Customer Reviews

Flight of the Living Dead: Outbreak on a Plane

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

FLIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: OUTBREAK ON A PLANE is a direct-to-DVD release that exists independently of George Romaro and John Russo's zombie franchises that started out sharing the same grave. So to speak. Their NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is an iconic zombie film that started the whole trend of the horror subgenre and created international fans.

Scott Thomas has done a lot of episodic television and low-budget films, and he has the right sensitivity - if you can be sensitive about zombies - to this kind of film. In addition to directing the movie, Thomas also helped write it with Sidney Iwanter and Mark Onspaugh.

There are no stars in this feature, but there are some guys who've been around the block. David Chisum plays Special Agent Truman Burroughs, one of the good guys. You might know him from the television soap, ONE LIFE TO LIVE.

Richard Tyson plays US Air Marshal Paul Judd. Tyson has been a major player at times in big movies, such as the villain in Schwarzenegger's KINDERGARTEN COP.

Neither one of our heroes is really outstanding. But they don't have to be. It's zombies on an airplane!

I showed the DVD to my 10-year-old, who hasn't become a zombie fan yet, though he did watch DAWN OF THE DEAD (the remake) with me recently. Then he spent the night in bed with me and his mom. Zombies have to be acclimated to slowly, I think.

But his first comment was, "On a plane, huh? They're not going to get away, are they? There's nowhere to run."

And that, my friends, was probably the pitch line used by the movie developers. Honestly, it was enough to get me to the screen and start watching zombies crawling through the big Concord jet. You really won't believe how many zombies can be put on one of those big jets!

The plot is simple. All zombie movie plots are simple. After a cast of characters are introduced - most of them not so likeable because they're interested in sex or drugs or just being mean to each other, and a few of them that are decent people that we'll root for and lose most of - something sets the zombies into action.

In FLIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: OUTBREAK ON A PLANE, we have mad scientists fleeing the US government after being found out. The scientists, headed by Dr. Leo Bennett (Erick Avari), have discovered a way to genetically alter humans so that after they die they "come back to life." The research was initially there to be a bio-weapon that was going to be used on soldiers. If soldiers were killed, they could re-animate and fight on. After they turned out to be mindless brutes capable of spreading contagion, it was decided that the military could infect prisoners and let them return to the enemy armies to spread the "disease."

Unfortunately, one of the scientists' wives was exposed to the biological contaminant. She's been placed in suspended animation and kept on ice till they can cure her. However, the flight hits a freak storm and the containment unit is compromised. She's released, killed by the guard posted in the cargo area, then reanimates as a flesh-eating zombie.

That's the plot. After that, the special effects crews have a blast and the body count skyrockets.

Zombie fans will probably have a blast playing ancillary games while watching the movie. Stuff like, picking the first to die. Picking those who will survive. Counting bullets to see whose gun should be empty. Thinking up excuses why - after it's Swiss cheesed by bullets - the plane doesn't decompress until a CRITICAL moment in the movie when the plot needs that to happen.

Cheesy as the movie is, it doesn't stint on gore or action. People die in gruesome ways. Sex is hinted at. Bodies reanimate when the heroes have their backs to them and no matter how loudly you yell at the television, they're not going to hear you.

I was surprised, even though the acting was lackadaisical and there wasn't even any real one-liners that stuck in my memory, how keyed up I got over the movie. I knew my emotions were being toyed with. But I didn't care. I put aside my movie critic hat and plunged into the childish delight of a zombie lover.

By the end of the movie, there were so many zombies crawling around the plane it looked like an anthill. I wasn't anxious about it even though there were a few surprises (I would have blown the "who's gonna die next" competition, and I would have even lost a few on the "who's gonna live" list).

Although FLIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: OUTBREAK ON A PLANE isn't going to win any drama awards, and not even any in horror, it's a fun watch for zombie fans. At an hour and a half, it's just the right length to send out for a pizza, take a few shots at the plot and characters, and adlib some insane lines that should have been in the movie. Horror fans who love a touch of comedy and don't mind some deliberate willing-suspension-of-disbelief should have a grand time with this one.

The title says it all. Flight of the Living Dead: Outbreak on a Plane is exactly what it says: a glorified D-horror movie that should have basically been called Zombies on a Plane. Surprisingly though, Flight of the Living Dead isn't all that bad, and in spots it's actually kind of enjoyable to boot. There isn't a whole lot in terms of plot to be found here (like I said, the title says it all and tells you everything you really need to know), but there's enough bloody fun to be had here. The blood and gore effects are decent enough for a low budget, direct to DVD horror flick, and there's some familiar faces to be found here including Pet Semetery's Dale Midkiff and The Mummy's Kevin J. O'Connor. It's campy and kind of goofy, and if you're reading this, chances are you already know what you're getting with Flight of the Living Dead. As an afterthought, maybe New Line should have released this theatrically instead of Snakes on a Plane.

Well it would be easy to expect this to be a prime turkey but it turned out to be more fun that I was expecting. Central plot...well the title says it all. Now it all depends on the skill of the director in what turned out here, as rampaging zombies on the confines of a passenger aircraft sounds like horror movie gold on paper, and it would take a serious dope to mess up what is essentially a very simple idea for a fun horror film. And for the most part things flow along pretty well...but you will have to swallow some of the biggest doses of unreality ever seen in a horror movie. Worst of all is the cliche ridden array of passengers we have here. Squabbling teen couples, a policeman and his prisoner charge, cuffed together, scientists who try to hush up the deadly zombie outbreak because it was their fault that it was on board, four or five sexy stewardesses with mini skirts and stilettoes, celebrity golf pro and pouty wife, even the obligatory nun ( I kid you not). Although there are no whiney kids on board, thank god.
Anyway, as I said the film plays with it's core material very well, and for a while the outbreak of zombie mayhem is quite high octane excitement, as slobbering ghouls run up and down the aisles, biting screaming passengers and generally flinging bodies all over the place. Inevitably, it proves impossible to maintain such a level of excitement for very long, I mean it's just the one normal sized plane (not some impossibly large movie location type plane that stretches on forever I'm pleased to report) so things have to go somewhere pretty swiftly. There's only so long you can avoid a mob of zombies on a plane in midflight! Some of the best parts of the outbreak involves the zombies taking over the luggage hold, and they break through the ceiling to the passenger cabin above, and start pulling unlucky victims to their deaths through a large hole in the floor! This lower cargo area, with it's sickly yellow lighting and cramped space, could have(in the hands of a more skilled director) been transformed into a real vison of hell as the zombies fill it with writhing victims and severed body parts, but as things stand, its only shown in a few throwaway shots of dead bodies or people being gnawed to death. I'd like to have seen this territory battle developed further in the film, but it wasn't expanded on much.
Anyway, the effects aren't bad although there's way too much CGI, and when this is over-relied on, it shows. One very early shot has a female zombie being shot, and in an effect that redefines the term "lame", the impact effects of the bullets hitting her are CGI'd onto her blouse, which looks dreadful. Luckily things don't remain this bad, but don't expect any spectacular gore efects. Apart from blood being constantly sprayed about, there are very few gore set pieces, and the zombie make-up consists only of yellow contact lenses and a rather pink veiny face, so the infected hordes are more like the crazies from "28 Days Later" than traditional zombies. A few good scenes stand out, like and early attack through the wall of a toilet cubicle which is when the main infection really starts to spread, and a cool zombie death involving an umbrella (shades of Peter Jackson's "Braindead" leap to mind here). But a lot of this fun sinks under the weight of so many mind-boggling plot impossibilities...guns are all over the place and zombies are shot with wild abandon, with no rupturing of a single window or external wall. Also, people STILL seem to use the old standby of NEVER shooting a zombie in the face...it must be because gunshot wounds to the body are much cheaper to shoot as special effects. Not good enough! Plus, in a scene that had my friends and I gasping in disbelief, one of the more heroic characters knocks up a makeshift BOMB (how???) and throws it (ignited) into the luggage hold. "It should act as a distraction" he explains. Yeah, in the same way that the entire plane ripping in two might do! But lo and behold, a few zombies are blown to bits but not a single panel on the walls of the plane gets damaged. There are plenty more things like this going on, and someone actually has the cheek to use the immortal line: "Does anybody know how to fly a plane?" With a straight face!

Well if you can put up with all the crazy nonsense of the plot, the film is actually quite a fun rollercoaster ride. The acting's not bad, although no-one has anything approaching a developed personailty, and the plane makes for a good, claustrophobic setting even if it is suspicously under-filled, and has those only-in-the-movies man-sized ventilation shafts that you can crawl through and pop out in all sorts of places. So forgive all that, and you could have a good laugh watching this.

Zombies, you are cleared for landing...



1) ACTING: The acting was very good in this movie. Everyone made their roles believable. Even though some stereotypical characters were present, there were no problems.

2) PRODUCTION: The production values of this movie were very good. Scenes were properly lit, no weird camera angles, special effects were good and there was plenty of blood and gore. When someone is attacked by a zombie, you see the rips and tears and teeth marks on the victims. You see the wound where the blood is coming from, not just "let's throw blood on an actor and say they've been wounded." Nice normal soundtrack as well.

3) ZOMBIES: The zombies here would be "Snyder Runners," not that there is really anywhere to run on a jet, but they are very violent and aggressive. The zombie make up consisted of creepy eye contacts and a mouth full of blood. More than a few times, the viewer sees the zombies "licking their chops." There is no sign of the zombies remembering when they were alive, and no type of communication other than a cobra-like hiss.

4) THE CAUSE: Man made virus spread by mosquitos.

5) NUDITY: None.



This movie was just a fun little romp into zombieland. For a "B" movie, it was pretty good. I really think this should have been released to theaters. While there is nothing new here (zombie-wise) that hasn't been seen before, having a jet full of zombies was a good idea, as literally, there is nowhere to run and escape or hide. If you are looking for something out of the ordinary or new when it comes to zombie movies, you won't find it here. This is just another solid, entertaining entry into the "living dead" movie genre.



RATING: 4 out of 5

First thing you have to realize is that 99% (that's my own percentage) of all straight to DVD zombie movies are not going to be of quality production. But if you are a fan of 'B' movies or zombie movies, you will test your patience with any movie with a zombie face on the cover.

First I'll let you know about the quality of the movie. The actors aren't really that bad. They all did a decent job I thought (remember... I said decent). The picture quality looks good too. I was a little worried that it would look like someone bought a camcorder from Best Buy, filmed the movie, and decided to go a little crazy with special effect from Windows Movie editor. But nope, it was nicely shot. The plot, hehe, well... I love the plot. Pure 'what the hell?' type of plot for a zombie movie. The special effects were oh so bad, but in a great way. For instance...this one person gets shot with an Uzi or something and three holes appear on the front side of the person. Completely done in very bad CG. As the person falls, the holes don't move at first and then have to catch up. I almost died from my heart overflowing with love for that part of the movie. I knew I was in for some very good 'B' quality action.

The one part about the details of the movie that I think deserves its own little paragraph is the zombie makeup. I thought this part was better than average for a zombie movie of this caliber. Yellow eyes have always freaked me out since Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' video. The zombies were actually pretty scary looking. Especially the ones that had some decent close ups.

As for the movie itself, I really liked it, even though it was quite unbelievable. No way in hell would someone be able to put something 'top secret' on a plane without the airline or whatever knowing about it. And if it was toxic or whatever they said it was (I can't remember), there is no way they would let civilians on the plane. I mean if it was something like Anthrax and it was accidentally released on the aircraft and people survived it, they would sue for a million bajillion dollars. No way would a company take that risk. Yes, this is one of the many parts of the movie where you will roll your eyes at, but you don't care...you know why? Cause you are here for one reason and one reason only. To watch zombies kill humans and then, depending on what type of person you are, seeing the last stand and the few humans left defeating the zombies... or... getting eaten and the zombies walk to the next victim somewhere else off camera.

Flight of the Living Dead starts off on a plane. No waiting around in the lobby, no going to the airport, we are on the plane already. Some scientists have stored a secret 'chemical' on the plane. We see old and young couples, stewardesses (all hot flirty women btw which is also completely unbelievable since I always seem to get an older lady, a not so good looking lady, or a gay guy), the pilots, scientists, a police officer with a convict, and even a nun. A nun. Yeeaahh...I wonder what's gonna happen to the nun. They fly into bad weather which causes the plane to hit a lot of turbulence, which, guess what happens....YEP...it busts open the 'secret' container, which release the 'chemical' onto the plane. From slow to fast the action begins and the transformations begin. Zombies are on the plane and so is the breaking loose of Hell.

Now there is two thoughts that I'd like to leave you with.

1. Whoever makes that plane should be making a thousand bajillion dollars. That plane just does not crash even with hundreds of rounds of ammo flying inside it and even a bomb going off inside it... hehe.

2. I won't ruin the ending, but there was something going on that made me think, "Well if that happened, then this SHOULD happen". Which I didn't think would since it's a 'nothing makes sense' movie. But then it DID happen. And when it did, it had to be one of THE best parts of the movie. I thought it was filmed very well and looked very cool. Especially when you saw the shot from behind and a town off in the distance.

There is no smoking in the lavatory. Emergency exits are located throughout the plane and can be seen by following the illuminated floor lights in the aisle. Your seats can be used as a flotation device. Zombies may break out of the baggage claim and begin turning the flight into a battle between the living and the undead. Wait, what?!

The movie's plot is as simple as it is brilliant. Mix one part Snakes on a Plane and one part zombie outbreak - let the carnage begin. Within five minutes I was hooked.

First of all, it's clearly not a recent flight. There were no crying kids, baggage fees, or morons speaking loudly on their Bluetooth headseats. The stewardesses are young, hot, and flirtatious (as opposed to worn-out cougars and gay dudes), which makes the viewers more empathic. One such hottie, Megan (Kirsten Kerr), is going about her duties when a bad turbulence causes cargo to shift, injuring a guard in the HAZMAT suit (cue ominous music), and a cryogenic freezer of some kind busts open. Uh oh.

Up next is a brief introduction to the people who will soon battle or become zombies, and make it easy for the viewer to determine who should die a horrendous death while others serve as heroes. A pseudo Tiger Woods and his spoiled wife sit in first class. A few doctors involved in the illegal cloning research argue about the body/corpse below. The light-hearted angle comes from a criminal named Frank (Kevin J. O'Connor) who is handcuffed to a do-gooder cop, Truman Burroughs (David Chisum) - it's Buscemi's "Marietta Mangler" from Con Air to the Nth degree, and it's hilarious.

It's as delicious as you can imagine, with some superb tongue-in-cheek humor, like a toothless grandma zombie gumming a "victim", and a zombie who wants terribly to eat some brains, but can't because the airplane seatbelt is so difficult to figure out (So THAT'S why they give us the briefing!). There is even the "can anyone fly a plane"-scene, and, no, the fat kid from Goodburger doesn't get involved.

Watch this for a good laugh, and a pretty good zombie flick.

Don't go into Flight of the Living Dead expecting a George Romero zombie movie. The title of the movie alone should tell you what you are in store for. Flight of the Living Dead is simply meant to entertain and in my opinion it very much delivers on that. Believe it or not Flight of the Living Dead was in development prior to the release of Snakes on a Plane, but that movie got the attention and seemed to gain cult status before filming even started, but despite all the hype it only made about a 1-million dollar profit, but despite Flight of the Living Dead being done first, Snakes on a Plane was released first and due to that most will see this as a knock off. And let's face it even if this was first it was Snakes on a Plane that helped get this movie put out under New Line.

I'm a big fan of zombie flicks even some of the weaker ones I tend to enjoy. This one though I wasn't sure what to expect based on the trailer and the plot it seemed like a movie that I would either love or hate, but as a fan of zombie flicks I just had to check it out. Flight of the Living Dead isn't going to go down as one of the greatest zombie movies ever made, but for me it's easily one of the most fun zombie flicks I have ever seen.

The screenplay was written by Sidney Iwanter, Mark Onspaugh & Scott Thomas and I have to say it was actually well written. I didn't expect much from the script, but it was well-done. Sometimes when making a movie like this all those involved take it too serious, but these guys didn't do that. The characters are mostly well written for and are very entertaining, while some are annoying, but they were meant to be. Ok so maybe none of the characters will go down as these Iconic horror movie characters, but they were very entertaining.

Director Scott Thomas does a solid job at keeping the pace going strong. Not much happens in the first 30-minutes, but it's still entertaining due to the characters, which are a lot of fun. Scott Thomas is making a B-movie and always keeps it at that level and keeps the movie fun. Though after the first 30-minutes things do begin to slow down as we await the zombies to attack; there are some quick action scenes that help keep the pacing going. But once the 50-minute mark hits it's all out excitement.

Flight of the Living Dead was simply just a blast; no it's not one of the all time greats, but it was a lot more fun than maybe it should have been. The zombies' attacking the passengers was just full of excitement. Scott Thomas never tries to make it serious he keeps it fun and entertaining. The highlight is when one zombie is killed with an umbrella. My favorite moment is when one zombie bites one of the characters, but she has no teeth and he says she's gumming me to death. It's moments like that is why I enjoyed Flight of the Living Dead so much. It's just one of those movies that you can sit back and just have fun.

As I said the characters were entertaining and believe it or not the acting was actually pretty good for the most part. The actors put in the performance they were meant to. The scenes with Truman played by David Chisum and Frank played by Kevin J. O'Connor were a blast and Kevin J. O'Connor steals the show. His character was hysterical and elevates every scene he's in.

My only real complaint with Flight of the Living Dead was the use of CGI; I'm not the biggest fan of CG in general. While I can sort of tolerate it in a good movie I still prefer the old school way of filmmaking. But in horror flicks I have very little tolerance for CGI I just don't think it works well. Maybe because I'm from an era of Tom Savini and Giannetto De Rossi, but I can count on one hand how many horror flicks with CGI that worked. The CGI wasn't bad for the most part, actually I think the CGI looked better here than most horror flicks, but there were a few instances where it didn't work and looked really terrible.

Overall I though Flight of the Living Dead was excellent; the first half is solid, but does start to drag a little bit, but it's all worth it once the action kicks in. Once the action does start it never lets up and is very fun. The characters were entertaining and I think this movie really works well as just a fun ride. Don't go in expecting a George Romero zombie movie just take the movie for what it's worth and you should enjoy yourself. I had a lot of fun watching Flight of the Living Dead; it's a B-movie and never tries to be more than that and that is a good thing.

I will totally admit that this movie is not going to win video of the year or anything, but damn - its a FUN zombie movie. You have key characters that turn into zombies - and I think the zombie makeup is actually quite creepy. (I love the nun at the end who gets it!)

You can pretty much imagine the plot and the plot twists - since it does not take a rocket scientist to figure this movie out, but if you are looking for a good entertaining zombie romp (yes, I said 'romp') then this might be your kind of movie!

Despite the wordplay and similarity to Snakes on a Plane, Flight of the Living Dead: Outbreak on a Plane is an effective and amusing zombie film. In interviews, director and co-writer Scott Thomas says that his original treatment called "Plane Dead" was done before Snakes on a Plane but who cares. I had fun at this anti-Romero zombie flick that stressed action, witty dialog, and fun characters. On a transatlantic flight to France, an airliner carries a deadly cargo...a genetic experiment into a replicating virus that can cause dead limbs...and bodies to reanimate. The military is searching for the rogue scientists who have brought the cargo aboard the plane. Dr. Bennett (Erick Avari) leads the team and is only two willing to send his colleagues down below to check on their freight when the co-pilot informs them of a malfunction in the cargo bay. The cargo was another one of their colleagues who has been infected by the virus and is now free. It's not long before the quick acting virus causes the zombies to multiply exponentially and soon the passengers are scrambling to try and get away from the undead hordes.

These are not the Romero, slow moving shamblers but more like the infected in "28 Days Later', fast and strong and hungry! Among the passengers is the always enjoyable character actor Kevin J. O' Connor (The Mummy, Lord of Illusions) as con-man Frank Strathmore handcuffed to a cop, Truman Burrows, (David Chisum) who is returning him to Europe to stand trial. The wise-cracking O'Connor delivers some of the best lines in the film and gives the film a welcomed dose of black humor. Richard Tyson plays unlikely air marshal Paul Judd. You might recall Tyson is his first role as bully Buddy Revell in the 80's cult film "Three O' Clock High". Judd teams with Burrows, O'Connor, and pro golfer William Freeman to try and keep the Zombies at bay so the plane can be safely landed. You just new that Freeman's putter would make a great weapon when you saw him polishing it early on.

These are not household names but they are faces you recognize and are certainly very experienced performers, which lifts Flight of the Living Dead well above typical low-budget zombie fare. The action is ridiculously over-the-top as zombies literally burst through the floor in the passenger area and claw their way out of the cargo hold. Is this plane made of Styrofoam or what? It's extremely bloody as all the zombies go right for the throat but it's not overly gory. This is just a unique setting for a zombie film as they are typically played over broad expanses...here, in this airplane, there are not many places to hide and that makes it that much more terrifying.

There are a few impossibilities if you want to nitpick...at one point, a couple who have been bitten would rather open the door to the plane and get sucked out rather than getting eaten alive. I'm not expert on jets but I think it's supposed to be pretty impossible to open those doors in the air unless you're the Hulk. And it's a little hard to believe, given our security in light of terrorist attacks that this cargo would get aboard the airplane so easily.

Flight of the Living Dead is a great diversion. The performances are very good (especially O'Connor's), it's very good from a technical standpoint...light, sound, camera work, and it's got some of the most clever writing in a horror film since Shaun of the Dead.

REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON

I ignored this movie for quite a while, figuring it couldn't possibly be any good. I thought that an airplane would be too small, confined, and boring. Well, I was wrong! FLIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: OUTBREAK ON A PLANE is a lot of intense, gooshy fun! The plot emerges slowly, allowing for a bit of character development (it's scant but it's there) and some building tension. We meet the pilot and co-pilot, flight attendants, a superstar golfer and his wife, a group of mysterious, bickering scientists, and the rest of the passengers. Meanwhile, a man in full hazmat gear sits guarding a refrigerated container in the cargo hold. Soon, a big storm engulfs the plane, turbulence and damage ensue, and the real action begins! FOTLD is a wonderful example of low-budget film-making and bloody horror done right! Add it to your zombie collection today...