If there is anything I learned from Dead Alive it’s not to keep zombies a secret or your life will turn into a gore fest.

Directed by Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings), Dead Alive follows a young man named Lionel (Timothy Balme) and the events that occur after his mother is bit by a Sumatran rat-monkey at the zoo. A selfish and cold hearted woman, Lionel’s mother wants her son all to herself, and becomes enraged when he falls in love with a local girl, Paquita Maria Sanchez (Diana Penalver). After being by the Sumatran rat-monkey, thought, she falls ill and then dies, returning back to life as a zombie and infecting many others. Not sure what to do, Lionel tries to keep them all hidden and a secret. But what happens when it all gets out of hand and Lionel finds out some secrets he never knew?

One of Peter Jackson’s first films, it is well known as one of the goriest films ever. And I can’t even lie and say it isn’t. The beginning isn’t bad at all, but as soon as people start to turn into zombies the entire movie just turns strange. I would actually have to say that this movie rivals Evil Dead not so much for gore, but for the odd factor. For instance, in Evil Dead one of the characters gets raped by a tree. In Dead Alive two of the zombies have sex and have a zombie baby several days later. In fact, the zombie baby is one of the creepiest and best parts of this entire movie.

However, Dead Alive has also taught me some survival tricks when it comes to the zombie apocalypse. It’s always good to have a lawn mower and blender at the ready.

Grade: B