A few years ago we were contacted by Professor Peter Engle and his staff who were sourcing all the recent zombie movies that have been produced to include in the 2nd Edition of the The Zombie Movie Encyclopedia: 2000-2010.
We were finally able to get our hands on a copy, and found quite a nice review. Read on:
This small scale zombie apocalypse from Brooklyn captures the feel of New York City: there’s greater ethnic diversity than in most low-budget regional pics, use of something called a “bicycle” (which even a zombie rides for a short stretch!), people in the road who won’t get out of your way, and an entire cast of characters who only speak in Irony. There’s a Hassidic Jew zombie really just minding his own business, while an undead Jehovah’s Witness tries to pass a Watchtower off onto the protagonists. When a black out hits the Boroughs, the stoner members of basement band General Malacarne find that the streets are largely empty and everyone has become cannibal zombies.
They pursue a series of half-baked plans to make it out to a bay house on a nearby island, plans that aren’t helped by the fact that the characters are half-baked too most of the time. Writer and cast member Elizabeth Lee told New York Press, “It seemed like bring[ ing] zombies to the stoner genre was natural, since stoners are zombie-like. We find zombies really, really funny, and we find stoners really, really funny. It was a natural combination.”
The movie is an unambitious affair overall, but it’s kept periodically entertaining by some innovative use of situations along the way and by the characters’ constant sarcastic banter and vaguely aloof cynicism. The zombie outbreak is apparently due to a renegade satellite that’s hurdled back to Earth. The undead are drippy and covered in red goop. They smell blood, and are attracted to open wounds— this gets them especially agitated.
Otherwise, their behavior is unpredictable; some of them simply stand around with no discernible motives or impulses whatsoever. Improvised weapons against the zombies include skillets, brooms, pool cue, hockey stick, candlestick, and drum sticks. In one scene, a zombie trying to chase the characters in their Volkswagon presses up against the rear windshield and so winds up inadvertently pushing them a fair way down the road. The characters argue over whether the undead assailants are zombies or vampires, a point which guitarist Sam (Calloway) seems to settle. He points to a zombie they have strapped to a chair with packing tape and an electric cord, explaining, “See guys, these— these are zombies. They’re not picky. They don’t have taste.”
Elsewhere, when lead singer Miko (Hong) asks, “how are we going to kill them if they’re already dead?” Sam answers deliciously, “Uh ... have you ever seen any movie, ever? You aim for the head.” The undead may be unholy monsters, but they don’t stand a chance against hardened New York apathy.
