Dead Alive (DVD, 1998, Unrated Version)

First of all, let me state that this film was probably the last hurrah for the gore-filled late 80's films & whatta way to go! Released in 1992, Dead Alive is one of the most goriest films ever to come out of New Zealand (or anywhere else really!). Taking place in 1957, a rare and dangerous animal, offically known as Simian Raticus (the Rat Monkey Sumatra) is taken from it's home at Skull Island and brought to a local zoo. What the visitors don't know is that this monkey has an infectious bite, one that turns anyone into a bloodthirsty zombie! When Lionel, a young man with a smothering Mother who watches his every move, takes his newly found girlfriend Paquita to that zoo, he gets more than he ever bargained for! You see, while he & Paquita enjoys the zoo, Mother is spying on them, only to accidentally get bitten by that monkey (Uh, oh!). After Mother gives the animal the boot (watch & see), Lionel takes her home to get well, but as we all know in these movies, that ain't going to happen! Soon Mother gets ill.......really ill! And the zombie-ness begins! When Zombie-Mom gets loose, she takes a nurse with her, and it ain't to the hospital either! After mom's "funeral", she meets a few more of the town locals, including Father McGruder, who apparently "Kicks #$% For The Lord", and soon we have quite a little Zombie-party going on here. That is until Lionel's house becomes host to an actual party by his money-hungry Uncle Les. But no one tells the party-goers that the Zombie's are the real guests of honor! So what do you do when you have a party with eventually a hundred or so uninvited zombies? You break out the lawnmower and get to "weeding" them out, of course! I think I've told you enough to get your interest in this movie, but if that didn't do it, consider this: I personally own about 75 horror DVD's & Dead Alive is the most goriest, sickest, disturbing, and funniest of my bunch (it's even more of these things than "Evil Dead II:Dead By Dawn"!). The DVD has a nice, crisp picture that's letterboxed, and has a very nice stereo mix too. So, if you want a horror movie that you'll be finding yourself showing everybody you know again & again, then get Dead Alive! You won't be sorry........oh, I almost forgot about the Zombie-Baby! Well, I'll let you get the movie and see for yourself.

Dead-Alive very well may be the greatest zombie film ever made. The story focuses on Lionel, a secluded, sad man who only can take care of his mother. When an old fortune teller reveals to her daughter that she will become romantically involved with Lionel, they go on a date which ends with Lionels mom being bitten by a zombie creating monkey. Once Lionels mom is fully undead, she spreads the plague around the city, with Lionel left to try to cover up the mess. Action is extremely fast-paced, the movie and the camera never stop moving. As a result, a very active enviorment is created for the viewer. The large amounts of dark humor are very effective, and also convey perfectly just how seriously you're supposed to take the film. As a result, all of the over the top antics blend in perfectly. Also for fans of gore, you've come to the perfect place. Throughout the whole movie gallons are spilled, Lionel is attacked by a heap of intestines on more than one occasian, and the limbs rarely stop flying. The effects are some of the best in zombie film history, including a lightbulb through the head, and a gnome through the neck zombie. Those looking for a gore-filled bloodfest, satirical and humor filled, a great zombie flick, or just an amazing cinematic experience, you MUST see Dead Alive, well done Peter Jackson. 5/5

Dead Alive is a hilarious movie. I was not scared so much but rather amused and disgusted by the ammount of gore. This film has an exessive ammount of blood and guts. So much that it the film crosses into comedy. The story is fairly simple but has some good twists. It's your basic zombie film with an interesting back story. The build up is excellent. It starts off with a little bit or realism and as the story progresses becomes more and more ridiculous. The film has a dreamy quality about it. The residents live in what seems like a lovely town. The characters are exagerated stereotypes, yet they are very charming. As the films progresses it becomes more and more absurd in it's plot and ammount of violence. This is an early Peter Jackson film. I strongly suggest viewing it atleast once, especially if you are a fan of horror and comedy.

This is perhaps one of the best "Camp Horror" movies in modern times. Peter Jackson shows his phenomenal styling throughout the picture. Being filmed in New Zealand it takes some getting used to in listening to their semi-aussie accents, but any Gore-fest, mixed with brilliant comedy and a dash of love story attached, becomes an amazing story. And a word of advice: When you go to the zoo, stay away from the monkey cage!

To be fair, this film was designed to please the B rated horror fans. Plain and simple it does just that and little else. The movie has some great zombie moments such as the famous lawn mower scene but the story is lacking and the film is not memorable. I would recommend Evil Dead 2 over this film, but if you are hungry for some far fetched zombie action and want to see a person being attacked by a zomies guts then this is the flick for you.

The movie gets an average rating since it is extremely creative with the death scenes and zombies, however the poor film quality, bad acting, and lack of any real plot bring it down from being more.