Carne muerta

Say what you like about writer/director Conor McMahon's debut, but he knows his walking dead movies from the entrails out.

This loopy, atmospheric and gore-splattered low budget tale set in rural Ireland about mad cow disease jumping to humans and turning them into gut-chomping zombies is teeming with references and visual nods to a dozen other movies.

But whereas Shaun Of The Dead stuck largely with George A Romero's canon, McMahon's clearest inspirations are the brooding autumnal landscapes of The Living Dead At The Manchester Morgue, the invention of The Evil Dead and the unhinged splatstick of Peter Jackson's Brain Dead.

The tonal shift between horror and black humour isn't always smooth but McMahon and his enthusiastic cast hurl themselves into it with gusto, whether dwelling gleefully on the obligatory slippery red zombie picnic or ratcheting up the tension for some genuinely harrowing moments.

When I was attending a horror convention with a friend we bought together this flick, the man who sold it had a big laugh on his face just to give the statement, you've been ripped off but it costs only 2 euro's so we couldn't be ripped off I guessed. Was I right, this is an excellent zombie flick. Of course it's low budget and it shows but it gives something extra on it. I mean, the night scene's are a bit too dark so you don't really see what is happening so by that way you can't see the cheap effects, but again, they are well done. Just watch out for the end when the zombies really attack. There are decapitations, pitchforks going into bodies and everything else you would like to do to a attacking zombie. That's all done very well but the make up of the zombie's faces are really bad. But don't hesitate to go search for it, is will well worth your money. The only thing I could say that was a bit annoying was the Irish language, I have nothing against that but it is sometimes hard to understand and sadly there were no subs on it.

This may not be the best movie, but is very entertaining.

One thing is for sure: this one isn't recommended unless you're into the genre. The movie itself feels like something of Peter Jackson's old works, judging of the splatter, the camera work and the neatly applied effects. The plot didn't really catch me and there were a few moments which I just found plain boring here due to the lack of action. At the same time I have to admit that there were some scenes which made me choke of laughter. What about a crazy cow facing her death through a baseball or a different approach to drive-by's with swinging bats chopping off zombie heads. Now that's some joy I tell you. The Irish accent tops it all.

This was a great movie. Obviously shot on tape this normally brings problems technically to viewing pleasure, combined with some performances that had great weakness one might be led to thinking that you were viewing another straight to video rubbish film. However quickly the dimensions of the character and the inventiveness of the director with his choice of camera set ups led to an exciting and dramatically interesting film in which one had interest and emotion invest within unlike many bigger zombie films with far greater budgets as was sadly the case with Land of the dead. To be highly recommended for those who not only like gory and inventive horror but also to those who wish for greater depth within the film.