rating:
(out of
4 stars)New Zealand; 1992
Directed by Peter Jackson; produced by Jim Booth; screenplay by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Stephen Sinclair
Starring Timothy Balme, Diana Peñalver, Elizabeth Moody, Ian Watkin, Brenda Kendall
Long before 'The Lord of the Rings'-trilogy director Peter Jackson made comedies. Weird comedies. Entertaining comedies. Some people may not agree, but in the first place 'Braindead' (aka 'Dead Alive') really is a lot of fun. Like Jackson's 'Bad Taste' you must be able to stand all the gore to appreciate it, but if you can, this film is a little treat. That said, it is also one of the bloodiest films I have seen.
This is the kind of film that spoofs itself, making fun of the horror movie while being one. It takes most of the clichés from the genre and turns it into something positive. If you know what is expected, you know how to play the audience and Jackson does so to great effect. But to say it is only funny would be unfair. The movie is scarier than most gore-filled films we see today, and the gore is used to create some brilliant horror-moments.
One of them involves a hand cut off in close-up, mirroring another famous horror-comedy ('Evil Dead II'). On the one hand scenes like this make 'Braindead' more an authentic horror movie, much appreciated by fans of the genre. On the other, it reduces its possible audience. That would be a shame, since there once was a director who made terrific little films. Not that I do not like his bigger work, but a film like 'Braindead' is quite unique, and for me that is important to start appreciating the work of an artist.