When an interstellar meteorite collides with the skull of a small town fisherman, an alien plague is unleashed, creating a swarm of monstrous, brain-hungry zombies. As the bloodthirsty ghouls chomp their way through the surrounding area; a pair of mismatched convicts, two lost hikers, a televangelist and his pretty assistant find themselves holed up in a deserting fishing lodge with a host of alien-infected, mutant amoeba controlled zombies at their doorstep.
Anyone familiar with director Kevin Tenneys work will know exactly what to expect from Brain Dead. Having helmed a host of gut-ridden shockers since the 80s, Tenney is completely at home with this light-hearted shocker that melds cutthroat humour and blood splattered horror into one undemanding, but consistently enjoyable package.
The story is simple and intentionally silly, while some modest production values serve the film perfectly. Theres a reliance on subpar CGI, but Brain Dead excels with its old-school prosthetics and pigs blood approach. This unpolished, but tactile nature is what will really appeal, and provides plenty of gut churning, but crowd-pleasing moments.
The script comes courtesy of Dale Gelineau, admittedly something of an unknown but completely tuned into the genre. The motley cast of characters are all caricatures, but a lively script strewn with playful banter and sharp pop culture references hits the spot. There are genuine laughs to be had here, from the wisecracking wit of leading man Clarence (Benton), to the scathing putdowns of the hilarious Claudia (Tomlinson). Paris Hilton and Whitney Houston both find themselves at the mercy of verbal punches, and while such attacks are hardly fresh, theyre still good for cheap chuckles.
The ragtag cast provide plenty of entertainment throughout, with the aforementioned Joshua Benton stealing the spotlight at every turn as Clarence, more than proving his worth as a comic talent to watch out for. The rest are the usual B-movie sorts, complete with too-tight tank tops, frequent fluffed lines and regular and gratuitous nudity.
Nonetheless, for those after a cheap and nasty piece of entrails ridden entertainment; Brain Dead ticks all the right boxes.
Overall Verdict: An enjoyable enough throwback to the cheap and cheerful horror romps of yesteryear; Brain Dead offers plenty in the way of simple laughs, gut-churning gore and a gleefully bonkers script.
Special Features:
Behind the Screams making of featurette
Trailer
Reviewer: David Steele