Graveyard Alive

This is a true rarity in the genre, if only because it was written, directed, and produced by women. Horrors created exclusively by men are a dime a dozen, but women's involvement behind the scenes has been sadly lacking. This one took four years to get made, and then another four years (post-festival circuit) to finally get a DVD release this month. That's all very unfortunate, because this unique low-budget zomromcom is an overall success. It tells the story of frumpy Nurse Patsy, who isn't over her love for former beau Dr. Dox. Unfortunately, he's getting married to Nurse Goodie Teuscheuze, who taunts Patsy in the workplace like a little brat on a playground. While caring for a woodcutter with an ax in his head (!), Nurse Patsy gets bitten. She soon finds her appetite for sex increasing, her self-esteem raising, and her skin falling off. Unfortunately, a craving for human flesh comes with her new-found sex drive. This movie is a total hoot. It plays out like a 50s b-movie mixed with a "hospital soap opera." The lead actress plays it straight-faced, but all of the other actors ham it up like they're in a horror spoof of "General Hospital." It works better than it sounds. The dialogue is witty and the delivery is spot-on. The narrative feels a bit predictable at first, but it twists into unique and surprising territory. It's very funny in places, though feels a little thin in spots. Overall, it's better than most indie zombie movies. Thumbs up, though the amateur cast interviews in the special features are best left unwatched for various reasons...

I saw this at an all night horror marathon the other day where the director was present (I was the guy in the Godzilla T-Shirt), I wasn't sure what to make of it to start with, maybe it was because it was the first full length feature of the night and b&w with a strange style. But as the film went on I got more and more into it, although I couldn't decide if the lip syncing (or not) was intentional or not.

The plot is that there's a nurse in a hospital who is the dorky one who nobody likes and doesn't have a boyfriend, but when a patient (who happens to be a zombie) shows an interest she falls in love but gets bitten and turned into a horny zombie, and so the plot commences.

Anyway there's plenty of zombie related comedy and a good share of gore in here.

Overall I would watch it again, and would recommend people who like low-budget film-making, it kind of reminded me of Garth Marenghi's Darkplace. 8/10

The only reason this is being given a two is because I have to give credit to the dream sequences - they were actually quite stylish and had a pretty convincing horror tone to them.

Otherwise, if it was supposed to be silent, they should've kept it silent as the post-production ADR was REALLY distracting throughout the film, which also made the over-acting look absolutely ridiculous. Not looking to blame the actors, they were only doing what they were directed to do.

The movie was pretty painful to watch overall and although I kept hoping it would get better, it only got worse. I was so paralyzed by how horrible the film was that I couldn't even reach for the remote to turn it off.

It makes you wonder how movies like this EVER make it past a high school project, as that's what it felt like. There are so many brilliant independent movies out there that never make it and it's so painfully disappointing that something like this ends up representing Canadian film...unbelievable.

Yes, there are better zombie movies out there. However, there are also much, much worse. Graveyard Alive has a lot of heart and humor behind it, which sells it despite its shortcomings and sets it apart within the genre. Keeping in mind that the budget for this movie was very small, the money was spent where it should have been - on actors and actresses who primarily worked in stage productions and had a strong control of their expressions, on securing a real hospital as a set, and on a decent technical crew. The editing and cinematography are actually pretty pro, and when your genre is so infested with hand-held camcorder affairs in backyard fields, you appreciate a good sense of lighting and photography.

The movie is also notable for the fact that the zombie starlet is your main, sympathetic character - something we don't often see done with zombies, even zombie comedies (and this movie was not intended to scare you, so if you're looking for a frightfest you really should have looked more closely at the description). You find yourself rooting for her transformation, and you want her to succeed - if only so that you can see what she does next.

It's campy, flawed, and I strongly recommend it -- especially to genre fans who have seen one too many disappointing, cookie-cutter low-budget zombie movie in the hopes of catching something different. This is definitely different, and definitely worth a watch. And don't be afraid to smile at the overacting and odd, sparse dialogue - you're Supposed to.

This is a great low budget indie movie! Shot way before the walking dead and zombies were trendy... watch it :if you like black and white movies and hospital dramas or just if you like cheese low budget horror! I especially likes the different camera angles and the fact that it was all shot in black and white. It's really high contrast and it has that old school acting style about it!

It was shot in Montreal and other parts and the acting is surprisingly good for a Canadian film. This movie is well directed and produced and really shows the quality of the Montreal talent (when it's so hard for local English film makers to get any funding in Stupid Quebec...