DVD Review: ZOMBIES! ZOMBIES! EVERYWHERE! and THE GREEN MONSTER

---------Review by contributing writer Scott Baker---------


ZOMBIES! ZOMBIES! EVERYWHERE!
THE GREEN MONSTER
Production Company: Untold Horror

I decided to review these two films together since they are both shorties. ZOMBIES! ZOMBIES! EVERYWHERE! clocks in at 15 minutes, while The Green Monster runs a little over an hour long.

First, let's start with ZOMBIES! ZOMBIES! EVERYWHERE! This film is very well done and is very entertaining to watch. It chronicles Dan "The Man" Spencer, a self-proclaimed zombie exterminator on a night mission to clear out a zombie nest. With him is an amateur film director who does his best to keep up and not get eaten. But what Dan doesn't know is that he has found The Hive, the origin point for all zombies. What ensues is a gore party and Dan "The Man" is the guest of honor.

ZOMBIES! ZOMBIES! EVERYWHERE! makes very good use of a low budget. The special effects are excellent and the gore flows freely (which is as it should be for a zombie flick!). And the use of the white snow to contrast against the red gore splatters only enhances the visuals even more.

Furthermore, Dan "The Man" is a great character, full of wit and trailer-park wisdom. What he lacks in brains, he makes up for in balls. I would honestly love to see a feature-length film with him as the lead…but only if actor Edward X. Young were allowed to play the part once again. I don't believe anyone else could do it justice.

All in all, ZOMBIES! ZOMBIES! EVERYWHERE! earns an 'A' for being entertaining on many levels and downright fun to watch.

THE GREEN MONSTER is a slightly different story however. If you're not familiar with this one, here is the plot courtesy of the writer, Trevor Wright:

What would you do to stay beautiful forever? What would you give to have a loved one back for good? Welcome to Gerald's Hungry Shack! Your one stop shop for all your material needs. Where your wish is their command. Buyer beware - you pay with your blood - and if the customers don't eat you, THE GREEN MONSTER will!

I wasn't too terribly fond of this one, mainly because the plot has many holes and I don't feel like it is written as well as Zombies! Zombies! Everywhere. THE GREEN MONSTER is an attempt at non-comical horror, but it comes off instead as confusing and (in a couple of instances) ridiculous.

For example, maniacal Gerald tempts a patron with a hamburger that will supposedly grant wishes. There's no way in hell that I would eat what he put in front of that patron, even if the promise of wishes coming true were an option. And as crazy as it sounds, the guy's wish does come true.

Why is this ridiculous? Because the plot up to this point is a type of murder-mystery combined with a psychological thriller…it then shifts to a 'Monkey's Paw' type of scenario (Google it if you need to) and completely slips out of gear. Add to that the ending, which comes across as humorless comedy instead of seriousness.

This is not to mention the fact that nothing is ever mentioned about 'staying beautiful forever', as referred to in the description above. Not sure what that is about, but it sounds like the production team tried to do too much in a single movie.

I wanted to like THE GREEN MONSTER but its flaws are too distracting. Still, I see a lot of talent in directors Nolan Ball and Bryan Roberts and look forward to seeing future works. As for these two films, check out ZOMBIES! ZOMBIES! EVERYWHERE! but give THE GREEN MONSTER a polite pass.


CLICK HERE to visit the Untold Horror website and check out trailers for all their films