S. William "Bill" Hinzman, part of cinematic history for having portrayed the memorable Cemetery Zombie in "Night of the Living Dead" (1968), adds another zombie portrayal to his repertoire in this unabashed, straightforward gore fest. It's a little disappointing that we don't see more of him throughout the movie, but still, a little does go a long way here. As the title character, he wakes up from his slumber in the ground beneath a farmer's property, and starts a chain reaction of zombie creation when he begins munching on the stupid kids who have gone on a hay ride. Things go from bad to worse in this story that definitely feels like a remake of NotLD at times, especially when the kids try holing up inside an isolated farmhouse. The scope of the action is opened up a little, as we see the effects of the epidemic hit other people in the area. Fans of B level horror movies get what they expect with "FleshEater", including the always delicious lousy acting, particularly from a cop, whose reaction to being swarmed by zombies is priceless, and a family member who's somewhat less than truly distraught when seeing a loved one after mutilation. (Said loved one also provides us with a tasty dose of gratuitous nudity.) The gore is fun to watch, with the scene of Hinzman chowing down on a victim's heart a highlight. One moment around the forty minute mark is quite effective as Hinzman and company prove willing to break a taboo. The music by Erica Portnoy is good and creepy, but also way too repetitive. What's nice to see is that Hinzman treated this as a real labour of love, functioning in various capacities - producer, director, co-writer, editor, and additional cinematographer - and also utilizing family members as part of the cast. His movie is a fair deal of fun, never pretending to be more than it is, and consistently delivering some amusing moments. Even at 89 minutes, one can feel the padding, but there's always an entertaining bit of business around the corner. Seven out of 10.
Review of FleshEater
