DVD Review: American Zombie - Page 2

Obviously the undead face all the problems of anybody whose been declared dead. There's the whole lack of identification thing that makes it difficult to get credit, rent an apartment, or get even basic health insurance. Of course zombies have their own distinct health issues - rotting tissue, the occasional oozing sore, and those pesky maggots. They also go through a difficult period of dislocation when they first re-animate, not knowing who they are, where they are, and need quite a bit of assistance in becoming oriented to their new world. While some of them are able to eventually "pass" as human, an equal number of them never advance past the stereotype perpetrated by horror movies of the shuffling, mindless creature, and other's evolution seems to get stuck after developing only the most basic of communication skills.

The two filmmakers are taking widely different approaches to the gathering of material. While Grace is content with sitting back and observing the daily activities of their subjects and acts with the utmost professionalism, John is looking for the sensationalist angle. He obsesses about whether or not they might be eating human flesh, and is constantly on the look out for any indications of "horror movie" behaviour.

As long as the movie sticks to being the mockumentary about zombies it is a darkly humorous look at a minority group's struggle to get by in a world that's much hostile to their kind. Their are those who are more than willing to exploit their unique abilities, as is shown by the sweatshop owner the crew interviews. Zombies are great workers because they never need to sleep, take bathroom breaks, and - especially the lower functioning ones - are perfect for doing mindless repetitive work. They've been a real boon, the guy says, because even illegal immigrants from Mexico have grown too smart to do the type of work he needs doing for the money he's willing to pay.

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Article Author: Richard Marcus

Richard Marcus is the author of the What Will Happen In Eragon IV? and The Unofficial Heroes Of Olympus Companion, both published by Ulysses Press. He has had his work published in print and online all over the world including the German edition of Rolling Stone Magazine and www.Qantara.de. …

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