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Dead Alive

Dead Alive

List Price: $14.98
Your Price: $11.24
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: *staring at television screen*
Review: Many of you will assume I often found myself saying the words spoken above because of the often painful depictions of bodily dismemberment that have saturated Peter Jackson's ambitious zombie massacre movie. And to some extent, you would be correct. But I say this also because of the aweful DVD release from trimark, who have yet to prove themselves as an even halfway decent DVD studio. For those of you who don't know me, you are probably unaware that I grade based on the movie and the DVD. the movie gets *** out of *** for being the greatest movie ever made (I know, I say that a lot), but the DVD merits only * out of ** for being so pathetic (although it could be worse). The audio and video is bearable, mind you (no more, no less), but the features include a trailer and...a trailer. For a movie this adored by fans of the genre, I find this a great disturbance in the force. Even so, I must recommend this DVD for the film itself, which is so great that it deserves a special award for "Best gore-fest that redefines modern horror cinema and is so bold and creative that it should merit a deluxe DVD treatment so that we can make it's ardent fans vomitous with pleasure." The movie really is that good, and If you can stomach the last twenty minutes (not to mention the fist seventy) you should be "peffectly arwightt."

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Goriest fright film of all time!
Review: On the front cover of this film it says "Goriest fright film of all time". This movie is so gory if it were ever to be shown edited for television then this movie would only be about 30-45 minutes long because, they would have to cut out so much of the gore! When this came out in theatres edited with the R-rating it is a surprise it even got that! It's great that this is on DVD and uncut now because, you get special features but, more than anything else you get the in your face gore that will keep Evil Dead fans interested! If you thought that the Evil Dead was gory wait till you see this little baby jam packed with non stop gore! Sounds like Evil Dead huh? Wrong! The story completely different from Evil Dead! This movies plot is simple but, perfect! There is something called the rat monkey and it has a deadly bite that can turn your into a zombie. That isn't all of the plot but, Lionel's mother has a secret that she has kept from him for years. This movie is great for laughs and gore! You should try eating through the 20+ minutes party scene. I was watching that part at my friends house and he mentioned something about us eating through the party scene. He nearly lost his lunch. Another cool thing about this movie is that the original title of it is Braindead! Buy this if you want an almost perfect horror movie collection!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I laughed 'till I hurled
Review: Before Peter Jackson made commercial success with The Lord of the Rings trilogy, he directed this extremely violent/extremely hilarious over the top gore extravaganza. I had the misfortune of only seeing the R rated video version a few years ago and I blew Dead Alive off (considering the R rated version is so cut and incoherent from edits that it makes no sense), but recently I got to see it on this DVD version (I hear there is even another import version that has even more gore!) and was very impressed, sickened, and horrified, but I was laughing so hard I thought I would bust a gut (no pun intended). But, even though Dead Alive is a great splatter/comedy, it is also a testament (just like the Evil Dead films) to the power of a director's imagination over his budget. There are zero extras however, I for one would have loved to hear a commentary from the now Academy Award nominated Peter Jackson, not to mention the makeup and effects artists, but oh well. Do yourself a favor, if you've never seen Dead Alive and your a splatter fan pick this up, but if you don't have a DVD player make sure you don't get stuck with the R rated video. And be warned: Dead Alive isn't for the weak stomached, but you'll be laughing so hard you won't have time to throw up. Also recommended is another Peter Jackson film that is just as hilarious and absurd called Meet the Feebles.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A bad DVD ruins one of my favourite movies of all time
Review: OK, so the title is a bit negative. The movie is top notch, definately my favourite 'horror' movie of all time, and I've seen a few! However, I am reviewing the DVD, not the movie. The original title to this movie is Braindead. I live in the UK, where it was released under its original title completely uncut (a first for UK video?!) When I started clearing out my old VHS collection and replacing them with DVDs, I have to admit that this movie was one of the highest on the list. At the time it wasn't available in the UK on DVD, so I bought the US version instead, and I was pretty annoyed at the treatment it got. First of all, this version is cut, despite being unrated. The movie is set in New Zealand, but it seems that all references to the location have been removed, along with some of the lines and phrases that aren't in common use in the US. The gore is intact (I would have given it one star if it wasn't!) but the disc is completely devoid of all extras, apart from a single trailer. To add insult to injury, the movie is now available uncut on DVD in the UK (of course I hurredly went out and bought it) My advice is: don't buy this version, but make every effort you can to see this wonderful movie in its original form.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great spaltstick classic.... middle-of-the-road DVD
Review: So over the top it almost defies description. A truly fun horror-flick... not SERIOUS horror, more splatstick. Think EVIL DEAD 2: DEAD BY DAWN as a reference point... and add about 80-gallons of gore.
The DVD is very bare-bones, lacking any extras or goodies to entice those who might already own the unrated VHS tape. The transfer is fine, the audio is fine... it would be nice if there were some extras on here, but really the crisp letterboxed film itself is good enough IMO.
Recommended for horror-fans with a sense of humour.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Maybe a bit too irreverent for hardcore horror aficionados
Review: I grew up watching horror films like Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Zombie, Silent Night Deadly Night, etc. so I guess I might be somewhat desensitized to film gore. But because of the slapstick tone, I doubt if even casual horror fans would be horrified by the violence. Grossed out maybe, but definitely not horrified. It's hard to feel frightened when you've got scenes like a priest doing kung-fu on zombies, the hero taking a baby zombie out for a stroll on a sunny afternoon, and so on. A few of the jokes could have come from a bad Saturday Morning cartoon.

As far as the DVD goes, it simply does the film no justice. There are no featurettes, deleted scenes, director commentaries, or even alternate languages and English subtitles which usually come standard. When I first got the DVD, I thought it was double-sided. Imagine how I felt when I found one shiny side to be blank.

Dead Alive is an Australian-made film which means that most of the actors have accents. The picture color is also very dull or muted. Also, for some reason the film looks incredibly dated for a movie released in 1992. Cars, clothing, music, everything is old fashioned. I don't know if this was intentional, but it kind of turned me off. It takes awhile for the film to grow on you. Its good, but not great so rent it before you buy.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great Movie - okay DVD
Review: A great movie - but the DVD doesn't offer much in the way of extras. Certainly Peter Jackson in fine form - and if you like zombie movies, this is the way to go. Clearly Jackson & Co. have done their homework in creating what is quite simply one of the greatest zombie flicks ever. Yes, its gory - and yes, its hilarious. Weak stomachs need not apply. And if you're a fan - the DVD is worth buying for the gorgeous transfer - but if you're expecting much more than what was offered with the laser disc release - forget it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I only have one thing to say -- SINGAYA!!
Review: I loved this movie. It has everything: action, romance, special effects, hyperactive rat monkeys, overbearing zombie-mums, and a classic scene involving recently-zombified party-goers (who were pretty annoying even before they were zombies)and a well-placed lawnmower. Plus it was actually quite clever and funny. I wouldn't even categorize this movie under "it's so bad it's good," because I think Peter Jackson set out to make it funny in the first place. (For really great bad movies, see R.O.T.O.R., Track of the Moon Beast, and Ticks to name a few). I would recommend anyone to go see this movie. Seriously, because even though not everyone can appreciate the unique New Zealand humor and generous use of hundreds of gallons of blood, don't knock it til you've tried it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Greatest Zombie Comedy Ever Made
Review: ...and no, that wasn't a typo. This disgusting, quirky, violent, and ultimately sweet natured action/romance/horror/farce refuses to be pidgeonholed. Without spoiling anything, I'll note just the basics of this film.It starts out a tad slow for your average gore monger, setting up lead character Lionel's courtship with his star-crossed Latina love Pequita, as well as his problems with an overbearing mother. When dear old mom is bitten by an abominable rat-creature from an exotic land (and of kooky heritage), things get very, very strange. I'll avoid mentioning the plentiful pre-Farelly Brothers gross-out gags, the bizarrely inventive zombie variations, the nutty characters that would be right at home in "Dr. Strangelove", and even the specifics of the stunning make-up effects. I will however warn the faint of heart that there are points toward the end of this movie where nearly every square inch of your television screen will be covered in blood, intestines, scalps, teeth, assorted bone, and other unpleasantries. On the other hand, everything about this flick is so over-the-top and comical, the carnage has no psychological impact whatsoever. In fact, the whole movie is as comperable to the "Looney Tunes" of Tex Avery and Chuck Jones as it is to the work of Romero and Raimi. This may not be one for the whole family, but the same brilliance that director Peter Jackson employed in his adaptation of "The Lord of the Rings" is in manic effect here.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: You've got, the bite.
Review: This movie is not being discussed for its theatrical excellence, but rather its ridiculousness. THe movie is just good at being very very bad. That's why I gave it five stars. It's awful, it is abosutely poor at best, and the writing is deplorable, and I like it. They meant to make this movie bad, and it is bad, it is about as good as botulism. It is about as good to watch as a homeless man having a seizure while covered in excrement. It's excellent.


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