Dead Snow (2009)
Directed by: Tommy Wirkola
Written by: Stig Frode Henriksen and Tommy Wirkola
Released by: MPI Home Video
Ever since the release of George A. Romero's 'Night of the Living Dead' back in 1968, there have been an enormous amount of zombie films released to the masses. Unfortunately, most of these films either copy ideas, or blatantly rip off, what Romero created over 4 decades ago, rather than trying to come up with something original on their own. Every now and then someone will surprise me though...a film like 'Deadgirl' for example, which takes the idea of zombies and then places it within the confines of a new and unfamiliar setting which I absolutely loved. As a horror fan, I'm always on the lookout for that next zombie film that will really win me over and ultimately change my opinion of a sub-genre which has seemingly run it's course.
'Dead Snow' has been out for about a year now, working it's way through the convention circuit and film festivals worldwide. Overall the project has really gotten a lot of buzz on internet message boards, with genre enthusiasts waiting impatiently for their opportunity to finally see it. The trailer looks great, I must admit...an icy Norwegian setting...Adolf Hitler and old World War 2 footage...and Nazi Zombies coming up out of the ground, looking to start some shit. Surely this will be an amazing film! At least one can hope.
The story itself is pretty basic. A group of medical students take a vacation to their friend's remote cabin in the cold and wintry mountains of Norway. They're basically there just to hang out, snowmobile, drink beer and have a good time...you know, the usual stuff that college kids do. However the fun and games quickly come to an end as their cabin is overrun by Nazi soldiers who have returned from the grave looking for their lost treasure and of course, warm bodies to eat.
The main selling point here and the only thing that really sets it apart from other zombie movies, is the film's Norwegian setting and the fact that the zombies also happen to be Nazi's. To me though, the whole Nazi angle felt a bit forced. Almost as if it were something thrown in at the last minute, after the script was already written, just to sell the movie. I mean if it wasn't for the mysterious man showing up in the middle of the film just to explain to the characters (and the audience) that the zombies they're about to see are "deceased Nazi's", you would have no idea...well that and the fact that the wardrobe department dressed the zombie extras as German soldiers. Mr. Wirkola , if you're going to use Nazi's as a way to exploit your film and get people to watch it, you should at least do it right. I would have loved to have seen a bit of a back-story involving these deceased soldiers. Some WW2 battle scenes would have been nice...and hell, instead of the zombie's motivation being the search for their lost gold, why not make all of the other characters Jewish and go the obvious route? This is Nazi Exploitation we're talking about right?
Anyway, on to more positive things. The film does have a ton of great splatter effects throughout most of the second half which are simply awesome. Fans of gory old-school practical effects will definitely love some of the things that go on in this picture, such as a guy hanging from a cliff by a zombie's large intestines. There's also a lot of direct references to classic horror films such as 'Friday the 13th', 'Braindead' and 'The Evil Dead' which I know a lot of fans will mark out for. The zombie makeup design is also extremely well done and not just some half assed job you'll often find in most independent zombie titles. For the most part, when it comes to horror films, if you don't have a strong story (which this film clearly doesn't), your best bet is to try and win over the audience with impressive makeup effects...and for that they definitely deliver.
Overall though, 'Dead Snow' is very much a "by the books" zombie feature that brings nothing new to the table. If anything it tries way too hard to present itself as a "cool" and "relevant" horror/comedy but ultimately fails at all "comedy" aspects, relying on the "horror" to win you over. Don't get me wrong, I didn't completely hate this movie, but at the same time I found myself losing interest quite a bit at various parts of the film and thought it could have been a lot better overall. The good news for horror fans is that there are a lot of great horror/comedies out there to watch, it's just unfortunate for Tommy Wirkola that his film isn't one of them.
If this film still sounds interesting to you, I'd recommend renting it first rather than going out and blind buying it. But if you do plan on blind buying it, please use our affiliate's link. :)
RENT BEFORE YOU BUY
Written by: Stig Frode Henriksen and Tommy Wirkola
Released by: MPI Home Video
Ever since the release of George A. Romero's 'Night of the Living Dead' back in 1968, there have been an enormous amount of zombie films released to the masses. Unfortunately, most of these films either copy ideas, or blatantly rip off, what Romero created over 4 decades ago, rather than trying to come up with something original on their own. Every now and then someone will surprise me though...a film like 'Deadgirl' for example, which takes the idea of zombies and then places it within the confines of a new and unfamiliar setting which I absolutely loved. As a horror fan, I'm always on the lookout for that next zombie film that will really win me over and ultimately change my opinion of a sub-genre which has seemingly run it's course.
'Dead Snow' has been out for about a year now, working it's way through the convention circuit and film festivals worldwide. Overall the project has really gotten a lot of buzz on internet message boards, with genre enthusiasts waiting impatiently for their opportunity to finally see it. The trailer looks great, I must admit...an icy Norwegian setting...Adolf Hitler and old World War 2 footage...and Nazi Zombies coming up out of the ground, looking to start some shit. Surely this will be an amazing film! At least one can hope.
The story itself is pretty basic. A group of medical students take a vacation to their friend's remote cabin in the cold and wintry mountains of Norway. They're basically there just to hang out, snowmobile, drink beer and have a good time...you know, the usual stuff that college kids do. However the fun and games quickly come to an end as their cabin is overrun by Nazi soldiers who have returned from the grave looking for their lost treasure and of course, warm bodies to eat.
The main selling point here and the only thing that really sets it apart from other zombie movies, is the film's Norwegian setting and the fact that the zombies also happen to be Nazi's. To me though, the whole Nazi angle felt a bit forced. Almost as if it were something thrown in at the last minute, after the script was already written, just to sell the movie. I mean if it wasn't for the mysterious man showing up in the middle of the film just to explain to the characters (and the audience) that the zombies they're about to see are "deceased Nazi's", you would have no idea...well that and the fact that the wardrobe department dressed the zombie extras as German soldiers. Mr. Wirkola , if you're going to use Nazi's as a way to exploit your film and get people to watch it, you should at least do it right. I would have loved to have seen a bit of a back-story involving these deceased soldiers. Some WW2 battle scenes would have been nice...and hell, instead of the zombie's motivation being the search for their lost gold, why not make all of the other characters Jewish and go the obvious route? This is Nazi Exploitation we're talking about right?
Anyway, on to more positive things. The film does have a ton of great splatter effects throughout most of the second half which are simply awesome. Fans of gory old-school practical effects will definitely love some of the things that go on in this picture, such as a guy hanging from a cliff by a zombie's large intestines. There's also a lot of direct references to classic horror films such as 'Friday the 13th', 'Braindead' and 'The Evil Dead' which I know a lot of fans will mark out for. The zombie makeup design is also extremely well done and not just some half assed job you'll often find in most independent zombie titles. For the most part, when it comes to horror films, if you don't have a strong story (which this film clearly doesn't), your best bet is to try and win over the audience with impressive makeup effects...and for that they definitely deliver.
Overall though, 'Dead Snow' is very much a "by the books" zombie feature that brings nothing new to the table. If anything it tries way too hard to present itself as a "cool" and "relevant" horror/comedy but ultimately fails at all "comedy" aspects, relying on the "horror" to win you over. Don't get me wrong, I didn't completely hate this movie, but at the same time I found myself losing interest quite a bit at various parts of the film and thought it could have been a lot better overall. The good news for horror fans is that there are a lot of great horror/comedies out there to watch, it's just unfortunate for Tommy Wirkola that his film isn't one of them.
If this film still sounds interesting to you, I'd recommend renting it first rather than going out and blind buying it. But if you do plan on blind buying it, please use our affiliate's link. :)
RENT BEFORE YOU BUY
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