" variety of toothy, good-natured English gentle-zombie or the erudite French city dweller - but the groaning, decomposing, rabid sacks of protoplasm who are indeed a bit peckish for human brains.

Gritty, urban centered Snatch/Guy Ritchie styled action sequences, 28 Days Later styled "fast" zombies and "real time" storytelling dominate the flick, which isn't exactly a bad thing. Great use of squibs for the shooting sequences, creative hand-to-hand fights against zombies, grimy stage dressing and a bloody, humorless tone make The Horde an interesting ride through the ever-expanding catalog of worldwide zombie films.

References:
IMDB, The Horde (2011)
The Independent Film Channel, The Horde

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Flicks: Bong Of The Dead (2009)

Genre confusion reigns supreme as Dazed and Confused meets The Evil Dead.

Genre confusion reigns supreme in red showers of zomboid blood as Weedsploitation (Super High Me, Dazed And Confused, Cheech and Chong, Half-Baked) meets survival horror (Resident Evil, Night Of The Living Dead) in Bong Of The Dead (2009). Thomas Newman's British Columbia based Mind In Motion Inc.'s terrific short concerns two post-Apocalyptic stoners and their desperate search for the most excellent weed fertilizer known to man: rotting zombie brains. What else, eh?

Along the way the two hapless and frantically jonesin' hipsters meet up with the spunky and adorable Simone Bailey (Battle Star Gallactica and Stargate SG-1) and set out to the Danger Zone to harvest a bongload of brains.

This inventive cliche exploiting movie is being actively marketed and distributed in 2011 w/a grass roots campaign that allows individual theaters, galleries and night clubs to book the film!

References:
IMDB, Bong Of The Dead (2009)
Mind In Motion Inc., Official Site
Bong Of The Dead, Official Site

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