Here we go again: A motley assortment of colorful characters stumble across an abandoned fishing lodge in the middle of nowhere in the woods of Hicksville, USA. The group find themselves in considerable jeopardy from a zombie outbreak caused by a parasitic alien goo. Okay, so the story is far from original, but fortunately director Kevin S. Tenney (who blessed us with "Witchboard" and "Night of the Demons" back in the 80's) and writer Dale Gelineau ably capture both the blithely trashy feeling of pure fun and the infectiously loopy vitality of vintage 80's down'n'dirty low-budget indie fright fare: We've got a constant zippy pace, huge gobs of gloriously excessive over-the-top graphic gore, a wickedly funny sense of deliciously irreverent humor (the dialogue in particular is quite witty and often hilariously profane), lively and exciting zombie attack set pieces, an engaging tongue-in-cheek tone, affectionate nods to such 80's cult faves as "The Evil Dead" and "Return of the Living Dead," funky special effects, and, naturally, a generous sprinkling of tasty gratuitous female nudity. Moreover, the game cast have a field day with the wacky material, with especially praiseworthy contributions from Joshua Benton as likable smartaleck Clarence Singer, Sarah Grant Brendecke as the sassy Sherry Morgan, David Crane as vicious psycho hoodlum Bob Jules, Michelle Tomlinson as scrappy and abrasive lesbian Claudia Bush, Andy Forrest as the smarmy and cowardly Reverend Farnsworth, Cristina Tibera as foxy bimbo Amy Smoots, and Elizabeth Lambert as the ditsy Candy. Noted Grade B flick director Jim Wynorski has a nifty sizable supporting role as a good ol' boy sheriff. The snazzy cinematography by Alex Simon and Patrick McGowan boasts plenty of clever scene transitions. Kudos are also in order for Dennis Michael Tenney's twangy and dynamic score and the gnarly old school practical make-up f/x. A total schlocky hoot.
Review of Brain Dead
