The film begins with George driving on the his motorbike and stopping fuel up. Edna, not paying attention, backs up and over George's bike. As part of recompense, Edna begrudgingly allows George to join her in her car so that she can drop him off to his important meeting. Events unfold over time that prevent this from ever happening. At first, nothing seems connected. But over time, George, Edna, and the audience begin to see the bigger picture.
Likes - This zombie flick did not follow the typical format and cliches of today's trends. The plot unfolded at a good pace. One unique aspect is that the film focuses on a very small group, George and Edna. They come across tragedies and misfortunes, one after another. They quickly come to see that there is a ribbon tying these events together. Also, at the beginning, they HATE each other. This provides a fresh backdrop to a worn-out (but fun) genre. Things change over time, but not without effort. Another fresh take about this movie is the managing of the zombies. This film does not have the hordes of zombies we've seen in Return of the Living Dead or of any Romero film. Instead it focuses on a few who simply overpower the unsuspecting citizens they come upon. Also, the make-up was really good, considering the era of its conception. It wasn't so heavy on blood as much as it was looking dead and in place of the location (i.e a hospital).
Dislikes - There were some situations were the zombies simply appeared out of thin air. I know they overlooked physics to push the plot. Under a simple logic test though, some situations should not be. That said, the plot was still fresh and inventive. Also, the character development isn't totally there. George grows in this film but leaves Edna in his dust. Throughout the film, she plays the constant victim. I'm sure this was intended but it would have been a bit more inspiring to at least see her try to fight for her life.
Overall - I was impressed by this film. For being an older, less known film, I found it very fresh and new. I think the filmmakers had the luxury of really exploring a still fresh new world with no stigmas and no trends to buck. I watched this film simply to check a box on my list of things to do. Instead, I got a pretty enjoyable film experience. I will warn you, for modest horror fans, this movie is dumb and a bit over dramatic. For any self proclaimed zombie fanatic though, this is definitely one that needs to be seen. If nothing more, to glimpse at a mythos that could have been. 4 out of 5 stars.
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