Movie Review: Survival of the Dead

Survival of the Dead

Blank of the Dead Productions, Devonshire Productions, New Romero, Sudden Storm Productions, USA, Canada, 2009.

The first attempt to watch this film was prevented by defective disc that froze the film after ten first minutes. The second disc had a problem near the end that sent back to the root menu. I could watch it to the end only by fast forwarding the damaged part. Strange, it is like someone didn't want me to watch the movie...

On a small island Patrick O'Flynn (Kenneth Welsh) and his clan destroy the living dead. However many oppose him as his methods are brutal and some people want to wait for a cure. After having different opinions about handling the zombies with Seamus Muldoon's (Richard Fitzpatrick) clan, Patrick is sentenced to death. Patrick's daughter horse girl Janet (Kathleen Munroe) does not like that his father is killing zombies. As Muldoon has a soft spot for her, she manages to save Patrick's life and he is only deported in a boat. Bon voyage!

Sarge

Patrick O'Flynn

Seamus Muldoon

Roguish National Guardsmen and Sarge 'Nicotine' Crockett (Alan Van Sprang) from the previous film return. Other soldiers in his group are lesbian Tomboy (Athena Karkanis), bald guy Kenny (Eric Woolfe), ladies' man Francisco (Stefano Di Matteo) and mysterious Boy (Devon Bostick) who joins their group. The Boy shows a video clip where O'Flynn tells about safe island. Crooked O'Flynn has started a business of migrating people to the island and wants the soldiers to help him to take the island back. Meanwhile Muldoon is trying to teach manners to the zombies. His philantrophy (or rather philkinemortoia) does not reach the immigrants though. Contradictory he kills a lot of zombies too. As soon as the soldiers arrive in the island Sarge has to cry: "Oh my god! They killed Kenny!" The family feud turns bloody, who will be the last man (or woman) standing?

Janet

Tomboy

"Diary of the Dead" was not good and neither is this. It bears very little resemblance to the "of the Dead" series and feels like beating a dead horse *cough*. It could as well be named "Hatfields & McCoys vs Zombies." The characters act in so illogical ways that it is a wonder they have managed to survive this far. The plot is a collection of half-developed ideas that lead nowhere. The overall looniness and unlikely situations (horse riding zombies!) make it almost a parody of the zombie genre. At least the actors are better than in the previous part, and especially Kenneth Welsh, Athena Karkanis and Kathleen Munroe do a fine job. In "Land of the Dead" the zombies had evolved and some had even a primitive intelligence, but "Diary of the Dead" and "Survival of the Dead" actually pedal backwards. Although both films flirt with the idea that zombies can learn some simple tasks, they really do not take the idea any further. He highest point of the zombie evolution is learning to eat horse meat instead of (or in addition to) humans. Big deal. Maybe it is better to end "of the Dead"series here.

Rating: Bad

Starring: Alan Van Sprang, Joshua Peace, Hardee T. Lineham, Dru Viergever, Eric Woolfe, Shawn Roberts (archive footage), Scott Wentworth (archive footage), Amy Lalonde (archive footage), Michelle Morgan (archive footage), Joshua Close (archive footage), Mitch Risman, Kenneth Welsh, Julian Richings, Wayne Robson, Kathleen Munroe, John Healy, Philippa Domville, Kristina Miller, John Fleming, Richard Fitzpatrick, George Stroumboulopoulos, Pete Zedlacher, Athena Karkanis, Stefano DiMatteo, Michael Rhoades, Brian Frank, Devon Bostick, Ho Chow, Dan Belley, Angela Brown, Marqus Bobesich, Jerry Schaefer, James Dunn, Chad Camilleri, Matt Birman, Joris Jarsky, Zeljko Kecojevic, Kevin Rushton, Curtis Parker, Heather Allin, Rick Parker, Steven Barton, Matthew Blazi, Anthony Cancelliere, Wayne Curnew, Craig Dawson, Michelle Ernst-Mester, Michael Felsher, Martin Kessler, Joyce Kirkconnell, John Migliore 

Director: George A. Romero