MICROBUDGET MASSACRE 6:
Hysteric Eric Takes a Look at
Four Indy Zombie Flicks that DON'T Suck!

Hide and Creep played on the Sci-Fi Channel, but don’t let that frighten you off, this is a creative and often charming film that will appeal to fans of the zombie genre. This is also one of the best indie horror films I have seen in recent memory.
Co-directors Chuck Hartsell and Chance Shirley (writer) let us know we’re in for something unusual trip right off the bat, when we open to full frontal male nudity, as a local schmuck wakes up in the woods with only a T-shirt, after being abducted by aliens. The aliens have something (I’m still not quite sure what) to do with the zombies, or as the Homeland Security guy says, “R.C. problem.” That’s Re-animated Corpses to good civilian folk like you and I.
The local video store owner, Chuck (co-director Chuck Hartsell, in a wonderfully sarcastic comic performance that is vitally important to the success of the film) finds that his supply of zombie movies is running low, as people watch them for research and don’t return them. In-jokes abound, but are usually not distracting and for their own sakes. Chuck hits a zombie over the head with a VCR, which proceeds to eject a copy of Night of the Living Dead. Decent actors, genuinely funny deadpan dialogue and confident directorial choices lift this from being a half-assed Clerks/Shaun of the Dead re-tread, two films it has been compared with, into its own weird and charismatic critter.
Good performances punctuate the enjoyable script. Director Chuck’s brother Chick is funny as a pussy-whipped friend. Particularly good is Kyle Holman as the redneck hunter Keith, who is a porn-watchin’, beer-drinkin’, zombie–killin’ machine one minute, and later (in one of several funny but realistic scenes that elevates the film), tenderly tells his daughters how to deal with unwanted strangers. “Don’t forget to put one in the head.” And zombies? “I don’t care if they’re the Swedish bikini team, I’m about to introduce those sick bastards to a world of hurt.”
With people behaving rudely in church, a rant against Pepsi, an infected hunter biting himself on the hand, and raiding of the police evidence box. Yeah, apparently in small towns they can’t afford lockers, so they put property into a cardboard box any old redneck could open.
It doesn’t go overboard with it, but its video-savvy characters make fanboy comments like “There’s only 3 good American zombie movies, and Romero made all of them.” The small town setting brings its own personality into the film, and works well with the low-budget vibe. The dry humor emerges from the characters and is not forced, as many I have seen have been. It’s nice to be pleasantly surprised for a change.
Zombies look decent, and somehow these guys afforded film, which is always a plus. Supposedly made for $26,000, hopefully they made enough off the sale to the Sci Fi Channel to make another witty, dry comedy. I’d watch it, and it wouldn’t even have to be a zombie movie. I think these guys could make mainstream comedies, although I pray they don’t end up directing the next Scooby-Doo movie or Hollywood videogame adaptation crapfest. Their ear for dialogue is too keen for them to do other people’s crappy material. Distributed by http://www.theasylum.cc/. Also check out the filmmakers’ site http://www.crewless.com.

Exhumed is an ambitious first feature, a mixed bag jammed full of diverse cinema techniques. Writer/director Brian Clement bites off a big chunk with his horror anthology all linked by the undead. Showing off his versatility, he strives to pull off 3 interconnected stories with 3 very different cinematic stylizations.
It begins in a forest in ancient Japan with a samurai and a monk looking for an object with supernatural powers. I enjoyed the actor playing the mad monk. I love the fact that the actors were able to speak Japanese (this segment only is subtitled.) I don’t have any idea if it was good Japanese or not, but it did go far toward suspending disbelief, as did dropping references to Japanese myth. Shot mostly in a forest with spooky fog swirling, covering up the lack of a set. Has the plus of samurai-on-zombie action.
The second story, a black and white film noir homage, is OK, but slow moving and with too much exposition going on. The lead actress, who played a female Sam Spade, complete with tough-girl narration, was a cute tomato but no Ida Lupino. The end result was a bit like The Maltese Falcon meets Night of The Living Dead. And in noir you’re going for shadow, but in parts it’s perhaps a little too dark. Throws in a visit to a burlesque club, with a cute dancer who has non-period fake boobs.
The third story has a futuristic Mods vs. Rockers battle, with the Mods being vampires and the greasers being werewolves. It turns into something more complex, with a government-sponsored gladiator ring, a time travel conceit and some other convoluted stuff I don’t want to spoil. Two words: lesbian vampire/werewolf action. Oh, wait that’s more than two words. Oh, well.
It’s kinda like watching a few lost Lovecraft-inspired Outer Limits episodes. The sets are not much, but Clement does as much as he can with his limited budget, and the resultant claustrophobia often works in the films favor. Parts of the film are pretty good. There are some creative story ideas going on here, (I think my fave was the Japanese story), but even with all the talky exposition, the plot is clunky, and each episode suffers from an inconclusive or dramatically unsatisfying end. Still, it’s really an ambitious genre-blending project, and enough of it works to justify its grand reach. For a measly 8 bucks order it directly from the filmmaker at: http://www.frontlinefilms.net/.

Evil is a Greek import from TLA Releasing. Probably the first Greek movie many of us have seen, it’s certainly the first Greek zombie movie we’ve ever seen. But it’s not like they live in huts or anything. Just like us, our Grecian brothers and sisters have watched Uncle George’s films.
Obligatory plot synopsis: Some miners stumble into an ancient cave under Athens, and bring something back which turns them all into red-eyed, snarling man-eaters infecting those they bite. A handful of mismatched survivors band together to try and make it out of town.
The sympathetic characters go a long way towards making you care what happens, but don’t worry, there is tons of well-done blood and gore: Nice exploding head, impalement by various objects, toes bit off, decapitations aplenty, kung fu kicks, head smashed on table, arterial spray, strangling with intestines, etc., etc. You get the point. Lots of gore.
It’s visually slick and contemporary looking, with excellent lighting, decent actors, hyperactive editing, and pumped-up Foley. My spidey-senses tell me this is a low budget movie, but not really a microbudget movie. I’m betting they probably had some government assistance in getting some of the locations. Undoubtedly they were shooting early Sunday mornings when noone is downtown. Maybe the overexposed Sepia tone look was inspired by the natural light of that time of day.
Utilizes a split screen effect to convey suspense as it shows different aspects of things falling apart, which seems very euro, but I guess not, since the TV show 24 does the same thing. There’s a nice quick scene that shows the ripple effect in the stands, as one zombie bites a victim, who turns and bites his neighbor, who bites his neighbor, etc., in an exponentially increasing zombification. Constant chase and attack fueled by Eurotechno, shakicam and close-ups, zombie POV shots, inserts and other editing tricks that show they’ve paid attention in film class.
The film is played grim, some inventive deaths and the horny cab driver character are the closest the film gets to humor. There are similarities to 28 Days Later, not only the fact that they have fast-moving zombies but the washed-out overexposed look and graininess of the film. It’s also mostly very serious, with constant noise and minor key scary music creating a stressful environment. But sometimes it kinda reminded . But it is it’s own movie, and it gives you a good feel for workaday Greeks and their daily life (if their daily life involved zombies chasing them.) There are probably some in-jokes non-Greeks wouldn’t get, but you can still keep up without reading the subtitles. I mean, really, zombie movies are the international language! Not without flaws, but worth a watch, especially for Eurozombie fans. Watch out for the stunning visual in the final scene.
For more info investigate the distributor’s website: www.tlareleasing.com, and if you speak Greek, check out the official site at www.tokako.com.

Dead Men Walking is a simple concept: zombies in prison. Opens with a scene of carnage of this guy Travis offing 4 zombies in a house with his shotgun, no bullets left for himself. He ends up in Harwood Prison, a maximum-security shithole, infected because the zombie’s blood splashed into his mouth. Guns inside a prison? Well, the main guard has a shotgun. Travis turns into a zombie, after he pukes blood on a handful of people. Soon everybody is puking blood on everybody else (“I just fuckin’ dry-cleaned this shit”), then biting each other, and the prison is put under quarantine. Also stuck in the prison are the warden’s little boy, who came by to visit (take your kid to work day?), and a hot blond from the Centers For Disease Control come to get samples from the Shotgun Killer. Neither gets raped, but one of them does turn into a zombie.
They do find a way to get some tits in the movie. If zombies eat the poor schmuck getting a conjugal visit, well, at least he got some poon before he died.
Low budget, but competently done. Shot a little dark, but OK acting and good effects. I think the definitive zombies-in-prison movie has yet to be made, but this is an OK effort until then.
Shot on DV, but looks decent. Handheld camera and fast editing is the technique used to convey tension, punctuated by thrash metal. Loud squishy eating, puking and yelling and blood are everywhere. The zombies move fast and most infected turn zombie fairly quickly. Heads blown off, arms chewed off, intestines eaten, bullet wounds, etc. Has that photo image thing that 28 Days Later had, jerky movement that looks like they moved up the shutter speed to create fast rabid zombies.
Gets repetitious, and the script isn’t great, but has lots of gore and a cool premise that may just keep you watching.
Distributed by http://www.theasylum.cc/.