As a teenager, I loved the original 1964 movie "My Fair Lady". As I grew older, the ridiculousness of it became more apparent and I liked it less, feeling that Eliza Dolittle really got the rough end of the deal.
However, I saw a trailer for "My Fair Zombie" and it looked pretty darn funny. After all, what could be better than a victorian themed musical set in London? That's right, adding zombies to it!
Thus, on the basis of the trailer, I tracked down and ordered a copy. I was not disappointed.
The first thing I have to say is that, going in, I understood it was a pretty low budget indie movie. Thus, my expectations were pretty low. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the costuming was top notch and they had really worked on the accents to duplicate those showcased in the original movie it was spoofing. The acting of the three main protagonists was spot on.
For those not familiar with "My Fair Lady", the basic premise is that two gentlemen make a bet that a young, poor lady from the lower rungs of society can be trained so that she can pass as a lady in polite society. With "My Fair Zombie", they take the premise that packs of zombies are routinely wandering the streets of Victorian London and the bet is made instead that one of these zombies can be turned into a lady. As might be imagined, this leads to some ridiculous and absolutely hilarious situations such as Eliza getting hungry and "snacking" before the training kicks in. The actress playing the part of the zombie Eliza Doolittle was absolutely phenomenal as she slowly evolved from a typical zombie with limited vocabulary ("Brains" and "Raaaawwhhh") to a full fledged lady. I particularly enjoyed a scene recreated from the original movie where they are trying to teach her a wider vocabulary and proper elocution. Trying to get her to say "The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plains". Naturally, she ponders each word carefully and then, with perfect comic timing and expression, proclaims excitedly "Brains!". It was epic and really helped to highlight the ridiculousness of the source material but was extremely funny with the addition of a zombie in this roll. Without spoilers, I also liked the revised ending of "My Fair Zombie" and felt Eliza came off in a slightly better position than the original movie. Also, a more fitting fate was inflicted on one of the protagonists that gave Eliza a lot more power in this retelling than the original.
I admit to being confused at all of the "1" ratings. I suspect that they were part of a negative publicity campaign by someone with a grudge since no actual reviews were left, just the poor ratings. Regardless, "My Fair Zombie" was true to the original source material and, in my mind, improved upon it with the additional comic elements added by a zombie invasion. The comedic elements were spot on and the production value high. If you are looking for a gorefest, this movie is not likely for you. If, however, you are looking for a phenomenal spoof of "My Fair Lady" but improved by the comedic zombie elements, give it a watch. You surely won't be disappointed.
