Before Peter Jackson became a "respected" director with "Heavenly Creatures," and an Oscar winner for "Lord of the Rings," he made slapstick gore flicks. He was New Zealand's answer to Sam Raimi (who also went on to better things).
"Dead Alive" is New Zealand's "Evil Dead"--all it lacks is Bruce Campbell (and there is one character, a butt-kicking priest, who bears more than a passing resemblance to the big-chinned Bruce). The plot is essentially this: A "rat monkey" bites the bitter old Mum of a milquetoast named Lionel. Mum becomes an undead ghoul who feasts on human flesh. Her bite turns other people into ghouls, etc. (I think you can fill in the rest.) Will Lionel stand up to his Mum and save his girlfriend from almost certain ghouldom? Rent the flick and find out.
This is a fairly entertaining movie if you're in a particular frame of mind--think "The Three Stooges Meet the Living Dead"--but, boy, are Jackson's influences showing. The look of the ghouls, not to mention the plot of the movie, recalls Raimi's "Evil Dead" pictures. One character, Lionel's sleazy uncle, even refers to "total bodily dismemberment" as the only way to kill ghouls (this is a direct quote from "Evil Dead"--the uncle even acknowledges that he heard this in a movie). The ghoul attacks recall George Romero's "Living Dead" flicks; even the idea of a disease that causes its victims to become homicidal maniacs is derived from Romero's "The Crazies."
Yes, Jackson's antecedents are definitely showing, but he does ratchet up the gore. In "Evil Dead II," Bruce Campbell straps a chainsaw onto the stub of his wrist to slice up ghouls; in "Dead Alive," Lionel straps a lawnmower to his chest and purees the monsters (simple dismemberment isn't quite enough). But, as derivative as it is, slapstick gore fans will probably enjoy "Dead Alive," even though Raimi's movies are funnier (and he has Bruce Campbell).
"Dead Alive" is New Zealand's "Evil Dead"--all it lacks is Bruce Campbell (and there is one character, a butt-kicking priest, who bears more than a passing resemblance to the big-chinned Bruce). The plot is essentially this: A "rat monkey" bites the bitter old Mum of a milquetoast named Lionel. Mum becomes an undead ghoul who feasts on human flesh. Her bite turns other people into ghouls, etc. (I think you can fill in the rest.) Will Lionel stand up to his Mum and save his girlfriend from almost certain ghouldom? Rent the flick and find out.
This is a fairly entertaining movie if you're in a particular frame of mind--think "The Three Stooges Meet the Living Dead"--but, boy, are Jackson's influences showing. The look of the ghouls, not to mention the plot of the movie, recalls Raimi's "Evil Dead" pictures. One character, Lionel's sleazy uncle, even refers to "total bodily dismemberment" as the only way to kill ghouls (this is a direct quote from "Evil Dead"--the uncle even acknowledges that he heard this in a movie). The ghoul attacks recall George Romero's "Living Dead" flicks; even the idea of a disease that causes its victims to become homicidal maniacs is derived from Romero's "The Crazies."
Yes, Jackson's antecedents are definitely showing, but he does ratchet up the gore. In "Evil Dead II," Bruce Campbell straps a chainsaw onto the stub of his wrist to slice up ghouls; in "Dead Alive," Lionel straps a lawnmower to his chest and purees the monsters (simple dismemberment isn't quite enough). But, as derivative as it is, slapstick gore fans will probably enjoy "Dead Alive," even though Raimi's movies are funnier (and he has Bruce Campbell).