The Zombie Hero

Running a site called Gutmunchers.com I get the chance to check out a lot of independent zombie movies.  And as much as I like zombie movies this isn’t a good thing.  Too many independent filmmakers are also fans of movies like Night of the Living Dead and then try to make those movies.  Honestly most of them that try this fail miserably.  But then you have a filmmaker like Nicholas A. Jackson.  Instead of trying to make the same zombie movie that everyone else does he gets a bit creative and makes a movie like the Zombie Hero.

Mike is your average guy.  He is in love with his girl, Nina, and wants to propose to her.  On his way home with the ring he is run down by a madman/scientist named Dr. Faust that is using the bodies of his victims to experiment on.  Soon Mike returns from the dead and starts wandering around town as a zombie.  With the help of a mysterious Bum he learns how to be a hero and protect the town, as well as his girl, from the evil Dr. Faust.  Not only that but he gets to fight some crime along the way as well!

The Zombie Hero suffers from many of the limitations that a low budget movie can have.  The acting is a bit rough at times with a cast that is clearly made up of friends of the filmmaker.  The special effects are very rough with many of them being on the level of Halloween decorations.  And many of the sets are put together with little or no money and look like it.  But I’ll be damned if none of this matters a bit because Nicholas Jackson and his crew know how to make a movie and have some real talent. 

First of all let me say again that I really enjoyed the story and it’s different take on the zombie story.  It takes a familiar character like a zombie and goes in a unique direction with it as a superhero of sorts.  Right from the start this shows some creativity and willingness to be different and do their own thing.  Then when maybe the budget is a bit lacking, like Dr. Faust’s lab clearly being someone’s basement they totally ham it up and play it tongue in cheek.  This gives the audience, or at least me, the feeling that they are in on the joke with us.  Plus it doesn’t hurt that Carl Lawrenz, who plays Faust, is clearly having a blast.  Heck there are many times in the movie where the actors have to pull double, triple, or quadruple duty and play more than one part.  Instead of trying to really hide their identities they toss a bad wig, or mustache on and again just have fun with it.  I appreciate a filmmaker with a good sense of humor.  This kind of stuff actually ends up helping the movie be even more fun. 

But it isn’t just a sense of humor that impressed me.  There are some really nice touches to The Zombie Hero that I wanted to mention.  Two of the biggest mistakes that I see independent filmmakers make are terrible camera work and even worse sound.  There is nothing that can kill the entertainment value of a movie like not being able to hear or see what is going on.  I’m not sure who was responsible for the sound here, but they did an excellent job.  The dialogue is clear and easy to follow, and the ambient sound is handled nicely as well.  But what really got my attention was the camera work and to a lesser extent the lighting.  Not only is it top-notch work for a low budget movie, but also at times it is really creative.  One scene in particular is shot looking out from inside a trunk.  This might not be a big deal if you are used to watching a lot of big budget Hollywood flicks, but as someone who watches a ton of these movies I was impressed by it.  Sure it is a very quick cut, but this and some of the other shots tell me that either they storyboarded the movie out and planned their shots or that their cameraman had a great eye.  Either way it was nice to see.

When I review an independent or really low budget movie I don’t judge it by the standards that I use for better-funded projects.  What I try to do is take into account how well the filmmakers overcome the problems that any under funded project faces.  But of course in the end it still comes down to whether I was entertained or not.  Not only did the guys and gals behind The Zombie Hero do a great job getting around their limitations, but they also made a fun movie.  If you like independent movies and want to check out something a bit different then I recommend The Zombie Hero.  For more information please check them out at http://www.morebrainsmedia.com/films.html

3 out of 4

reviewed by John Shatzer

© Copyright 2010 John Shatzer