Gleefully low-budget comedy zombie shocker

It’s 1957 New Zealand and Lionel’s dominating mother is bitten, infected and eventually killed by a rat monkey. Returning to life as a zombie she goes on to turn everyone around her into a zombie as well. It is down to Lionel to keep the whole affair quiet, save his girlfriend and defeat the resulting zombie hordes (with the help of a great big lawnmower).

This film is most definitely a comedy first and a horror second. Though it is not scary at all, it is stuffed full of wince-inducing scenes of gore and laugh out loud black comedy (dead mother’s ear falls off into plate of custard – and is then inadvertently eaten; you get the idea). Amazingly, this is Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson’s second film but is about as un-Hollywood as you could possibly get. Endlessly inventive and clever scenes do hint at genius beyond independent niche filmmaking though. Cameras fly around tracking action and expressions, and the frenetic, bloodbath of a climax knocks the Kill Bill restaurant fight into a cocked hat.

One other memorable scene has Lionel flip on the radio when thrown against it during a violent scuffle with his zombie mother. On the radio is playing quaint, genteel farming soap, The Archers which then accompanies the struggle; Radio character: [in country bumpkin West Country accent]“Hello mother! You are looking well today. How about a nice cup of tea?”.

The weaker parts of the film are the slightly disappointing denouement between Lionel and his mother. I also don’t think the zombie baby in the park scene is necessary – this scene was actually shot after the film was completed and Jackson discovered he still had some budget left to use up.

Favourite Scene:

Zombie baby in a blender

Favourite Quote:

Paquita : Your mother ate my dog!
Lionel : [Retrieves tail from zombie mother's mouth] Not all of it.
Film Rating:

Not a normal zombie film by any means, but a fantastic and enjoyable one nonetheless. It simply cannot fail to provoke a reaction.
Adherence to THE LORE:

Not good. They are dead and they do shuffle, but it’s an infection spread by bites originating from some Sumatran rat-monkey. Lore points lost for two zombies having sex, conceiving then having a zombie baby!

See Also

The Evil Dead II – definitely Brain Dead’s spiritual cousin.