Bastardoz

Sure, you've seen dozens, maybe hundreds, of zombie movies, but have you seen a zombie movie set during the Spanish Civil War?

The first thing you're likely to notice about this movie is that it looks competently made. Sadly, this is a rarity among horror movies on Netflix, so it's worth mentioning.

The movie is a little more lighthearted than I would have expected given the subject matter, but it never quite becomes a horror comedy. It also doesn't take strong sides on the Spanish Civil War. There are protagonists and antagonists from both sides of the conflict, and Nazis are portrayed as the true villains.

This is probably one of the better aspects of the movie. The characters spend much more time fighting zombies than ranting at each other. Quite a few arguments ended with pistols being drawn, of course, but I remember most scenes being more like civil debate than the traditional screaming matches you find in low budget zombie movies.

Unfortunately, we have to get past the tedious "that's not your father any more" and "aim for the head!" scenes before the action really starts. Once it starts, though, it's pretty good. They really, really loved their blood sprays. There are squibs exploding all over the place. Besides that, though, there weren't a large amount of really showy special effects. Gore was fairly minimal for a zombie movie.

If you don't have high expectations, and you're looking for an action movie that will pass the time, this is a good choice. The characters are likeable, the dubbing was quite good, and the movie rarely gets bogged down in exposition at the cost of action.

Turning on Netflix today, I noticed this new addition, and as a lover of all things zombie & gore it was a natural viewing choice for me.

While there are certainly some plot holes, and some fairly implausible situations, without thinking too hard about such things makes this quite an enjoyable watch. As with most of my reviews, I won't comment on the plot, as the summary takes care of that. What I will comment on is the film itself. Short and sweet.

A Spanish film (ie from Spain), the production value is pretty top notch. The acting was good, the camera work was technically well above average (and professional), and fabulous scenery in some lesser known areas of Spain - beautiful panoramas, lush green forests, and an overall treat for the eyes.

Re: content Just like any zombie movie, there is a ton of bloodshed delivered via gunshots to the head. There are several bloody "bites" throughout the film, as well as severed limbs and death, literally everywhere. What the film is NOT, is gory. While I love zombie movies with excessive gore, this was not one of them. Lesser "experienced" viewers might consider some scenes to be gory, but if you're watching this solely for the gore, it likely won't measure up. That said, there was just enough to keep things interesting without being gratuitously nasty - a little bit of a bummer, but not so much that made viewing less enjoyable.

Lots of profanity, in Spanish, some issues re: racial equality, and no nudity.

One aspect that some might overlook is that there is a red thread of dark comedy from start to finish. All examples are very subtle and mostly tongue in cheek, not to mention "dead pan." I LOVED this aspect, even as a non-Spanish speaker. The writing in combination with the acting made me laugh out loud a couple of times. I truly appreciated this aspect of subtlety.

All in all, it's a fun watch! Nothing ground breaking or terribly new for the genre, but adventure, horror, and zombie fans should get a good kick out of it. By the end of the film I was shocked at how quickly 1 hour & 40 minutes went. That's always a good sign to me.

Definitely worth a watch, especially if you're a fan of the genres I mentioned above!

I am quite surprised with this little Nazi Zombie movie. English dubbing is the best I've ever seen.

Some things could have been done better, but not sure with this budget though.

Dialogues are well written, acting is enjoyable. Interesting characters, easy to remember. It's almost a dark comedy but carefuly done so it never really goes into a real comedy or parody. It just makes it light-hearted enough, like there is a bit of Belini/Felini influence there. Definitely worth a watch, especially if you are tired of same old hollywood zombie movies. Oh and if you are tired of partisan/nationalists post-war tension going into the 21st century, you will find this movie quite enjoyable, like a third "possible" outcome of the war. Cute.

Do you like horror movies? Is blood and violence an issue? Depending on your answers, you may want to rethink wanting to watch this or not. Though to be honest, I would be surprised if you made it here and you were not sure - on the other hand: better safe than sorry! No pun intended - especially considering what the characters here have to go through.

It may not always make sense, but the movie is still more than decent. Especially considering the low budget this has. I wouldn't compare it to the Resident Evil, but if you feel that way, I fully support it. Especially if that made you have a good time with this right here :)

Valley of the Dead: Set during Spanish Civil War this is a Zombie film very much in the Z Nation style but there's enough dark stuff to make the laughs choke in your throat at times. SS members of the Condor Legion (Fighting for Franco) create zombies through experiments on the dead and dying. Naturally the experiment gets out of control. These Undead spring back into action, eating people alive before thy can turn, one charging along on his stumps like the Knight from Monty Python, there's a great shot of a Zombie horde on the skyline. Francoites link up with Republicans against the common enemy. Everything from a partisan band, to ordinary fascists, a Nun (with a big gun), a young woman called Priest Killer, atheists, communists and muslims unite to do battle with the walking dead. The squabbling between the assorted characters gets a tad tiresome at times, maybe ten minutes of this excised from the movie would have made it a better film. Still, the individual characters are interesting, especially Priest Killer and Brodsky who identifies as a Russian (he reckons he was brought to Spain as a baby). Homage is paid to Night of the Living Dead with a Zombie attack on a farmhouse and a train scene which is straight out of Train to Busan. Along with other Undead epics. A dark comedy Zombie thriller which delivers the goods. Directed by Javier Ruiz Caldera and Alberto de Toro. Written by Jaime Marques Olarreaga, Alberto Fernández Arregui and Cristian Conti. On Netflix. 7/10.