Just to-day my wife and I watched three modern zombie movies in one day. I am about to discuss one of them now.
FEEDING THE MASSES has "amatuer" written all over it but that is not synonymous with "bad"; don't forget THE DEAD NEXT DOOR turned out to be a decent film which surprised a lot of people. I thought I had seen the last of the "The Government can't be trusted" subgenre when the 70's ended but I guess questioning authority will always be with us.
The plot? Oh yes, the plot! Something called "The Lazarus Virus" has gotten out of hand (yes, again!) and the recent dead are returning to life as . . . let's all say it together . . . flesh eating zombies! This time though the Government is trying to put a positive spin on the whole thing by taking over the news media and telling people everything is going to be "just fine" when actually things are going to Heck in a handbasket more each day. A TV station is forced to run such obvious bullbleep as a "public service" message telling you that if zombies attack just fall to the ground and play dead! Shady corporations are still out to make a quick buck by offering to track down, re-kill and respectfully re-bury walking dead loved ones. Self empowered militias of shotgun toting rednecks are cruising the streets blasting down zombies left and right and yet another group extols people to come out and join its "End of the World" party!
Into the midst of all this stands a young reporter who fancies herself the next Diane Sawyer and sees the zombie attacks as her ticket to the Big Time, provided the world does not self destruct first. With her photographer (Billy Gaberina) close by she is determined to expose the official lies and alert people to the danger they are truly in. um . . . not that it isn't bloody obvious to begin with!
Zombie makeups are, well, fair. Gore effects, while plentiful, are standard. The budget was so low they could not even afford blank cartridges for the guns. Actors just shake the guns like they are spewing bullets rapid fire while gunshot sounds are dubbed in.
Then again, what FEEDING THE MASSES lacks in budget it makes up for in sincerity. The filmmakers have managed to put a new spin on an old subject. We kinda like this movie. Of course we also liked Umberto Lanzi's NIGHTMARE CITY and Vincent Dawn's HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD too.
FEEDING THE MASSES has "amatuer" written all over it but that is not synonymous with "bad"; don't forget THE DEAD NEXT DOOR turned out to be a decent film which surprised a lot of people. I thought I had seen the last of the "The Government can't be trusted" subgenre when the 70's ended but I guess questioning authority will always be with us.
The plot? Oh yes, the plot! Something called "The Lazarus Virus" has gotten out of hand (yes, again!) and the recent dead are returning to life as . . . let's all say it together . . . flesh eating zombies! This time though the Government is trying to put a positive spin on the whole thing by taking over the news media and telling people everything is going to be "just fine" when actually things are going to Heck in a handbasket more each day. A TV station is forced to run such obvious bullbleep as a "public service" message telling you that if zombies attack just fall to the ground and play dead! Shady corporations are still out to make a quick buck by offering to track down, re-kill and respectfully re-bury walking dead loved ones. Self empowered militias of shotgun toting rednecks are cruising the streets blasting down zombies left and right and yet another group extols people to come out and join its "End of the World" party!
Into the midst of all this stands a young reporter who fancies herself the next Diane Sawyer and sees the zombie attacks as her ticket to the Big Time, provided the world does not self destruct first. With her photographer (Billy Gaberina) close by she is determined to expose the official lies and alert people to the danger they are truly in. um . . . not that it isn't bloody obvious to begin with!
Zombie makeups are, well, fair. Gore effects, while plentiful, are standard. The budget was so low they could not even afford blank cartridges for the guns. Actors just shake the guns like they are spewing bullets rapid fire while gunshot sounds are dubbed in.
Then again, what FEEDING THE MASSES lacks in budget it makes up for in sincerity. The filmmakers have managed to put a new spin on an old subject. We kinda like this movie. Of course we also liked Umberto Lanzi's NIGHTMARE CITY and Vincent Dawn's HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD too.