Customer Reviews

Undead

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(22)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(24)

 

 

The small Aussie burg of Berkelely receives a deadly rain of meteorites, turning people hit by the celestial stones into the walking dead. It doesn't take long for our main characters to assemble in the obligatory isolated farmhouse to ride out the plague of zombies.

All of our familiar friends are holed up here from the loony cops, spiteful pregnant waitress, her clueless boyfriend, misunderstood beauty queen, and badass fisherman (whose fashion taste takes after Torgo from MANOS, THE HANDS OF FATE). Our sympathies are tied to the multiple-barrel shotgun wielding fisherman Marion (Mungo McKay) and the lovely Rene (Felicity Mason). The pair carves a swath through a seemingly endless supply of reanimated corpses only to find that zombies aren't the full extent of their worries.

Comparing UNDEAD to Australia's other famous zombie film, DEAD ALIVE, is a tempting albeit simplistic temptation. It's true that both films share similarities in their use of the walking dead and barrels of fake blood but what the pair share most is their wicked sense of humour. The excessive gore, kinetic camerawork, and outlandish action mix well with the cross genre antics. Hopefully this wonderfully silly film is a sign of things to come from the Spierig brothers.

UNDEAD is slated for release by Lion's Gate Films while already on DVD in Australia.

Undead is an under rated movie out in Ausi as far as i know. I had a chance to see it and I must say,its an awesome movie (if you like the black comedy the makers added in with bloody and more bloody/brains/guts) this movie is for you!! Zombies look really cool (better than the land of the dead) and i really hate to say that but its true!! Undead is no Dawn of the dead 78 or the Dawn of the Dead remake but it does hold its own as a Zombie/Alien film and is gorry,Bloody and lots of guts falling out!! Rottentomatoes rated it kinda bad but i cant see how since its not in the U.S yet.. Look for it maybe on ebay and pick up a copy i see some people selling the ausi release and its well worth it to see...almost 5 star

This movie is hugely entertaining and the best homage to Night of the
Living Dead, Bad Taste and The Evil Dead ever made. When strange
weather phenomena occurs in a small Australian town, zombies start
appearing. A small group of people end up in a house to fight them off
but have to fight their way out as one of them needs medical attention.
The rest of the movie is spent on fighting the zombies and revealing
their origin. The gore and blood are plentiful and first rate. The
effects are mostly "real" and cgi is at a minimum. There is comedy
throughout but is more of the dry, Aussie/Brit variety so is not
overwhelming or overly stupid. It made me laugh out loud on mamy
occasions. The dialogue is pretty witty and there are many memorable
and quotable lines. There is also a nice twist towards the end of the
story and a good finish that wraps it up, while still leaving ot open
for a deserved sequel.

This Australian zombie import seems to be garnering a lot of love it or hate it responses on the internet.

While it is obviously a throwback to the old Evil Dead movies and Peter Jackson's early splatter horror-comedies like "Bad Taste" and "Dead Alive", Undead manages to feel like it's own movie thanks to some surprising twists in the movie that a lot of people will probably throw their hands up in disgust at.

But I found the "twist" to be very refreshing.

As a zombie film, this movie does tread some famaliar ground. Only head shots will kill them, they are just wanting to munch on some human flesh/organs and getting killed by one will eventually cause the victim to turn into one as well.

The cause of the zombie outbreak, however, is due to a meteor shower of some sort.

The characters in the film are your usual assortment of people from various backgrounds & professions, but the main character of Marion who steals the movie is a sort of backwoods Australian fisherman who just happens to handle guns like he's in a John Woo movie. (He also can do some amazing stunts and moves that leave the other character's jaws on the floor).

The gore is pretty extreme at times, though it's limited to a few isolated scenes. I would have thought that the MPAA would have butchered this film, but it appears that the film made it through uncut. You get a hand punching through a skull (with the brain in their hand), a zombie literally getting blown in half (twice), graphic head shots and numerous decapitations.

The film was made for about only 1 million Australian dollars but the filmmakers who are brothers make this look much better than a lot of major studio films with 100 million dollar budgets.

Most of the gore effects and basic F/X sequences were done on a laptop by the filmmakers and with the exception of a couple of scenes (the zombie getting yanked into the plane's propellers for instance), most of the stuff is pretty convincing.

I've heard comparisons of this film that's it's Evil Dead 2 meets Night of the Living Dead meets War of the War meets Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind. And as off the wall as that sounds, it's a pretty apt description.

The movie's main weakness IMO is that they tried to cram a bit too much into one film and the plot gets a bit scattershot at times as a result.

But overall, I was very impressed and this film entertained me a great deal.

Kudos to Lions Gate also for delivering a features packed DVD for the film as well.

This film breathes new life into the run of the mill, six foot under, usual undead plots. I really enjoyed it. The budget for the movie was certainly low and it shows, but the originality is awesome. I have been burned out on zombie movies for a few years; I mean how many times can you watch mindless, brain sucking zombies be blown up, ripped apart and mutilated? But, for some reason I thought I would give this one a shot. I was totally surprised and my hat is off to the writers, actors and director. Great job, thanks for not doing the same old zombie plot repeated 100 or more times, even continued in some of the recent higher budget zombie shredder fests. I think I will even buy this one. I gave it five stars for originality and because I felt the budget needed to be taken into consideration.

First of all, I read other reviews to this movie, before I decided to take on this task. And I was just wondering what the hell is wrong with people? I mean, when did:
1. People became Siskel and Ebert... oops I mean Roper???
2. People stop sitting back and enjoy the art of the movie???
I mean, lets be honest. If the movie was really that bad, you wouldn't have watched the whole thing right? I wouldn't have. This is a classic, true to the genre B Horror Flick. There is gore, humor, and things that don't make any sort of conceivable sense. The only thing that it seems to lack is nudity. I have never seen such Baddassism in a fisherman, before in my life. I don't think that is a word, nor do I care. If I was to have to fight along side someone against an army of the living dead it would be that fisherman guy. I mean, any guy that can kill a Zombie with a shaken can of a energy drink (think red bull) stuffed in the Zombies mouth then throws a nail at it to make it explode, decapitating the Zombie, is ok in my book. The guy had 3 shotguns rigged together with on trigger for god sake... Such creativity... I willingly without hesitation, bought this movie, and as for you I ask only to rent it, grab some good friends, a case of good beer, (Paulaner, Shinerbock, Sam Adams), make some spicy nachos and have a great time watching. If you don't like it after all of that, you can get the f%$K out.

Poor Australia!

If it isn't being terrorized by post-apocalyptic cycle-punks, it's being overrun by armies of flesh-eating zombies, former loyal Australian sujects infected by spores carried by the unexpected meteor shower that kicks off the first few minutes of "Undead", the uber-low-budget gorefest by the Spierig Brothers that proves that a kind word and a sawed-off shotgun get you farther than just a kind word.

It's a gorgeous looking piece of cinema, for one: all kinds of surreal, tricky shots, some sapped of color and bled dry to a wan ocher, others filmed through a blue-filter haze that only enhances the otherworldly feel of the film.

But more to the point, there are things in "Undead" that I've never seen before---for instance, have you ever seen a movie with:

Zombified Fish? Check!

Killer meteors turning the town spinster into a growling zombie hungry for blood? Check!

Acid Rain as a nice analgesic ointment to counter nasty Zombie skin irritation? Check and check!

Blood and gore upon the floor and you without your spoon? Given the spilled viscera, split skulls, ripped-off heads, and generous splatter, I'd say check!

Look: we could talk a lot about camera-angles, and funky plot-devices involving aliens---possibly malevolent, possibly not---and the bug-eyed but dead-sexy Felicity Mason, who goes from losing her family farm to donning a gas-mask and getting proficient with a scattergun---yeah, we could talk about all that.

But the fact is, "Undead" is an unapologetic little splatter flick filmed on enough money to buy three anorexics a big breakfast at Denny's on a slow Sunday night: it's sick, it's wicked fun, and it looks astounding.

Dig in.

JSG

UNDEAD is a cheat - this is something that you should know up front, but don't let that put you off the film, because UNDEAD is also ambitious. While most zombie films are content to ride the coattails of all the zombie films that have come before it (and I'm looking at you DAWN OF THE DEAD - 2004), UNDEAD tries something new, yet something old as well.

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD got there first with just a hint that perhaps the rising of the dead might have something to do with outer space, and NIGHT OF THE COMET took it the next logical step, but it's UNDEAD that manages to take both ideas and fuse them together to create, what I believe, is the first true zombie/alien hybrid film to hit our shores.

While all the zombie action is well done, fast paced, and loaded with blood, creative effects and fun (from camera work, to performances, creative deaths and goofy gunplay) it is actually the weakest part of the film. We've seen this before, so much so that you can set your watch by it. There are no surprises here - a small, isolated group of survivors holed up in a farmhouse (and bomb shelter), surrounded by the undead which come at them through the front door, back door, stairs, walls and floors - grabby zombies abound, as do our heroes attempts to make their way through the crowd and towards freedom. But, where this film could have easily held onto this time worn theme and run with till the credits, it instead takes a detour into science fiction and presents us with a mystery - that by the end is explained, and left open ended and unfinished as well. And it's here that the "cheat" of the film will be laid most bare, leaving some feeling frustrated, while others will want (nay, demand!) to know more. As it is, the second half of UNDEAD is what saves the first from falling into a rut. Just when the zombie portion of the film is losing steam, the alien subplot takes the ball and runs with it. It's excellent work on a limited budget that manages to outsmart and outshine a majority of the major Hollywood remakes and retreads we keep seeing year after year.

Two commentaries are included: cast and crew. The cast commentary is a free for all that is all over the map. It's fast, often funny, but played a bit too close to the vest by everyone involved leaving you feeling like an outsider or an eavesdropper. The crew commentary is easy going and plays to its strengths in how the film was made, how much "blood" was used, casting, effects and problems - detailed, but not as tech heavy as many other commentaries these days. Deleted scenes round out moments in the film, but don't add much - while a host of extra features (the HOMEMADE DOLLY CONSTRUCTION VIDEO is a short and frustrating little bit of "how to" on creating your own dolly for your film - it's a great idea, it just needed more detail to demonstrate how it was done, and how you too can do it at home) round out the package.

UNDEAD is one of the better current zombie films out there (SHAUN OF THE DEAD is still the tops so far this century) and for fans of the genre, is a must, while those looking for a fresh take on an old theme will find a lot here to enjoy.

Never having heard of "Undead," I thought I'd give it a look--check out some Australian zombies. But "Undead," while definitely having its shortcomings, isn't content to be just a zombie film. It also aspires toward sci-fi with the race of undead being caused by meteorites and aliens playing a significant role in the proceedings. It's a strange combination, to be sure, but it ends up being the one thing that distinguishes "Undead" from every other movie of its type.

As meteorites ravage a small Australian fishing town, its citizens are being turned into zombies. No explanation is given--but really, is one needed? People try to escape only to discover a large wall has mysteriously surrounded the town. Following zombie film formula, a small group of survivors band together to try and survive. Leaders of this group include the reigning town Fish Queen and an enigmatic loner with a penchant for weapons. As you follow the predictable progress of our ragtag gang, it becomes clear that the film doesn't take itself too seriously. The gunslinger performs acrobatic feats within every battle that come quite unexpectedly and cause a chuckle or two. There are a few good one-liners, some amusing zombie deaths. Ultimately, though, the film fell a bit flat--it isn't original enough as a zombie picture and not funny enough by half.

Midway through "Undead," I'd resigned myself to another lackluster (2 star) B-movie. But then the aliens showed up. It didn't immediately improve the quality of the film, but at least it was new. And late in the game, as the plot really unfolded further--I thought to myself, "Hey, this is kind of clever." It came much too late to salvage the picture completely, but I actually enjoyed the resolution. And I got a big kick out of the final capper, as well. It made me wish the film was better from the beginning. With a funnier screenplay, this could have been a real gem. As is, it's a mildly interesting effort.

Recommended to lovers of the genre, I don't expect many others will have the patience required to get to the original bits. I'd like to see more from these filmmakers--they have definite potential. KGHarris, 12/06.

After reading many of the 100 reviews of this film so far, it kinda seems like everyone watched a different movie. Very odd. Lots of people admitted they didn't get it and therefore didn't like it. The rest who didn't like it, clearly didn't get it (based on what they wrote).

But this movie delivered everything a zombie fan (such as myself) could hope for, plus so much more. Maybe it isn't very scary - I can't tell anymore, because I guess I've seen too much to be frightened by this stuff anymore. But the zombies are pretty good, the gore is cool and plentiful, the characters are all hilarious (except the female lead, who's level headed, as YOU might hope to be in such a freaky situation, making her relatable), plus a completely unexpected additional aspect to the story. And that's a key to the movie's unique social commentary (ala Mr. Romero).

"Undead" is a fun zombie flick that pays tribute to numerous types of action movies, such as martial arts, spaghetti westerns, zombie horror, sci-fi, and throws in what I'd describe as hilarous "sketch comedy" characters. And, it's almost as absurd as "Army of Darkness." Not as perfect a zombie comedy as "Shaun of the Dead," but almost as funny and a whole lot gorier.

And to those who found this movie slow and boring, what were you on, a double dose of Ny-Quil?