The Dead Hate the Living!

I'm so tired of supposedly clever, overly self-conscious horror films. I know there are generational differences and a lot of people find this type of thing humorous and hip. In the early 90's, there was a film called "There's Nothing Out There" which was about a slimy green monster from outer space killing vacationing teens at a house in the woods over Spring Break. There was a horror movie nut who bothered everybody by making references to other horror films. At the time, that seemed funny and the movie itself is a ragged, messy charmer. I believe this is the film Kevin Williamson used to help him along in writing the script for "Scream", which while I did enjoy it, has hurt the horror genre through it's lazy deconstruction of modern horror. "The Dead Hate The Living" is a bandwagon film that only goes to show that even with a larger than usual budget and good intentions (but obviously pandering to the "Scream" demographic), a horror movie you cannot make.

I do have a theory that maybe people who like horror a little too much and are too eager to please cannot make a decent, serious horror picture. I do have a problem with people who like references to Warbeck and Campbell and Fulci. Do you like being patronized? I don't think you do. Why do you make special concessions for filmmakers who obviously take the easy way out by making you feel superior because you can pick up on what are basically pop-culture references? All the horror films of the past we champion have none of these obvious references. Are we so devoid of creativity or original thought (or filmmaking prowess) that we cannot make(or get to see) a good horror film anymore? I think they got us in a box and we can't get out.

I liked SCREAM as much as the next guy, but it's all but ruined horror films from 1996 and beyond. It's a shame to see it rub off on so many young horror filmmakers and an even bigger shame that they allow an overabundance of film references and endless blabber about various horror films to take the place of a plot and REAL dialogue. It's really a lazy way to construct a movie and really just a way to demonstrate the filmmakers know their s**t. Who really cares? And if they DO watch and love the horror films of Romero and Fulci, they'd know that nothing is worth sacrificing atmosphere, scares and a true sense of humor over. This movie is also derivative in its style- it is well photographed and richly colored in different shades, but even THAT aspect is just copycatting Dario Argento.

Everyone has already summed up the confusing "plot," of this Full Moon feature, so I won't waste time on it, just to say that THE DEAD HATE THE LIVING is made up of so many different elements from so many other zombie/horror movies that its OWN identity becomes lost in the shuffle and it doesn't quite make it as a comedy, a parody OR a horror film. However, I think some of the cast members (Jamie Donahue, Brett Beardslee..) have the potential to make an impression in the horror genre given the right opportunities.

Score: 3 out of 10.

Being the Bruce Campbell fan that I am, I consider that one of the greatest lines in cinematic history. This is a horror movie for horror fans by horror fans. The Dead Hate the Living is what low budget horror is all about. The zombies are original and extremely creepy. Gaunt, the huge 8 foot zombie, is incredibly eerie. The film's atmosphere is great too. The scene where Maggot pulls Marcus off my his entrails is awesome. There are two computer effects that I was not happy with, the electrocution and the zombie barbecue. Other than those minor flaws, this is certainly a step up for Full Moon Studios. Full Moon pictures has been in a slump for years. This is their best movie since Castle Freak. Actually, I can only recall them having four good movies: Castle Freak, The original PuppetMaster, Subspecies, and this one. The tributes (Sam Raimi, Lucio Fulci, George Romero, John Carpenter, and others) within the film are great too. If you are an underground horror fan, you should at least check this one out for those. This is a must see for all genre (especially zombie) fans. The Dead Hate the Living will turn into a cult classic within a few years. "Glorious Megadeth!"

This is one of those movies that you don't see very often. It was good and bad. The good parts in this movie are the deaths and violence. The bad parts are that there was a long boring beginning. If you like zombie movies, rent it. It's not the best, but it's alright. I gave this a 8.

This is one of the best zombie movies I've seen in a long time. If you want something out of the ordinary then this movie is for you. It's a different kind of zombie flick. It's funny and scary at the same time. Full Moon really has another great movie to add to their collection. For a low budget film, there are some really great scenes. This movie is along the lines as Return of the Living Dead, which as everybody knows has sequels, can't wait for the sequel or sequels to The Dead Hate The Living