Apocalypse of the Dead (2009)
Posted: Mar 15th 2010
Author: David Bentley
IN THE ghoulish tradition of George A. Romero\'s Dawn of the Dead comes Serbia\'s first entry in the zombie genre, entitled Apocalypse of the Dead.
Released by Metrodome on DVD in the UK and Ireland on Monday, March 1, it\'s directed by Milan Konjevic and Milan Todorovic.
The film stars American actor Ken Foree who, notably, was in the 1979 original of Dawn of the Dead. Foree, 61, was also in Rob Zombie\'s 2007 remake of Halloween while his surname is referenced in the 2004 spoof Shaun of the Dead.
The actor, in his first lead role for three decades, plays Interpol agent Mortimer Reyes who, with rookie colleague Mina Milius (Kristina Klebe), is part of a group transporting a dangerous prisoner (Emilio Roso) to Belgrade. Klebe was also in the Halloween remake.
They encounter rampaging hordes of zombies in a plague of terror which has been created by a toxic leak and spread by the creatures\' blood-thirsty bites.
As the group gradually falls prey to the attacks of the undead, Reyes and Milius must join forces with the prisoner to fight for their lives and escape.
It all has a B-movie sensibility. But - despite the obviously moderate budget, a muddled beginning with far too many strands, and some weak acting and dialogue that even a mutant plague cannot reanimate from limp lifelessness - it does deliver moments of genuine dramatic tension and plenty of zombie action setpieces for fans of the genre, building to an effective action-packed climax.
We see the group take on the resurrected citizens (in convincing make-up, it has to be said) using swords and bullets, with the help of a religious zealot who is as good with guns as he is with with Biblical quotations.
Foree carries the film well, as does Roso in the role of the charismatic convict who proves more than useful when flesh-eating nightmares are on the march. Klebe seems a little wooden at first but grows into the role.
As always in these types of horror films, characters often seem to act in absurd ways so that they become vulnerable to whatever menace is at the core of the story. Nonetheless, fans of the zombie genre, and of B-movie horror in general, will no doubt enjoy this release.
Extras on the DVD are: The Making of Apocalypse of The Dead and the trailer. Certificate 18, running time 89 minutes.
http://blogs.coventrytelegraph.net/thegeekfiles/2010/02/dvd-review-eastern-european-zo.html
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