DVD Review: BRAIN DEAD (2007)

 
  
-------------Review by contributing writer Scott Baker------------------
  
BRAIN DEAD
Directed by:  Kevin Tenney
Distributed by:  Breaking Glass Pictures/Vicious Circle Films

  

Zombies of any kind are almost always fun...especially those that don’t take themselves too seriously. (Which sorta begs the question of whether or not zombies have a sense of humor...?) BRAIN DEAD is one of those unique comedy-horror hybrids that can actually frighten you during one scene and then have you chuckling in the next.

 

If you are not familiar with BRAIN DEAD, here is the plot courtesy of the Breaking Glass Pictures website:

 

After an extraterrestrial parasite crash-lands in a backwoods American town – landing squarely on the head of a local fisherman – it sparks a fast spreading zombie infestation. As the brain hungry monsters multiply, three pairs of unlucky misfits convene on a fishing lodge for shelter. With zombies pounding at the door, the stranded, mismatched travelers must band together to stop the invasion – or serve themselves up as a main course. The problem is, they may lose their minds to each other before losing their brains to the zombies.

 

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this film; the screener disc came with no cover art, nor was there anything on the disc itself except for the name. But regardless, the plot synopsis said it was about zombies, so I was hooked.

And wow, am I glad I got to watch this one! BRAIN DEAD is a wild romp into horror that will entertain you on many levels.

 

A zombie film must (in my opinion) devote a good deal of effort into the make-up effects. And, from the look of them, the production team did just that for this film. The zombies in BRAIN DEAD are not groundbreaking in appearance, but they sure look good. And the gore is excellent as well. There’s plenty of the red stuff splattering, and a few scenes will even make you cringe!

 

Of particular note is a scene involving a young woman’s nether-regions (you will definitely know what I’m talking about when you see this one). I am not sure how they special effects team pulled this shot off, but wow...it definitely leaves an impression...and makes you squirm at the same time! I had to pause the movie for a moment and walk away. It’s that crazy!

 

The acting is pretty good, although I think a couple of the characterizations were a bit over the top. The writing and storyline are well done, too. I was a bit surprised, though, to see director Kevin Tenney turned to do a kid’s movie after this one (BIGFOOT)...especially after he had already amassed several other thrillers and horror movies under his belt prior. I guess that goes to show his diversity.

 

Still, though, BRAIN DEAD is a must see for those fans that enjoy a good dose of humor mixed in with their horror. Gore-hounds will be happy as well. I enjoyed it immensely and am looking forward to watching it again.

 

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD



CLICK HERE to visit the official website of Breaking Glass Pictures/Vicious Circle Films