So there’s this sort of underground movement coming out of Pittsburgh or I guess The Burgh as some might say. I met a brash dude recently and he calls himself Johnny Daggers. He and his production crew are making a film called Caustic Zombies with Daggers at the helm. He also gets the title of writer as well. His production crew hails mostly from Pittsburgh. His crew is off the cuff and on the fly. Guerrilla style! A testament of course to the independent film and this director is as independent as can be. He’s having his film done his way. His inspiration? 3 Mile Island. Quoted from the director himself, “It was the world’s first nuclear mishap. There are still debates as to how much, if any nuclear radiation leaked. I believe that radiation escaped. I also think that most people, especially the younger generation here in Pennsylvania either forgot or were never taught about 3 Mile Island.” That’s some weighty inspiration, in my opinion. If this director and his film can take some folks to school, I say more power to them.. Better still, he actually has the gonads to say he’s going to bring us something new to the table fellow horror fiends. Something new? In the zombie sub-genre? That is quite a statement to make. The fact is though, I’m all for it. Sometimes, the rehashed ideas get tired and personally, I’d like something new. Remember when 28 Days came out? How we got just a little warm and fuzzy because it was so new? We didn’t even care that they weren’t zombies. The infected still carried the weight of an apocalyptic event. Shots of empty cities with few survivors still felt zombie to us. Still carried us back to Night of the Living Dead. This writer/director says he is actually changing the zombie lore but still keeping the basic feel of Romero’s vision. Will he be bringing back our beloved shambling hordes? That I couldn’t tell you. Will this be deadly serious? I doubt it. With a title like Caustic Zombies, I expect there will be some humor a’ la Return of the Living Dead. With the inspiration as serious as 3 Mile Island, you may also find a lot of dark irony within this film. Either way, lofty subject matter indeed. Zombies with a twist and if anyone has any friends that are fans of the zombie sub-genre, you know they take their zombie lore deadly serious. Zombie Survival Guide anyone?
Just to let the fans know, this director does have a first short film titled Samhain: Night Feast. Apparently, one of his crew members sent this film off to Tim Gross of Bastards of Horror. A man that I know has infinite knowledge of the B-Movie. Tim gave it a warm review. About a week before Horror Realm was to go off, the director, Johnny Daggers gets an e-mail stating that Tim Gross would be showing Samhain: Night Feast for his Bastards of Horror short film fest. It was apparently the most well received film in the lineup. This all came as a big surprise according to Johnny Daggers as he had never spoken to Tim in the first place. Let me just say that if Tim Gross saw merit in this film for his Bastards of Horror short film fest then I have to believe that Caustic Zombies has the potential to send zombie fans into feeding frenzy and that the Daggervision Film crew have talent.
I guess the feeling I’m getting is Punk Rock Romero. All I can say is why not? I for one, would love to see a new zombie film with an edge and I think horror fans will agree in general. We want more zombie films but we don’t want a rehash.
Sweatshop (2009) – This here is a right bit o’ fun, folks! I’m always thrilled with hammers of any kind but this hammer! This is an anvil hammer and it causes quite a bit of mayhem! Sweat Shop is fast and furious and the use of CG in here is really well done. I didn’t find it distracting. The actors look like people you would know and that’s refreshing. We’re not trying to identify with the OC for once in a slasher. Check out Jeremy Sumrall going all Resident Evil on his victims and see Sweat Shop, it’s gorehound appoved. Continue reading »
