Braindead/Dead Alive (1992)

Braindead/Dead Alive (1992)

Directed by: Peter Jackson

Starring: Timothy Balme, Diana Penalver, Elizabeth Moody, Ian Watkin

Subgenre: Zombies, Gore & Shock, Horror Comedy

Long before Peter Jackson was reeling in awards for his work in Middle Earth, he was bringing us some of the most insane horror movies put to film.  Braindead, or Dead Alive this side of the pond, is easily his most well known (others include Bad Taste and Meet the Feebles).

The prologue of Braindead begins with an expedition to Skull Island in search of the dangerous Sumatran Rat Monkey for an exhibit at the Wellington Zoo in New Zealand.  One of the explorers, who happens to get scratched by the Rat Monkey, is quickly dispatched by the natives, leaving the viewer to only guess what may happen to victimsf the Rat Monkey.

Astute viewers will take note that Skull Island is also the home of King Kong, which Jackson would go on to remake in 2005.  Jackson would also return to this filming location for a scene in Return of the King (I guess New Zealand is only so big).

We are quickly introduced to Lionel and his rather domineering mother and his budding romatic interest, Paquita.  Not alot of time is spent on character development, as you could tell Jackson wanted to get into the action as soon as possible.  While spying on her son and Paquita at the zoo, Mother is bitten by the Rat Monkey, and we finally get to see what happens as she slowly turns into a puss oozing zombie.

Lionel’s attempts to care for his mother become a comedy of errors, and his zombie collection starts to grow as Mother kills a nurse, some hoodlums, and a Priest.  The scene where the Priest is dispatched features the epic line “I kick ass for the Lord!”

Things only get worse when Lionel’s leacherous Uncle Les moves in and decides to throw a party.  The zombies obviously break free from the basement and all Hell breaks lose.  What follows is one of the goriest sequences ever put to film.  The gore is so over the top it is comedic.  This isn’t comparable to flicks like Hostel or Martyrs, which can be painful to watch at times, but some of the shit you see is pretty crazy.  Think animated intestines, a zombie baby, Mother turned into a giant zombie with a gaping womb, and Lionel attacking a room full of zombies with a shoulder mounted lawn-mower.

If you fancy yourself a fan of zombie flicks, Dead Alive is on the must-see list.  Dead Alive is a fun little flick and a great look at the early work of a major Hollywood director.  Peter Jackson’s career path is very similar to Sam Raimi, and I personally would love to see Jackson come back to the horror genre.  Hopefully any return would come off better than Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell.