Despite what you might have read online, I still think that this is a movie worth watching. Survival of the Dead is an intriguing zombie movie set on an island. It’s also George A. Romero’s last movie and the third and final part of the modern “of the Dead” trilogy. I will admit that Land is the best out of all three movies with this one being the worst. The Land was the sprawling zombie epic Romero originally wanted to make and Diary used this new found-footage gimmick. All Survival has going for itself is the setting and dark humor. And I think that’s enough.
Think of it as homage to an homage with western boredom twist. Don’t worry it will become perfectly clear once you start watching the movie. Survival of the Dead is the next part of the Romero zombie genre evolution. It introduces the moral dilemma of what to do with our loved ones if they become zombies. Should we shoot them in the head and just be done with it or is there hope for a possible cure. Add to this obligatory group soldiers and you got yourself quite a solid movie.
Also, I don’t need to tell you that the special effects were good. The same goes for the makeup and the general visual outlook. Now, while there will be quite a few really gory scenes, you should know that there will be almost no scares here. Okay, a couple of jump scares might catch you off-guard but that’s about it. Most of all, Survival of the Dead is a dark comedy with zombies. When it comes to the cast, I know that they’re not that famous but almost all of them did a great job. Kenneth Welsh as O’Flynn and Alan Van Sprang as Sarge left the best impression.
The zombie apocalypse came and never went. And while the devastation on the mainland was almost complete, an isolated Plum Island managed to avoid the worst. It’s home to two feuding Irish families who now must deal with another point of contention. Soon, a group of soldiers looking for a place to settle will come across an online ad advertising the island as a great retirement place. Sort of like zombie Florida and they will decide to check it out.
I have to admit that I didn’t expect the whole zombie Irish island thing from Survival of the Dead. It caught me by surprise and was quite refreshing. Especially in a genre so oversaturated as this one is. It feels like a zombie western to tell you the truth. However, it also deals with a post-zombie society where you already have online comedy shows cracking jokes about them. I’m guessing that explains the title of the movie, Survival of the Dead. And, if I may be so bold, the dead thing refers both to the living and the dead.
Director: George A. Romero
Writer: George A. Romero
Cast: Devon Bostick, Athena Karkanis, Kathleen Munroe, Julian Richings, Stefano DiMatteo
Fun Stuff: The movie was shot almost entirely in Canada and almost all of the actors are Canadian.
Rating:
IMDb Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1134854/
