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First off, I'm not reviewing this as a horror movie, or an action movie, or anything other than a zombie movie, which is, in my opinion, its own genre, as well as my personal favorite. That said, it's a solid zombie movie. It follows up on the defected National Guard crew that robbed the survivors in Diary of the Dead. In that respect, it was already a success, because it showed a group that you wanted to see shot and killed during Diary into a likable group of protagonists here. I have to go back and watch Diary again to see exactly how this changes my perception of the scene featuring the National Guard crew, but I'm sure I won't view it the same as before. I will admit that there are some weaknesses. There were a couple of really bad head explosions that I think would have been better done with traditional effects, but they opted for CG, which I thought weakened the scene. Also, there were a couple jump-scares that really don't come off the same after repeated viewings (I prefer effective atmosphere to jump-scares, as a well-done creepy atmosphere is creepy always, but a jump-scare isn't so hot the third or fourth time you watch it). On the bright side, it explored the whole "Let's go to an island" thing that seems to be constantly brought up in zombie films (and ended badly in Dawn '04). Also, a few thousand bonus points for zombie vs zombie duel with empty pistols. Also, unlike some zombie films, this one actually as zombies in it. They aren't just an excuse to watch a bunch of people act out what amounts to bad reality TV. You get to see zombies, zombies having snacks, and zombies getting put down for good. All in all, it was a good deal. It's better than Romero's worst, and not as good as his best. It'll get plenty of time in my DVD player, and I wouldn't have felt ripped off at all had I paid full price for it. The fact that I got a movie this good for less than $10 this close to its release is just a nice added bonus.Read full review
This is not the best or the worst of the LIVING DEAD series; definitely watchable, but lacking in fresh ideas, shock value, and social commentary compared to some of the other entries. The premise: on an island off the coast of Delaware, two feuding Irish clans have different ideas about how to handle their zombie relatives. The O'Flynns believe in shooting the zombies on sight, while the Muldoons keep their zombified relatives chained in the barn in the hope they can train them not to eat human flesh. The O'Flynns also have a side scam going whereby they rent boats to humans wanting to escape the zombies by moving to the island. Unfortunately, since these humans are outsiders, they are immediately killed by the Muldoons the minute they set foot on the island. This all sounds rather intriguing but there are several logic problems that bothered me greatly. First, where in the United States would there be an island inhabited entirely by Irish people with thick Irish accents who (except for using the internet) act and dress like 1890s cowboys? The idea of zombies is actually more believable than these archaic feuding Irishmen. Second, the Muldoons don't do much to train the zombies. They'll pick one, lock him or her in a corral with a live animal, and hope the zombie attacks the animal. If it doesn't, they shoot the zombie in the head, defeating the philosophical purpose of keeping their beloved relatives around; apparently this does not apply to relatives of below-average intelligence. When they finally get the zombies to eat an animal, the zombies eat a HORSE. This is probably a better scene, from a movie-maker's standpoint, than having the zombies eat a rabbit or a pig (animals they previously rejected), because it is more shocking. However, it is pretty stupid...pig flesh is closer to human than horsemeat; humans do not normally eat horses so the zombies would not be naturally hungry for horsemeat; and even if you locked a fully-functioning HUMAN in a corral with a horse it is unlikely the human would figure out that you wanted him to EAT the horse...how are the brain-rotted zombies supposed to deduce this? I would think a demonstration of humans eating meat, with some verbal instruction, might be more effective. Plus, the only living Muldoon left is the patriarch; the rest of his crew are paid ranch hands. All seem to have contempt for the zombies, so why are they so determined to keep them around? The patriarch gives a speech about tradition and religion but he is not a very nice, or compassionate, person, so the whole point falls flat. Seems like he'd be happier and better off cutting his losses, killing all the zombies (as well as the O'Flynns and outsiders whom he's killing off anyway), and living safely in isolation with his ranch hands. Has some good parts and some interesting characters (like O'Flynn and his identical twin daughters, one a zombie), but ultimately just average.Read full review
George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead takes place in a world where zombies roam freely. A group of mercenary National Guardsmen seek refuge on Plum Island to escape the Zombies only to discover that the island holds more secrets and more to fear then just zombies. This movie is a follow up to George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead which was released in 2007. The mercenary National Guardsmen first appeared in that movie and their story is continued in this one. The movie is very low budge but the story is sure to please anyone who enjoys a good horror or zombie movie. Stars include: Alan van Sprang, Kenneth Welsh, Kathleen Munroe and Athena Karkanis
A great addition to my collection of Living Dead movies.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Great DVD!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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