Zombie guru George A. Romero proved zombies weren’t just mindless, soulless killing machines.
They also were foot shuffling conduits for social messages.
Young filmmaker Kevin Hamedani takes the Romero blueprint and bludgeons it in a crush of political stereotypes in “Zombies of Mass Destruction,” available this week on DVD.
The film, part of After Dark HorrorFest 4, focuses on an undead outbreak in an idyllic Washington state suburb.
Only this town has a racist, sexist, homophobic underbelly that’s just as frightening as the walking dead.
“ZMD” stars Janette Armand as Frida, a gorgeous Iranian-American targeted when her small town is overrun by zombies.
A local nut (Russell Hodgkinson) suspects Frida let a “terrorist” virus loose that made the dead spring back to life.
She is Middle Eastern, don’t you know?
A gay couple (Doug Fahl, Cooper Hopkins) also gets entangled in the zombie mayhem, interrupting their plans to come out to their family.
Meanwhile the local politician is afraid of the challenge posed by a peacenik opponent, and a preacher sees the zombie infestation as a sign of the apocalypse.
Writer/director Kevin Hamedani delivers a few genuine starts in this fitfully amusing horror comedy. The first zombie appearance is a real “jump out of your seat” moment, and Hamedani knows the genre well enough to nail it.
He’s also on solid footing when it comes to the comedy side of this horror hybrid.
At one point, a confused teen asks his father (played by Hodgkinson) why he didn’t know Zombie Basics 101.
“Haven’t you seen a zombie movie before?”
“You know I’m a vampire man …”
Good stuff.
Hamedani’s film is less assured with its political broadsides. It’s hard to be offended by such lazy stereotypes – the gay-hating preacher, the simple minded patriots – but what’s more unnerving is the lack of originality.
It’s the flip side of the equally troubled “An American Carol,” which trotted out boiler plate liberals but couldn’t find the funny side to them.
Hamedani’s attempt at balance doesn’t help. The peacenik character is barely skewered, and just when you think the movie is cutting the local preacher a break it turns out to be anything but a sympathetic turn.
Hamedani gets closer to the meat of the matter when he has a character proclaim, “some of us have to give up certain rights to stay safe,” but it’s tough to connect the dialogue with a storyline that’s veering out of control.
And releasing the film now during President Barack Obama’s first term smacks of poor timing.
“ZMD” has its rollicking moments, and the gay couple’s plight offers up some humorous moments.
Romero’s commentary worked because it was subtle, and many people were too busy watching zombies on the march to get it the first time around.
“ZMD” all but pokes viewers in the eye with its contempt for conservative values, but it has to be funnier, sharper … or scarier to completely win over fair and balanced audiences.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Should be a big hit at the next on campus meeting of the Young Democrats.
. . . an idyllic Washington state suburb.. . . has a racist, sexist, homophobic underbelly that’s just as frightening as the walking dead.
Don’t they all?
Had an interesting chat with the film’s director, K. Can’t say I agree with his politics … but he did try to introduce one element into the movie for balance that his producers nixed. Stay tuned.
i liked the Iranian girl and the vampire line… but that’s pretty much it…
you can read some of the faaaantastic dialogue here
i also disliked The Graves…
ps… i’m very interested to hear about this balancing element…