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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An instant cult classic, June 1, 2008
This review is from: Special Dead (DVD)
I've been dying to see this movie since I first heard of it late last year. Sure, we could talk all day about just how "wrong" this movie is, but why not sit back, toss those bunched-up PC panties aside for a freaking hour and a half, and enjoy the heck out of this hilarious zombie movie already enjoying a cult following. And for what it's worth, name me one other movie that transforms the mentally challenged into heroes. That's what I thought. Anyway, Special Dead is just hilarious, not only milking numerous stereotypes for all they're worth, but kicking them once they're proverbially down. The zombies are just downright disgusting, their grey skin peeling off in bunches, their mouths filled with meat, blood, dirt, and heaven knows what else, and their blood just waiting to shoot out in mini-geysers as soon as they're attacked. I don't know what the chicken-eating zombie was actually eating, but it looked even nastier than the real thing. Low-budget horror filmmakers could learn a lot from watching this movie. Even the soundtrack, featuring the likes of Dark Reign and Eating Alice, is pretty kicking - although nothing tops Andy Allen's unique campfire song (there's even a sing-along version before the ending credits).
As the tagline says, "Sometimes heroes ride the short bus," and in this case they ride it to Camp Special Dude owned and operated by Cameron "Snuff" Stone (Larrs Jackson, who was just hilarious, especially on the topic of zombie horses), who bought the camp years ago for a song - because, we soon learn, it was infested with zombies. Snuff's second in command is his son Machiavelli "Mack" Stone (Jason Brubaker). Mack only seems to care about making time with female counselors Cassie (Amy Wade) and Harley (Haneka Haynes), but he turns out to have real skills when it comes to dispatching zombies. The "special" kids include Snuff's wheelchair-bound daughter Dale (Gia Franzia); Todd (Anthony Rutowicz), whose loud talking, hideous toboggan, and talent for making all kinds of things out of popsicle sticks do little to help him convince Dale to be his girlfriend; an uncommunicative mountain of flesh who could well be descended from Tor Johnson (David Reynolds); a shy "helmet head" (April Wade); and several others of less importance to the story. Adding greatly to the fun is Eriq (Jah Shams), a young gangster bound for boot camp who was accidentally placed on the wrong bus. All of the actors were darn near brilliant, if you ask me (especially Franzia and Rutowicz).
Don't write any of these characters off too soon, not even the most challenged among them. While guys like Mack rely mostly on obvious weapons such as shotguns, sickles, numchuks - yes, numchuks - and good, old-fashioned bare fists, the campers tend to adopt more unconventional fighting methods. Of course, not everyone can survive, so you get the additional treat of watching special campers taking on their now-zombified peers. You may want to turn your head at one point, though, as Mack demonstrates a most disgusting, non-lethal zombie-controlling method.
Now, maybe you're thinking you won't see any sex or nudity in a film like this - well, think again. You, along with some of the voyeuristic campers, will definitely see "boobies" at Camp Special Dude. You'll also hear plenty of foul language (of course, if I were fighting for my life against zombies, I would be cursing up a blue streak, too). For the most part, though, this is a genuinely original and creative film (a real rarity in the American-made horror genre). Just remember that everything you see here is all in the name of gory fun. Where else are you going to see a zombie with Tourette Syndrome? Needless to say, some people will feel deeply offended and outraged by this film (and most of them will undoubtedly condemn it without ever seeing so much as a trailer), but Special Dead wears such sobriquets as "the most offensive zombie movie ever made" with pride. I'll be enjoying this movie numerous times in the coming years.
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Film Threat Review!, October 25, 2007
This review is from: Special Dead (DVD)
SPECIAL dEaD - Review - Film Threat
By Eric Campos (10/25/2007)
[...]Probably the most offensive zombie movie ever made, "Special Dead" is bound to p*** off a lot of people while giving others cause to cheer.
As if they didn't have enough problems, the inhabitants of a camp for mentally handicapped kids, Camp Special Dude, find themselves having to deal with a zombie infestation. When the s*** and the popsicle stick art projects hit the fan, a small group of counselors and camp members fight their way through the living dead to safety.
It's a nice, simple set-up, executed with a brash display of sex, gore and disrespect for the handicapped, or anyone else for that matter...living or dead. The tone of the film is in your face rude as the camp counselors are all over-sexed meatheads with actress Amy Wade providing the most entertaining performance as one such over-sexed meathead as she lusts after fellow counselor and hero of the film - uber-tough guy and cocksman supreme Machiavelli Stone, played by Jay Brubaker. Gia Natale and Anthony Rutowicz also turn in surprisingly lovable performances as a couple of handicampers struggling to survive the zombie invasion. See? So you can have something lovable in a movie as offensive as this one and these two actors prove that by playing their characters as more than just drooling goofballs.
It's a very basic run-hide-run-scream-run-die type of flick. The danger of monotony is always an issue with these movies, but for the most part "Special Dead" avoids boring its audience by loading it up with tons of attitude, gore and dark humor. All in all, it's a fun, trashy ride not for the easily offended, and not for the squeamish, and not for the sexually timid, and...basically, if you have a stick up you're a**, "Special Dead" is not for you. If you have a good sense of humor (especially one with a helluva mean streak) and you love zombies, then heaven awaits you at Camp Special Dude.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Retard Zombies, January 8, 2008
This review is from: Special Dead (DVD)
Got this as a goof, knowing it'd be a bad movie. I wasn't dissapointed.
Found it by accident by typing "retard" in Amazon's search and this came up. Decided to check it out.
The storyline is nothing unique, and the acting is expectedly bad, but you do get to see what would happen if a group of retards were attacked by zombies. Gotta say though, some of the actors DO pull off imatating a retard, complete with drool and twitches. Haven't seen anything that good since What's Eating Gilbert Grape.
The make-up effects were okay. The zombies looked like they had oatmeal explode in their faces. But the blood splattering was pretty good.
Overall, get this movie if you know any of the actors, or if you have a demented sense of humor like me. Rent it just to say you've seen the movie. But don't expect to be scared. This one has HBO-late-night written all over it.
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