GEORGE: A ZOMBIE INTERVENTION

For the vast majority of our readers who reside in the UK, the word ‘intervention’ may be construed as somewhat of a generic word. However, across the pond in the good ole US of A an ‘INTERVENTION’ is the term attributed to a coordinated attempt by family and friends to get an individual to seek professional help, usually for an addiction of some kind. In the thriving market of interventions there is even a professional occupation whereby one can train to be a professional ‘interventionist’! (I am sure a reality TV show will soon hit our screens to illustrate this before too long... but I digress). Interventions are indeed the first vital step toward recovery from alcoholism, gambling and of course substance misuse problems. But what about a world where Zombies make up a significant facet of society? What about the living dead among us who, have unfortunately contracted the ‘zombie virus’ and, although capable of doing most mundane jobs, have the slight drawback of having the taste for human flesh?

It is this very predicament that is explained in a parodied animated school information film that starts the movie. Even without seeing any of the promotional posters or artwork, the viewer is under no illusions that the movie they are about to indulge in is firmly planted in Horror / comedy territory.

The central character is of course George, a Zombie with a tortured soul. But suicide is a distinct impossibility when you are, in actual fact, already dead! His problems have been witnessed by his sister Francine, his best friend Ben, his ex-girlfriend Sarah and her new boyfriend Steve. Along with first time interventionist, Barbara the intervention is orchestrated. You see, Georges penchant for gorging on human bodies is getting just a tad out of control and his loved ones fear his life, even though is actually dead, is spiralling out of control!

Not surprisingly, George is not exactly acquiescent to the formal gathering of do gooders. It’s not long before his resistance to their heart wrenching pleas to seek rehab leads to a little heart wrenching of a different kind!

A steady stream of visitors to the house (Tom the ‘garden tool salesman, two strippers hired by George’s party animal housemate Roger and a couple of Mormons) ensures that mayhem predictably follows.

But can such a pathetic figure like George maintain his meaty diet without any help? If not, who is his cohort? And just WHY does the clean cut, caring and generous Steve not have a girlfriend? All is revealed as a chaotic blood drenched body count is steadily racked up…

It seems any light hearted Zombie flick whose smirk peeks out from the undergrowth these days is compared to Shaun of the Dead. I wasn’t a fan of the aforementioned picture so will not do GEORGE a disservice by making comparisons.

I actually found this picture quite entertaining, if nothing else for the fact that, although silly, it did at least boast an original slant on the Zombie genre. A Zombie in rehab, very interesting! The movie upholds its comical essence for the entire runtime and within it there is some cracking humour. The jokes are a clever blend of good ole fashioned slapstick against some sharp dialogue which the cast do a great job and delivering. To offer a taste to the movies spirit (no pun intended!), how about when George, after being caught red handed just as he is about to feast on a freshly ripped off boob from one of the strippers, tries to protest his innocence with… "IT’S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE…!"

Of course here at SGM towers we need some horror to go with our comedy and I have to say I was a little concerned at the movies rather irritating habit of showing ‘aftermath’ shots of gore as oppose to actual live action gouges. Thankfully as the film progressed, so did the explicitness of the violence. Throats are slashed, hammers slam into skulls and the climax is pretty much sodden in crimson.

After aforesaid culmination of George’s plight treats us to a somewhat hilarious "3 months later.." end scene. Was great to see Z-Movie scream Queen Brinke Stevens make a cameo alongside a man who needs no introduction, Lloyd Kaufman.

As I have pertained to in the past, I am not really a fan of Horror comedies myself, but if you like your movies with guts-a-plenty, gallons of blood and lashings of laughs, you could do a lot worse than this original Zombie parody.

With a plethora of extras including a cast and crew commentary track, deleted and alternate scenes and a side splitting Zombie Rehab Centre – Group Therapy skit, the DVD proves to be great value for money. I just hope the wife isn’t planning an intervention to try and curb my addictive Horror movie viewing schedule!

Review by Marc Lissenburg