[Review] Zombieworld Uses Practical Effects That Blow Your Mind, Literally

Remember the days of Evil Dead and Dead Alive – directors Sam Raimi and Peter Jackson from their days of horror – where we loved watching skeletons and ghouls tear limbs from bodies and transform (in stop-motion fashion) while making us believe this can all really happen? Well, the days of practical effects live again through an instant cult-classic of a movie called Zombieworld. Brought to us by Dread Central and Image Entertainment, this bad boy full of short films that make up a “Zombie-World” just landed on DVD this past February. But why haven’t you heard of it? I blame zombies eating the news feed. Yeah, always blame the zombies…

Kicking-off the series of short films, we start-off with Dead Times, which shows a first-person POV of zombies rampaging through the forest and attacking everything in-sight. Another notable short in the series is Fist of Jesus which is my favorite short out of the whole collection. This is a ridiculous, over-the-top, zombie tale of Jesus who makes the first zombie. This then leads to his and Judas’ fight to destroy them as they grow in numbers. This short is worth buying the DVD on its own. Especially if you enjoyed watching movies like Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter – The Musical.

And then there is How To Survive a Zombie Apocalypse which is a funny field guide divided into three parts giving you all the how-to pointers you would need if and when the world goes to zombie Hell. But what I loved most of all was all the gags and scenes that used practical effects to tell the story. Half of a man’s head gets cut-off while sunning on a beach in one clip, and then brains being blown out of a guy in another short. There is a reason why this movie is not rated for all the gratuitous violence. And it is all very reminiscent from the days ‘Ash’ from Army of Darkness and played in the same tune with kitschy, sardonic and hilarious plot-lines.

Don’t take my word for it. Watch the bloody, damned trailer already!