Synopsis: During the presidential election, a political correspondent wishes the deceased soldiers of the recent war could rise and give their support to the incumbent candidate. He gets his wish when these dead veterans return from the grave and look towards Washington. Things take a turn for the worse, however, when the dead express their lack of gratitude to the selfish government and its politicians in their own Undead (but still American) way.
Review: While not a fan of the show myself, this episode was repeatedly recommended to me due to my love of zombies and my enjoyment of political satire. It didn't hurt that the typically entertaining Joe Dante (Piranha, Gremlins) was in the director's seat, either. Regardless of who directed, however, I knew that it was still a television episode and not a full film. Coming in at under an hour's runtime, I wasn't expecting the deepest, most thought-provoking social satire, but still looked forward to a good zombie flick. Ironically, it was reversed. For me, the film spent far too much time on the political commentary and all that goes with it and ignored what could've been a very fun, very interesting zombie flick. I'm 100% for satire & commentary in horror (no Romero fan could be against it, really); but when the satire puts the horror elements to the back burner, it loses its edge as a horror film and becomes a commentary film. Now, this isn't to say the episode isn't worth the (short) time. Technically speaking, the film's pretty good. The script is easy to get into and works well with Dante's direction, although much of the dialogue is wasted on some low-end, soap opera-style acting. Beyond that, there are some fantastic scenes (like the creepy first coffin scene) and the final few minutes are fantastic (especially the closing monologue). But, that's about it. Overall, it's very watchable and rather likable, but I'd have to say it's far too tame for the majority of horror fans. On the other hand, if it's a dark comedy bordering on drama similar to Fido that you're looking for, this isn't a bad way to go.
Final Verdict: 6/10. Could've been much better, perhaps as a feature with higher production values, but still worth a watch.
-AP3-
Review: While not a fan of the show myself, this episode was repeatedly recommended to me due to my love of zombies and my enjoyment of political satire. It didn't hurt that the typically entertaining Joe Dante (Piranha, Gremlins) was in the director's seat, either. Regardless of who directed, however, I knew that it was still a television episode and not a full film. Coming in at under an hour's runtime, I wasn't expecting the deepest, most thought-provoking social satire, but still looked forward to a good zombie flick. Ironically, it was reversed. For me, the film spent far too much time on the political commentary and all that goes with it and ignored what could've been a very fun, very interesting zombie flick. I'm 100% for satire & commentary in horror (no Romero fan could be against it, really); but when the satire puts the horror elements to the back burner, it loses its edge as a horror film and becomes a commentary film. Now, this isn't to say the episode isn't worth the (short) time. Technically speaking, the film's pretty good. The script is easy to get into and works well with Dante's direction, although much of the dialogue is wasted on some low-end, soap opera-style acting. Beyond that, there are some fantastic scenes (like the creepy first coffin scene) and the final few minutes are fantastic (especially the closing monologue). But, that's about it. Overall, it's very watchable and rather likable, but I'd have to say it's far too tame for the majority of horror fans. On the other hand, if it's a dark comedy bordering on drama similar to Fido that you're looking for, this isn't a bad way to go.
Final Verdict: 6/10. Could've been much better, perhaps as a feature with higher production values, but still worth a watch.
-AP3-