ZOMBIEWORLD
Since anthologies have been proving increasingly popular again, it’s little wonder that horror’s prodigal monster has gotten it’s very own. Unlike The ABC’s of Death, Dread Central and Ruthless Pictures’ Zombieworld takes more of a Tales from the Crypt, Creepshow, The House That Dripped Blood et al approach. The shorts are held together with a tenuous narrative, in this case the recently bitten TV news anchor Marvin Gloat desperate to keep reporting even as he turns.
One of the funnier shorts is David Muñoz and Adrian Cardona‘s Fist of Jesus, where God’s son botches his first pop at resurrection and sparks a zombie outburst. The answer is a splatterpunk malaise splicing anarchic Evil Dead effects with Monty Python‘s kooky slapstick. Credit is due for arming our Lord and Saviour with dead fish and pitching him against undead cowboys. A more subtle, and arguably funnier, effort is Luke Asa Guidici‘s Certified, a wind-up of Americana where a little girl terrifies a mailman to devilish effect.
But it’s not all gore worship, the best of the anthology are the more understated entries, including Phil Haine’s I Am Lonely where a bloke finds his flatmate dying from a bite wound. It’s essentially a monologue, loaded with subtle laughs and a killer twist. Zach Ramelan‘s Dead Rush is more straight-up survival horror, with a first person perspective to keep things lively. Others are boring or just downright annoying, Temportal in particular is especially dated and trite.
There’s some genuine talent on show here, the best short in the collection being Cameron McCulloch’s Home. The Australian-set short demonstrates the best use of props, shots and script, making for a surprisingly moving conclusion. After a few shorts under her belt, it’s about time McCulloch took on a feature.
Zombieworld is a cross-continental, undead celebration splicing trash and gold together. You get whiplash from the continual shift in tone and style and dreadful CGI, but it’s a gory curiosity that any zombie fan should be glad to get their grubby hands on.
Special Features: Marathon Apocalypse short film
INFO: ZOMBIEWORLD / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: VARIOUS / SCREENPLAY: VARIOUS / STARRING: KEVIN ALLEN-BICKNELL, JOSE MARIA ANGORRILLA, RAY ARALIOS, IBBY BAKALOUMA / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
