Dead Set

For such an incredibly pervasive cultural icon (who doesn't have a Zombie Survival Plan?), the zombie is incredibly poorly represented by cinema. Most zombie films are terrible. In fact, the only zombie films that can really rank as classics even in horror movie terms are the first three Romero films. Beyond that you've got a band of competent efforts: some of the remakes of Romero, the comedy zombie films (Return of the Living Dead, Braindead etc.), the variations on the theme (Dario Argento's Demons, 28 Days Later, Versus) and Lucio Fulci's Zombie. All told that's less than a dozen films. Just about everything else has been terrible and I mean really terrible. Some of the worst cinema ever made is about zombies, most of it either zero-budget American dross or the worst Italy has to offer.

With that in mind, Charlie Brooker's mini-series-cum-TV-movie Dead Set stands out from the pack by miles as a treatment of zombies which is actually very good. It's very well written, mixing realistic dialogue, spot-on satire of reality TV contestants and dark humour without ever getting the tone wrong. It's gory enough to please any splatter fan, with the first competent "ripped apart by zombies" scene in ages, and it manages to create an authentic mood of apocalyptic despair, with the collapse of society sharply depicted. Brooker even manages to fit some decent social commentary into the mix, and does it in a far more holistic and subtle manner that George Romero's latest attempt. Zombies-as-metaphor has always been the preferred way to impart depth onto the death, and Brooker puts in enough subtext about the braindead masses and their mindless consumption of TV and cinema to give you something to talk about afterwards other than the gore effects, should you so wish.

What holds Dead Set back somewhat is its acquiescence to cliché. Like most 21st Century zombie outings, it's packed full of references, most of them to Romero, and the ultimate direction of the plot should be familiar to anyone who's ever watched a zombie film. Many of the shocks and outcomes to scenes will be utterly sign-posted to any fan of zombies, and even the gore effects are content to merely copy the work of Savini et al rather than strike out in his spirit of finding ever-more innovative mutilation of the human form. The over-use of shaky-cam is a more stylistic example of its unoriginality: using wobbly hand-held cameras to create that gritty documentary realism may have been original in 1998 in Saving Private Ryan, but in the decade since then it's been done to absolute death (excuse the pun).

While it does nothing new, Dead Set is still a triumph because it does the old far more proficiently than most have managed. And it's nice to see a British backdrop to the nightmarish apocalypse once again.

Considering this is a low budget TV film Charlie Brooker has pulled off a fantastic little gem, based on the premise of a Zombie Outbreak in England and the tale of a eclectic band of survivors (most of whom already hate each others guts) stuck in the Big Brother House, a satirical comment on the vacuousness of Reality TV to rival Romero's commentary of consumerism in the original Dawn of the Dead.

Taken as a gore fest with a huge dollop of black humour it works a treat and even the nihilistic ending fits so well into the message. Some great references throughout for Zombie Film Fans and Big Brother Fans alike. I like fast Zombies, much scarier and more threatening than traditional shufflers and considering the limited time this mini-series had they really were a necessity. Having some of the real ex-house mates and Davina as Zombies was a great touch.

If you enjoyed Dawn of the Dead (2004), 28 Days and Weeks Later, REC and Shaun of the Dead, Dead Set is definitely worth a viewing.

Charlie Brooker breaks a number of boundaries in creating this magnificent series - but most importantly, he has written the only zombie television series to date, either in the UK or the US. Although the plot contains more gaping wounds than Davina McCall after a zombie's had a go at her, what it lacks in integrity it makes up for in sheer suspense and terror. The premise is laughable - a zombie outbreak is bringing Britain to its knees, and the only ones unaware of this are locked safely inside the "Big Brother" house - but this little gem turns out to be an extremely frightening experience.

While Big Brother host Davina McCall steals the show, she does not play a particularly challenging role, and finds her initial role of playing a fictional version of herself even more challenging than playing a bloodthirsty zombie. On the other hand, Jaime Winstone and the rest of the cast put in fantastic performances all round. One of the series' only faults is the very shaky and often frustrating camera-work, which can be effective at times in adding to the realistic "documentary feel", but often just makes it difficult to work out what is actually happening on screen.

While making a few jabs at the state of British television and celebrity culture - the world is coming to an end, yet Big Brother is still on - the series also manages to deliver truly terrifying scenes and a great sense of nihilism throughout.

I thought that there would never be a zombie epic to beat or even overshadow George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead (apart from Shaun of the Dead) and now FINALLY I think we in Britain have finally got a film/TV movie/ mini series that does rival that. Dead set is a horror set around the Big Brother phenomenon and a terrifying real zombie apocalypse. The general public and the house-mates even the crew of Big Brother become unknowingly involved in a vicious fight for survival as the dead start eating the entire British population one chunk at a time. I truly loved this, I love zombie movies (yes even the crap and extremely cheesy ones too) and this was the best millennium zombie based survival horror I have ever seen. As far as I was concerned the remake of Dawn of the Dead, remake of Day of the Dead, the new 3D version of Night of the living dead and every other 'poser' zombie movie out there nowadays that doesn't fulfil the code of the zombie horror movie i.e. intense scenes and graphic gore, Dead set fulfils on all levels. Firstly the acting is great from Andy Nyman (severance) as the totally obnoxious producer of Big Brother Patrick to Jamie Winstone as the poor floor runner Kelly forced to become the heroine in charge of the survival of the house-mates of the Big Brother house. There's even past BB housemates who star in cameos at the start of the series and some even become zombies later but you'll have to watch it to find out who becomes one and who becomes zombie brunch. Next I'll move to the gore. Don't think that just cause this was a made for TV movie that they skimp on the gore because they don't. I was very surprised by the gore and bloody carnage that they were allowed to put on the small screen. E4 have definitely pulled out their balls and had the guts (no pun intended) to show this movie he way we'd expect it to be seen in all its gutsy glory (again no pun intended.) Some of the effects rival that of Tom Savini's groundbreaking and very gruesome special FX on the original George A. Romero's Day of the Dead. I was in awe by what they were allowed to show on the screen and thank god they did. Next the social commentary that George included in Dawn is re-invented and used in Dead Set. How the characters talk about the zombies and how the zombies watch the revealing show via TV sets that they walk around finding their next meal and what society is reduced to. Lastly the zombies in this are genuinely chilling, they look menacing and vicious even at times somewhat evil and very ravenous… and I mean ravenous for human flesh (take note Resident Evil Trilogy) Yes even for the first time I can even pass the fact that these zombies can run and pretty damn fast. Just like the zombies from Dawn of the Dead remake, Day of the dead remake and 28 days/weeks later these will tear after you if you are seen and that is scary but although they can do that the slow style of zombie i.e. Romero's zombies are much more frightening than the fast future style zombies of today. The dark overtone of the story adds an air of dread to the atmospheric tension and terror that Dead Set has deep in the underbelly of Charlie Brooker's well thought out script. Britain proves that what Hollywood can do, with a bit of careful structure and preparation the UK can do it better. We did it with Shaun of the Dead which was a global hit and I believe that we can easily do it again with Dead Set when it finally reaches USA shores soon. The climax genuinely had made both thrilled, chilled and scared and not many horrors can do that with me.

Dead Set is a thrilling gory"shoot me again I ain't dead yet" exciting piece of UK style horror and should be seen to be believed.

Although I'm fan of Big Brother, I have only just got round to watching Dead Set. I love the idea around this mini series and it turned out to be a great watch.

The characters were likable and portrayed well, they was like proper housemates. Having Davina as the host also made it feel more real. The plot was great and progressed at a nice pace, leaving you wanting more after every episode had finished. This action was extremely fast paced and gory, there was also quite a lot of humour which I liked, it was just a good solid drama series in general. Jaime Winstone who played Kelly really stole the show, she was great.

It was kept short and sweet with just 5 episodes, 4 of which were only 25 minutes. The set looked great and the zombies were very detailed. The action was thick and fast.

The way it all ended might not be everyone's favourite but for me that was inevitable. Overall an extremely good series, better than I thought it would be. Would recommend it to anyone, although it isn't that scary.

9/10.