DIE AND LET LIVE

DIE AND LET LIVE

Pre-credits, we see a nightwatch man killed by zombies that are running rampant in a medical testing centre. As the feast on him in the elevator, it seems the undead have found their way out of the building and are about to head into town …

Meanwhile, in town, Benny (Josh Lively) and Smalls (Zane Crosby) are best friends who meet at their local coffee house one night to discuss nothing in particular. Benny is obsessed with pretty Stephanie (Sarah Bauer), but she has a boyfriend - the cheating meathead Andrew (Jonas Dixon).

When Stephanie finds out that Andrew is having sex with Julie behind her back, she accepts Benny's invite to a party at Smalls' mother's house. Which means, Benny and Smalls have to arrange a party - fast.

This they do, and soon Smalls' place is packed with geeky friends, the hot Stephanie and demure Liz (Ashley Goddard) who, unbeknownst to Benny, really fancies him.

When Smalls orders pizzas, Andrew turns out to be the pizza delivery guy - and he wants into the party to stop Stephanie from talking to Benny. But while Smalls tries to prevent Andrew getting past his front gate, a group of infected zombies arrive on the scene and take several bites out of Andrew's throat.

Back in the house, Liz, Smalls, Benny and Stephanie switch on the TV and watch the news (including a report from Floyd Faulkman [Troma's Lloyd Kaufman]), discovering that the problem is widespread.

Their priority becomes getting out of the house and over the fence, past the swarming undead - where, on the other side, the car keys and pizza lie waiting …

DIE AND LET LIVE is enjoyable hokum. Some if it's jokes are a little too juvenile to raise a titter, but generally this is well-intended fun with a cheeky penchant for sexual quips and vomit gags. It's not high-brow stuff, but it's zestfully performed and races along at a cracking pace.

Crosby also provides the gore FX which are cheap but extremely splashy, making this look like a no-budget bloody rehash of SHAUN OF THE DEAD (which it rips off on quite a few occasions).

The cast are likeable and the beneath all the gore, barfing and girls being classified as "jerk-off-in-her-face cute", this film has a surprisingly big heart. It's all about the endurance of friendship - aah …

Heretic's R1 disc presents the film uncut in a 16x9 enhanced 1.78:1 transfer. Although colours are a little faded and blacks are not too strong, images are generally sharp and there's nothing in the way of grain of shadowing.

The English 2.0 audio mix is a fine job.

Animated menus include a scene-selection menu allowing access to the film via 24 chapters.

Extras begin with a rousing commentary track from director Justin Channell, Crosby, Lively and co-star/writer Jordan Hess. Complete with copious laughter, bickering and even people passing wind, it's an entertaining if somewhat at times annoying listen.

13 minutes of outtakes footage and 3 minutes of deleted scenes are accompanied by optional commentary tracks from the above-named.

40 minutes of shot-on-video behind-the-scenes footage follows, with occasional onscreen text to help explain which scenes were watching getting set up.

A 4-minute featurette offering footage of the film's premiere at the Warner Theatre in Morgantown is perhaps too brief to be of any note.

An Easter Egg on the Audio Options menu page allows us to watch the full-unabridged take of the film's final scene, without music.

Finally, there's trailers for other Heretic titles: I'LL BURY YOU TOMORROW, LONDON VOODOO, COLD BLOOD, RED COCKROACHES, SHOCKHEADED and LAST EXIT.

DIE AND LET LIVE is dumb. It's crass, occasionally vulgar but never boring. In 75 minutes it manages to cram in two cameos from it's director, Lloyd Kaufman, vomiting, a song about a "fanny pack", zombies, the voice of cult icon Debbie Rochon, fake names on the end credits, homophobia, drugs, booze, pizza and a genuinely funny Vietnam "flashback".

Ignore the terrible title and crap cover. This is flawed (SHAUN OF THE DEAD got there first, and is so much better), but fun. It should come with a free dolphin-encrusted Best Friends Forever necklace …

Review by Stu Willis


 
Released by Heretic Films
Region 1 - NTSC
Not Rated
Extras :
see main review
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