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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Honey, I ate your friends, July 15, 2008
Danny and Denise are still in the glorious days of nuptial bliss, roaming the peaceful beaches and woods surrounding their borrowed honeymoon home. Their joy is complete, their bliss never ending, until that oh so fateful day when a bedraggled zombie walks out of the surf, hunger urging it onward to attack an unsuspecting Danny. Luckily, Danny survives, waking in the hospital after having been technically dead for ten minutes. The disaster has been averted, Danny is alive and well, shaken (but not stirred) by his gruesome encounter . . . or so they think. It's time dear friends, for the honeymoon bliss to begin and as Danny starts to inexplicably change, acquiring a taste for some rather succulent looking neighbors, Denise must decide whether it's worth the pain (and the carpet stains) to stand by her man. The romance, the love, the evening walks, and the occasional devoured friend . . . its time for romance zombie style! Remember, zombie love can break your heart.
What, you ask, possesses anyone to watch a movie entitled Zombie Honeymoon? Doesn't the title just say it all? The love, the betrayal, the endless rounds of cheesiness. Oh the pain, the pain. Indeed, I viewed this on Chiller Channel's weekend marathon of the top ten cheesiest horror movies of all time (aptly titled The Cheese Fest) and I must admit, the movie was worthy of the title. Still, the film did have its redeeming qualities including, most importantly, a unique, if underdeveloped, plotline. The idea of a newlywed couple experiencing such an unbearably painful tragedy is surprisingly sorrowful and emotional for a movie that otherwise promises to be a cornball funfest. Zombie Honeymoon employed a unique study of human emotion and artistic license when Denise discovered her husband's degeneration and, instead of running from his pleading, decides to support and help him in this time of need. In so doing, the nebulous plotline took shape (somewhat) and the drama announced its main theme: just how far should one go for love? Is it "till death do us part" or really "till undeath do us part?" The answer, while done zombie style, overcame the air of corniness and inspired the viewer toward productive thought concerning the meaning of life, love, and mutating strains of zombie viruses. Because of this interesting plotline, the viewer is inspired to continue watching the movie, despite its other not-so-great elements.
Likewise, the film possessed one other redeeming quality - - - the exploitation of sadness to induce empathy. While Danny was wimp zombie extraordinaire, Denise portrayed her role quite nicely, leading the viewer to sympathize with her situation and her dying romance. Indeed, despite the film's low budget and aura of cheesiness the main actors including Tracy Coogan, Graham Sibley, Tonya Cornelisse, David M. Wallace, and Neal Jones portrayed their roles surprisingly well lending a palpable dose of human emotion and drama that calls for the viewer's empathy and interest.
And now, as they say, for the hour of truth - - - onward to the film's copious compilation of cons. Firstly, while the plot was ingenious, its production was not. As a part of the Cheese Fest, the movie contained more plot holes than a treasure trove of Swiss cheese and the viewer was compelled to fall into each one (over and over again). Danny's new appetite and his subsequent remorse cause some sticky situations, causing him to occasionally lash out at pedestrians, friends, beach goers, etc all in public places within full viewer of the unnecessarily slow witted police department who, although there is a zombiefied man covered in blood prowling the streets, swinging dismembered limbs, just can't figure out what is happening to all these missing people. Huh? I may not be the brightest bulb on the tree, but I am pretty sure that if someone started chewing on people in my presence, I'd notice. And, considering all the numerous times Danny's appetite catches him in, shall we say precarious circumstances, logic dictates that, eventually, even the dimmest witted individual would notice.
Of course, with Danny's newly acquired "taste" action is required - - - eventually. It never occurs to either of our characters that, perchance, this new phase of binge eating isn't going to stop and maybe measures should be taken. You see, in the world of zombie lore there are two kinds of zombies (1.) scary zombie --- a slave to his appetites --- he is an evil menace to the world sparing no one in his unbridled carnage and (2.) wimp zombie --- he takes the world on, one bite at a time, killing and maiming with manners --- he apologizes when he bites into your arm. There, we have it now folks, gentlemen zombie! He may eat your family, but he'll do it with style and sympathy. And so, the movie pokes along, detailing Danny's wailings of sorrow and misery as he munches his way through Denise's fav friends. Eventually, somebody remembers that stories should have direction and so Danny and Denise come up with a plan to save the day --- they're going to Portugal. Yep, that makes sense. I definitely see how that is going to solve the problem. And, considering Danny's new proclivity, a fourteen hour plane ride is a really good idea.
After much ado about nothing, spiced in with a few surrealistic scenes of true merit, the movie rushes forward to a conclusion that is, quite frankly, dissatisfying. Nothing is ever truly explained, the zombie plague is just as much of a mystery as when the film started, and the concluding song (a cheerful little country ballad) shatters the entire atmosphere of brooding sadness that the movie had managed to successfully maintain. So much potential, so little satisfaction.
And onto one more complaint that may not be totally fair, the movie was exceedingly gross. Now, considering that the title is Zombie Honeymoon and that the intro is filled with chewing sounds, it is more than apparent that the movie never claimed to be anything other than what it is. Still, caveat emptor, the production will turn your stomach so if you need a new diet regime, consider watching this before every meal.
Conclusion: Essence of the Zombie --- to watch or not to watch
Zombie Honeymoon was a rare cheese fest film in that the basis behind the plot was actually pretty ingenious but the production just wasn't there. The film does have some merit, and to its credit, it keeps the viewer curious enough to watch until the conclusion. This is a movie that isn't for the general populace. I would only suggest this film for those who are extreme zombie and cheese fest fans. Proceed with caution ... most people won't like this.
- Ravenova
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Chick Flick of the Living Dead, June 5, 2006
The plot is pretty simple. A couple on their honeymoon encounter a fellow who turns out to be a zombie. He turns the husband into a zombie. For the next eighty minutes, we follow his devolution into the walking dead.
There's lots of gore. Most of the special effects are decent.
It's the plot that makes this worth watching. My wife enjoyed it more than I did. (I fell asleep the first viewing and had to repeat the last thirty minutes the next day.)
If your wife (or girlfriend) won't watch zombie movies with you, this might be middle ground: a chick flick of the living dead.
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
'Till Death Do They Part..., March 18, 2006
In this classic take on what it means to stay married until the end, Danny and Denise get married and set out on their honeymoon. Only a few hours into their life as a married couple, Danny is bitten by a zombie and dies, but he doesn't stay dead, and he awakens with a ravenous appetite that threatens to destroy all that he loves, including his new bride, Denise.
This is a fun flick, with a rockabilly/surfer soundtrack and background, about a couple of characters that most horror fans can identify with. The special effects are nothing breathtaking, but they're not bad either. There are more holes in the plot than a good piece of Swiss cheese, but you don't rent a movie like this and expect a piece of well constructed, fine art, either. The film also has a good flow from start to finish.
There is no real `hardcore' zombie action, but if you're a fan of zombies or a completist of the undead genre, then this is a fun afternoon flick to throw on while you're doing housework or homework.
Recommended for Zombie fans everywhere.
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