| Cover Art |
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| Credits |
Director: Andy Koontz
Starring: Chris Koontz, Amy Renner, Reagan Walters, Doug Stanley, Amie Corbin, Mike VanYserloo, Randy Bowden, Kevin Phillips, Scott Phillips
Screenplay: Andy Koontz Quotes: "Wanna kick some zombie ass?" "Hell yeah!"
Country: USA
Year: 2002 |
These days, it seems as though anyone can go
out there and make themselves a movie with just
a video camera, a few family members and friends,
something closely resembling a script, and some
leftover trimmings from the local butcher shop.
Some of these movies are good, some are average,
and some (ok, more than some) are just plain shit.
A lot of these movies seem to be horror movies,
and a lot of these horror movies seem to feature
zombies. Why is that exactly? Is it because zombies
are easier to create than CGI ghosts or werewolves,
or is it just because we as an audience seem to
enjoy just about anything that features the undead?
Whatever the reasons, this latest trend
in "do it yourself" movie making has
at least given us a suitable alternative to movies
from the likes of Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts
that seem to be playing on multiplex cinema screens
twenty four hours a day, seven days a week for
the edification of the masses. Sure, as previously
mentioned, more than some of these movies are
shit, however I am happy to say that Them
Damn Zombies is not one of those movies.
The country town of Beaver Falls USA seems to
be populated mainly by gun-toting rednecks with
a penchant for heavy metal t-shirts. While strolling
through the woods, one such redneck by the name
of Cleatus stumbles upon a group of strange individuals
who are in the process of devouring his beloved
dog Sam. Not content with their canine feast however,
the group then turn on Cleatus himself, and thus,
the zombie carnage begins. Beaver Falls is quickly
over-run by the living dead, which leads a local
news reporter and his cameraman to venture deep
within the woods in search of the truth behind
this zombie epidemic. With the help of local yokel
Red Talbot, the trio make their way through the
woods "Blair Witch" style, picking up
a couple of female survivors and Red's own brothers
along the way, before the group is forced to seek
refuge from the zombie masses in a deserted shack
until daybreak. Naturally things don't go as planned,
and as their numbers quickly dwindle, the survivors
decide that the only way they will get out out
of this alive is to take on the zombies and make
a break for freedom, or as they put it, to "kick
some zombie ass!".
Them Damn Zombies is obviously
the work of people who love cheesy movies. So
many shot on video efforts these days fall flat
on their faces by trying to be far too serious,
or get carried away with being so nasty that they
forget what the words "fun" and "entertaining"
mean. Thankfully, Them Dam Zombies doesn't seem to take itself seriously for one
minute, and delivers us some fantastic (and often
amusing) zombie cheese from start to finish. The
redneck characters are hilarious, and their dialogue
produced some genuine belly laughs from yours
truly, and while the actors weren't exactly "talented",
they knew exactly what kind of film they were
making and hammed it up to such an extent that
you have to admire them. The zombie make-up is
cheap, however the gore effects are surprisingly
decent for such a low budget film, and director
Andy Koontz gives us plenty of splatter with stomach
ripping, decapitations and limb chomping aplenty.
Kudos must also go to director of photography
Scott Phillips who actually knows how to light
the films night scenes, which is something that
many other low budget filmmakers seem to overlook
(don't you just love looking at those black screens,
wondering what it is that you are supposed to
be seeing?). My only gripe with Them Damn
Zombies was its running time. Clocking
in at around thirty minutes, it was just too damn
short. Personally, I would have loved seeing more
redneck action and babes kicking zombie butt!
If you want high production values, big budget
digital effects shots, romantic sub plots, and
a full orchestral soundtrack, then go back to
your local multiplex. There is probably a Cruise
or Roberts picture playing right now. If however
you want fun, laughter, women in tight denim shorts,
gore galore, and a strong parmesan stench, then Them Damn Zombies is just the
ticket. How could you not love a film that is
set in a town called "Beaver Falls"?
As an added bonus (and perhaps to compensate
for the main features short running time) the
tape also includes Zombie Dawn,
a five minute short film from Andy Koontz and
Scott Phillips that plays like a Dawn
of the Dead style heavy metal music video
about a bunch of special forces types who storm
a zombie infested house on a desperate rescue
mission. Despite the short running time, Zombie
Dawn manages to cram in more gunfire
and gore than most Hollywood epics and features
a zombie dog that makes the pooches from Resident
Evil look like "Lassie" wannabes.
I'd love to see this one expanded into a feature
film some day!
I'd definitely recommend Them Damn Zombies as a great way to kick off a night of cheesy zombie
entertainment. Grab the popcorn, crack open a
few cans, and enjoy the mayhem. Follow it up with
something like Hell of the Living Dead or Burial Ground. I know you
want to.. |
