FF 2014 Review – I Survived a Zombie Holocaust (2014)

It’s the third day of shooting the low budget horror ‘Tonight They Come’ on location in the wilds of New Zealand. The director is already beside himself having to work with a self-obsessed leading man and a bimbo actress when into his line of fire comes a new runner, wannabe screenwriter Wesley Pennington. An accident-prone nerd, Wesley tries his best to fit in with the crazed cast and demented crew while falling head over heels for Susan, the set caterer. But something nasty has entered the local water supply and suddenly the zombie extras start acting like genuine members of the living dead, gore stunts looks even more authentic and actual severed limbs fly. “Reel life” turns real life as Wesley attempts to save the day while ensuring his latest script will get made…

As I said in my review of Housebound, New Zealand has, over the years, become renown for producing some superb horror films. From the early work of Peter Jackson and his films Bad Taste and Braindead; to the more recent Frightfest flicks The Loved Ones and this years Housebound. But, and I don’t say this lightly, all of those pail in comparison to I Survived a Zombie Holocaust – a perfect mix of horror and comedy that resonated with me more than any film at this years Frightfest (so far).

Written and directed by Guy Pidgen, making his feature film debut, I Survived a Zombie Holocaust takes all that is good about New Zealand comedy-horror and ups the ante. The script is incredibly witty, there are a ton of “in-jokes” for genre fans and the main character is one of the most likeable heroes in a zom-com. In fact I could watch Harley Neville’s nebbish script-writer wannabe Wesley over Simon Pegg’s layabout Shaun any day of the week.

Even thought the film is infused with over-the-top ridiculousness and a script that pokes fun at the genre, I Survived a Zombie Holocaust still pays “respect” to those genre films that have come before it. Featuring nods to Romero’s zombie films, 28 Days Later, Evil Dead, Apocalypse Now and more, this film is like a movie geeks wet dream. The film starts with a fourth-wall breaking zombie “movie” and ends on a similar slant and in between is some of the wittiest and smuttiest humour I’ve seen in a horror movie in some time.

Plus writer/director Guy Pidgen has brought toilet humour back to the zombie movie – it’s like Zombie Women of Satan all over again (and yes, I was one of the few that liked that movie back at 2009′s Frightfest). Yes some of it comes across as incredibly childish in a “look at me I’m making a joke about shit” way but hell, that’s what I liked about it!

Yet despite leaning more to the comedic side of the genre, the film doesn’t skimp on the gore. Disembowelments, decapitations, dismemberments and more are strewn throughout the film in gory set pieces that make the audience both squirm and laugh in equal measure. And squirm you will – especially the men watching this film – in a particular sequence in which Pidgen and co. show the consequences of having sex with a brain dead (literally) bimbo actress!

Ultimately I Survived a Zombie Holocaust turned out to be an unexpected gem of a movie, one that I would recommend to fans of Peter Jackson’s early work (and those that liked Zombie Women of Satan – there has to be some of you out there).

[rating=5]
Phil Wheat @ Nerdly

Genre:
Horror, Comedy
Screened:
23rd August 2014 (FF14)
Director:
Guy Pigden
Cast:
Harley Neville, Jocelyn Christian, Ben Baker, Mike Edward, Andrew Laing, Reanin Johannink, Simon Ward, Mark Neilson, Patrick Davies, Harry Love