It’s quite often we’ll talk about indie zombie films on Buy Zombie. Quite often when we’re talking about indie films we’re really just talking about low budget films. So when I was loaned Fast Zombies With Guns written and directed by Bennie Woodell it reminded me exactly how much a film really could be an indie film on a budget. I went into the film expecting a B movie because the entire concept first gave us fast zombies (which is something I could tolerate – even though I’m a slow zombie fan, fast zombies can be enjoyable) and they had guns. The zombies not only had guns but were deadly accurate with them unlike a certain zombie we all know and love (Bub.)
So the entire film revolves around two lovers who are poisoned by a gangster and come back as the living dead. Not the living flesh eating dead we know and love though. Even if we ignore the fact that these are called zombies and try to think of them as another form of the undead the acting and film work was so bad it was painful. The ‘fast’ zombies were so fast they could outrun cars. Even if we go with the idea that a fresh zombie might be able to run as fast as a normal human or even a bit faster with adrenaline pumping through their cold dead veins it was just hard to watch. It looked as if the actors were constantly off on timing when it came to dealing with the undead and a lot of filler scenes were just painful.
One that comes to mind is when one of the gangsters are waiting for his girlfriend at the beginning of the film and as she leaves the room to get ready he is scratching his head with his gun mumbling about not being able to live with women or shoot them. Soon after was a scene where the women who would soon be a zombie (and was feeling ‘strange’) fakes ‘dying’ and I know WHY they tried to do it but it didn’t work.
Shooting zombies or human? Well that means one thing and one thing only in this world – blood spray. It doesn’t matter if you are next to the zombie (or human) being shot or 40 feet away but the blood spray is going to hit you and COVER your clothes.
The zombies themselves are ridiculous. I suppose it’s a positive that they all follow the same formula of jumping on their victim before biting them. If they don’t jump on them first thing it’s because they are too busy shooting them. It’s amazing because apparently in this movie if you are a zombie you instantly get a gun. It’s in the contract, becoming one of the living dead give you a gun and makes you an excellent shot.
The pacing of the film is more action then horror. If you are a lover of indie film and want to support some quality work… this isn’t the film I’d recommend to you. The pacing, film, special effects, acting, etc just weren’t enjoyable to me. It’s not often I can’t find redeeming qualities in films but this is one of the ones I just can’t recommend to any of you.
