Customer Reviews

Attack of the Vegan Zombies!

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This movie was absolutely hilarious.

Anytime you pair killer plants with a spoof, its going to be good -- just remember Killer Tomatoes people, need I say more?

There are several key scenes where you wonder to yourself if they are serious or joking, but they really do mean to be funny all the way around. The acting is great for the genre it's in, you can tell that people put a lot of hard work into the movie. All of these people deserve to move up in the world of acting -- they fake bad acting and seriousness all at the same time, it makes for an extremely good laugh.

Also, this is probably a great movie for a drinking game.....there's a signal phrase or action in there somewhere, I'm sure of it.

Enjoy!

Attack of the Vegan Zombies seemingly ignores the very nature of the zombie as a flesh-feaster, yet somehow pulls off a fine Indie horror film.

Synopsis:
Joe (Jim Townsend) is a struggling vineyard owner who can't catch a break. Bad weather, dry soil and other hindrances, both explainable and unexplainable, prevent him from having a good grape harvest and realizing his dream of a good life in the country. His loving and supportive wife Dionne (Christine Egan) does her best to be supportive and encourage her husband, but it's no use... Joe is ready to give it all up and takes solace in liquor, though he gave it up years ago.

Dionne, not one to whither away like a raisin on the vine, decides to take matters into her own hand and consults her mother (H. Lynn Smith), a witch from way back. Dionne too, complains mother, also has "the gift" and foolishly decided to turn her back on the old ways and go for the life of a vineyard owner's wife - but that doesn't stop her from helping her daughter cast a powerful spell to encourage the grapes to flourish and save the vineyard. Just a bit of blood from the now passed-out Joe and the spell is complete.

The next year the vines are lush, packed with grapes bursting with juice, and it appears that a happy ending is in store... but the vines seem to have a mind of their own and will stop at nothing to quench their unearthly thirst.

Thoughts:
Everything about Attack of the Vegan Zombies is all wrong, right from the start. Just the concept of a vegan zombie is just stupid, and zombie aficionados wouldn't be criticized for turning their back from the beginning... but wait. Believe it or not, Attack of the Vegan Zombies actually works, and manages to make the unlikely concept fit acceptably within both Wiccan sensibility AND zombie lore. Not only that, but the camp is acceptably applied so as to lead one to believe that this is an actual horror movie rather than a silly farce. Plus the digs on vegans were particularly satisfying, especially for an avowed meat-eater.

From a cinematic standpoint Attack of the Vegan Zombies is a pure success, mastering the elements of sound quality and cinematography that are often so elusive to those who create micro-budget Indie horror. The filming and sound are both gorgeous and add to the feel of a quality entry to the genre. The story is very strong and, actually somewhat believable for the most part; the story element is often the strongpoint of the Indie horror scene, and Attack of the Vegan Zombies is no exception. This film was undoubtedly made with love and respect for horror.

The performances of the actors are generally very good, especially Christine Egan as the hesitant witch. Most of the other characters are over-acted caricatures of real human beings, but for some reason that is not bothersome in this case. Well, the nerdy guys who come to pick grapes are especially overdone to the point that it is annoyingly noticeable in some parts, but the guys managed to win the viewer's hearts over time. Writer/Director Jim Townsend is a little flat in his performance, but again, not to the detriment of the film. The girl-on-girl action more than makes up for it.

I had decided before watching Attack of the Vegan Zombies that I was not going to like it. As a self-proclaimed "zombie guy" the whole concept was just too much to consider, but this film won me over soundly. Be prepared for some silly camp along with vines lurking around the grounds, but you can still settle in for a good time with this film. Of all of the Indie horror I watch, this is one of those rare productions that I have shown again to friends. That's saying something.

3 1/2 Freak Heads (out of 5)

This is how it's done. What a fantastic little zombie movie. I've seen literally hundreds of these low- or no-budget efforts, and _Attack of the Vegan Zombies_ is now easily in my top 5. It's funny and original; it's made with love, and comes off as being more Quality than the average fare. I've never written an Amazon review for an indie zombie flick, but I felt I really should for this one. If you're a seasoned zombie-movie watcher like myself, you owe it to yourself to check this out.

A more suitable title would have been ATTACK OF THE ALCOHOLIC ZOMBIES, since the film takes a much more critical look at the effects of alcoholism than it does on meat-eating. After years of failed crops, a desperate wife turns to witchcraft to revive the grape harvest for her struggling husband. The vines return, but the juice from their fruit transforms all who drink it in to winethirsty zombies who attack anyone that has had a drink! VEGAN ZOMBIES' goofy B-movie plot compliments the title, but is derailed by the seriousness of the acting and filming. It has trouble deciding if it is a silly spoof or a socially conscious metaphor, especially when it shares just as many thematic links with NIGHT OF THE LIVING as it does with TROLL 2. Townsend makes the most of his inexperienced actors, colorful settings, and ambitious camera work, which borrows generously from genre classics like THE EVIL DEAD. A lighter tone and increased vegan zombie action would have benefited this small film, but for the budget, it makes a valid effort at creating something unique and significant that Indie Horror fans are sure to enjoy.

-Carl Manes
I Like Horror Movies

I've watched this movie 3 times. Each time I watch I hear a couple more decent lines. By the 3rd time I watched I was drinking shots each time I heard one. My favorite is, "Die you zombie slut!" 'Nuf said.

The writer/director was serious about his craft with beautiful scenes from Virginia's wine country and careful selection of actors. But he also brings a sense of humor to the genre with over-the-top characters and some outrageous lines that had me laughing so hard we had to rewind what I'd missed. It has the feel of the old-time horror movies combined with a campy humor. Have a glass of wine and enjoy.

I consider myself an avid cinefile, however, there are crater sized holes in my viewing history. The films of Pedro Almodóvar and Zombie films are two of my greatest deficiencies. I spent 2009 working towards a respectable knowledge of Zombie films, but many of them seemed too slick - fast zombies with high production value, comedies wrenched from gore splattered premises, post-apocalyptic scenarios too farfetched for me to suspend my disbelief. The Zombie films I enjoyed all seemed to hearken back to Romero's original whose craftsmanship indicated that perhaps actual Zombies were part of the filmmaking process. The lower budget Zombie films seemed more adept at my belief in Zombie lore and more creative. "Attack of the Vegan Zombies" has that wonderful grass roots quality to it. Ominous and unsettling, at times this film feels like a 1970s hard-to-categorize film. The distinct vineyard setting, the undercurrent of the ravishes of alcoholism, and the stoic quality of the lead actor all lead one to wonder, "What is this film about?" For those who eschew airplane movies and Hollywood cranked-out crap, "Attack of the Vegan Zombies" is a stagger in the right direction. The directorial debut of Jim Townsend may have some imperfections but the true zombie of the film world is the dearth of original thought - I found "Attack of the Vegan Zombies" all together human and certainly worth watching.