Poe-17 Review of Night of the Dead: Leben Tod

Night of the Dead: Leben Tod (2006 Video)

What it set out to do ... it does

[8/10 · 23 November 2006]

Before writing this review I tried to imagine how to write a spoiler ... couldn't manage it. Nonetheless - avoid this review if you are allergic to spoilers. This movie was made for Zombie Movie fans. Remember "The Asylum presents" - that should tell you a lot about this Zombie entry. It is a very contemporary Zombie entry in that it's not trying to break ground or use cinematic horror as social commentary (ala Romero). It obeys the needs of Zombie aficionado in film and video games. It isn't a homage but it doesn't really "steal" from predecessors as much as it "lifts" from them because once you're in Zombie territory there are expectations. This won both "Chicago Horror Film Festival" and "Shriekfest" and I don't know what either of those mean. But winning is a good thing. Very bloody, dripping and running-red is staple; internal organs are cast members; scooping edible brains with your hand; guts are a given; floors slippery with red grue; characters spend most of their air time covered in streaks of dark and oozing red. We go over the top and over the edge ... if I'm a Zombie, I might chew away the abdominal flesh, shove my entire head into the torso and withdraw chewing on intestines .... smack! I gave this an 8 of 10, docked two points because of originality. I wanted to give it more but it just borrowed too much. Still, what it did, it did very well for its intended audience. I'm not its intended audience. I've seen it, I'm glad I did but I won't be owning it, however, the hardcore "zombie" fans probably will. It has that storytelling essence that lifts it above "rip offs" and "sorry emulation". It has un-explored elements of gore. It also combines the blackest of tongue-in-cheek comedy with a very different "mad scientist" role by Louis Graham. After watching it you want to see a Disney film just to put your life in balance. Horror films are having a tough time right now, this one knocked a home run.