Take Kevin Smith and Sam Raimi, put them both in a mixer and shake well, strain out the solid bits and pour. This serves as many as can take it. That is what Die and Let Live is like. It is a comedy horror film that features such things as a mad attempt to save pizza, dolphin-encrusted friendship necklaces, some party dudes, a healthy dose of blood, and an appearance by Troma co-founder Lloyd Kaufman. What else do you need?

When you watch a low budget movie you cannot go in expecting a Hollywood style film. You have to recognize that those behind it are likely newcomers working on their first feature, or a bunch of friends that want to see if they can make a movie. The work is not going to be anywhere near the A-list, B-list, or even D-list. This being the case, it is really easy to watch something like Die and Let Live and just rip it to shreds. Honestly, it would not be that hard. The problem then is that you are not giving the movie, or those involved, enough credit.

Making a movie is not an easy thing to do. This is a fact that is easy to forget in the face of all that Hollywood has to offer. We are spoiled by the slick looks of everything that arrives on the big screen. Low to nobudget indie filmmaking is getting down in the trenches where the soldiers toil and sweat and bleed to see their creation brought to life. On the other hand, they could just be having a blast doing what they love, experimenting and seeing what they can do. What makes watching these kinds of movies so much fun is not slogging through the tons of crap that gets released, but discovering those that are fun — not necessarily good, but fun. Die and Let Live is one of those fun discoveries.

Zombie movies are a dime a dozen; you can't go anywhere without finding a low budget zombie movie for they are the playground of horror fans who want to make movies but have no money. To get an idea of all the zombie films out there, just check out the Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread at the Home Theater Forum. You could look at this as just another zombie film and you wouldn't be wrong, but you would be missing out.

The movie opens with a scene reminiscent of Stephen King's The Stand. Substitute a pharmeceutical company for a military base and you have it. There is an outbreak of something that causes zombies, and someone gets out to spread the deadly infection. It is a scene of surprising seriousness and plays in stark contrast to what comes after.