Long before Peter Jackson's name was linked with mega-budget films, such as the 'Lord of the Rings' saga, 'King Kong' and whatever others he's done since, the writer/director (and sometimes actor) seemed more in favour of crazy, over-the-top gore and silliness. I'm not saying that the 'Lord of the Rings' movies weren't awesome, as Jackson is a very talented director. However, there are times when I pine for a drop of twenty of the 'red stuff' flying in all directions.
Whether you know the film as 'Braindead' or 'Dead Alive,' it's set about fifty years ago in a quiet little down in New Zealand. A young man called Lionel's life starts off simple enough, looking after his overbearing mother (perfectly played by Elizabeth Moody), until she's bitten by a 'rat monkey' during a trip to the zoo. Instead of just reporting this and getting the appropriate medical attention, they let the wound fester and slowly, but very surely, she starts to change into a zombie, before doing what the undead do best... biting - and therefore spreading - their plague.Unfortunately, during this particular zombie apocalypse, no one thought to just call Rick and Daryl from 'The Walking Dead' to just shoot these ghouls in the head. Lionel isn't the type to wield a crossbow or magnum, instead choosing the more gentile option of simply locking them in the basement and sedating them in between meals of bowls of custard (did you know zombies also eat custard? Well... apparently, they do).
Sadly, regular meals of sugary dessert is no match for a zombie's thirst for human flesh and Lionel soon finds himself the custodian of more and more of them, until... well, if you've seen one zombie movie then you know how they eventually turn out. What transpires is just one epicly-hilarious horror film. I know it's largely known for its gore (which is a fair point). However, if you're expecting something that is gory AND scary, then this isn't it. 'Braindead' knows it's silly and plays up to it at every moment. It's more of a comedy than a horror, with moments of - brilliant - gore thrown in there. It's true... you're unlikely to see a more gory movie to this day and, to make things even better, being made in 1992 all effects were practical and therefore a lot more 'real' than the regular CGI-fest we get today.
The performances from the central two characters (Timothy Balme and Diana Penalver) and as good as any you'd expect to see in a horror movie, but the real stars are (as I already mentioned) Elizabeth Moody as Lionel's evil mother (and that's just BEFORE she became part of the undead!) and also Ian Watkin, as Lionel's truly disgusting 'Uncle Les.' The local priest also made me laugh, but isn't in the film for a long as he probably could have been, but his notable line of 'I kick a$$ for the Lord!' will live with me forever. I'm not sure I can count a certain 'infant' zombie as a 'character,' but, again, little 'Selwyn' will also be a continued source of amusement for me.
I read online that, in the final act of 'Braindead,' they got through about five gallons of blood per second (or something like that - either way, it was a lot!). That should tell you all you need to know about the film. It is totally disgusting, possibly the more gory film you're likely to find, it's totally over-the-top and crazy and, if you're into something like that, it's definitely the one for you. Plus it has the lines, 'Your mother ate my dog!' in it and the subsequent response, 'Well... not all of it.'
9/10 almost as perfect as The Godfather
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