Zombie Night

Made a full decade after Zombie Night (2003) which I'd consider one of the worst zombie movies ever made, the title is recycled and we're presented with another zombie piece.

I was conflicted what to expect initially, it's a Scyfy original and I actually think the Scyfy channel do horror quite well. However on the flipside it's made by the rather infamous The Asylum and they seldom make anything even remotely watchable.

So a zombie outbreak occurs, a town becomes panicked and crazed and we follow a group of survivors of whom you'll recognise quite a few.

Anthony Michael Hall, Daryl Hannah and Alan Ruck demonstrate here with their inclusion just how low their careers have sunk. Remember when Hannah was a prominent Hollywood star? Those days are well behind her.

Directed by horror legend Clu Gulagers son he does a decent enough job here in fact the whole thing has clear influences from both Romero and the Return of the Living Dead series (And in competent fashion).

It feels like an old school zombie movie and though it staggers in the centre it is actually better than you'd expect all things considered.

However, zombies have certain "Rules" present in their lore and here they decided to tweak a couple and that damages the movie more than I can express here.

Zombie Night would have been a passable affair if the writer hadn't decided to go into business for himself.

The Good:

Old school zombie movie

The Bad:

Some poor music choices

Zombie "Rules" changed

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

During the zombie apocalypse the police need to be vigilant with looters

Little known fact, zombies enjoy playing fetch

Warning: Parked cars can randomly explode for absolutely no reason

I must screw my courage to the sticking place on this one. Being a fan of everything else he's done, I was expecting quite a bit more for my money from John Gulager. (I paid for the TV I saw it on, the electricity it took to get through it, and the outrageous monthly satellite bill that brought it to me, so, yeah, I paid- out the f---ing a--...) I was expecting something along the lines of Dan O'Bannon's THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD: Gulager has in past instances shown that he's more than capable of rising to the Low Budget occasion (with everything else he's done)- but, this time around, for whatever reason(s), he simply didn't deliver. At the very least, I was expecting a cameo by his father (and it would've been extra cool if said cameo had been tied into his role in THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD). Again, no such luck. I'm far from consigning Gulager to the list of Has Been Directors: he has more talent in his little toe (left foot) than most directors (p)lying their trade these days. Maybe next time he'll come through for us.

Zombie Night was always going to be one of those movies that people shouldn't expect that much from, but even when judging it for what it is you do want evidence of some sort of fun. You don't get that with Zombie Night, instead you get a complete failure on all levels with unintentional humour that gets more increasingly frustrating than anything else. The best thing about the movie is the make-up for the zombies, even when the least amateurish asset it still wasn't that good. With the rest of the production values you could tell that Zombie Night was made in a rush- especially in the editing- and with little signs of care or love. The dialogue is vomit-inducing in how inane it is, the timing is also sloppy and the line delivery flat. It does provide some unintentional humour to begin with but very quickly hearing so many what the...? gets frustrating, plus it does get needlessly convoluted at times. There is no real narrative to speak of, what there is shows lots of predictability, endless ridiculously dumb moments(the bunker and cemetery scenes for examples), no signs of life and the thrills, fun and horror elements are so empty and scrappily done with no signs of surprise that they feel non-existent. The less said about the dull and abrupt ending the better too. The characters are either irritating(Nana) or infuriatingly stupid(Karen), at no point do we root for them and their actions are so stupid beyond belief makes them even less likable. If there are any characters we do root for it is the zombies, unfortunately that is not saying much as they are under-utilised and personality-less. The actors don't or can't do anything with their characters or dialogue, very amateurish. It is ironic that the Oscar Winner Shirley Jones ties with Jennifer Taylor as the worst acting performance in the movie, and Anthony Michael Hall and Daryl Hannah are pretty much wasted. In conclusion, if you want any delights with Zombie Night you will be disappointed. It is not quite as bad as the abysmal Vampegeddon(doubt that many people have seen it and for good reason) but there is a big emphasis on the quite. 1/10 Bethany Cox

Seeing The Asylum was behind this movie as the intro credits came on the screen, I must admit that my level of expectation went from hopeful to next to none. But still, I decided to watch this movie because it is a zombie movie after all.

And now about 85 minutes later, I must admit that I was genuinely surprised here. And I can honestly say that this is without a doubt one of the better movies to make it from The Asylum's drawing board.

The story here, is much like most other zombie movies. A strange phenomena takes place world wide and the dead are returning to life to feast on the flesh of the living. There is no explanation why or how this is happening. A small group of survivors have to make it through the night, as the number of living dead continues to rise.

The storyline was good and well executed on the screen, which is a definite thumbs up to The Asylum. This is the way to go. And the zombies in the movie were actually quite good. Not like most other low budget movies where it is just people with their faces painted gray, splattered with some blood and having their clothing shredded here and there. The make-up department had actually gone all the way in here. And it was nice for a change.

The cast was doing a good job as well, and personally I was thrilled to have Darryl Hannah in a zombie movie. And she actually pulled her weight quite nicely here, despite being in a rather unfamiliar environment.

"Zombie Night" is good entertainment and fun to watch for everyone who enjoys the zombie genre.

The ending, with the sunrise and all, well... I didn't personally care much for that particular direction in the zombie mythology. But hey, the movie still worked out nicely.

I am giving "Zombie Night" 6 fingers up out of 10. I can't give anymore as zombies ate the remaining four.

Two neighbouring families attempt to survive the first night of a zombie outbreak.

Feast director John Gulager helms Zombie Night (2013), one of the better SyFy/Asylum outings-an under-the-radar undead flick that, while flawed, still has a little bite. With a score by Alan Howarth (of Carpenter collaborator fame) and shambling Romero-style zombies, the film has enough going for it to warrant attention. Unfortunately, it's let down by a flat, made-for-TV aesthetic (despite its 1.78 : 1 aspect ratio) and a cacophony of unnecessary screaming that drags it into DTV territory. That said, the lighting, Damian Horan's cinematography, and use of practical locations lend it some much-needed atmosphere.

Leading the cast are '80s stars Anthony Michael Hall, Daryl Hannah, and Alan Ruck-each delivering grounded performances that rise above the material. The night-bound premise is intriguing, and Gulager's love for Romero's mythos shows. Zombies don't run-they creep. You don't turn from a bite; you turn from death. Classic rules. As a possible homage, this could have been marketed as Night of the Living Zombies, with moments lifted straight from Night of the Living Dead and a similarly clothed zombie and attack echoing Uncle Rege from the 1990 remake. It also borrows from Romero's Diary, Dawn and Day of the Dead.

There are some decent gore effects, especially for an Asylum production, with creepy undead, and moments of genuine tension-particularly in the greenhouse and cemetery-set finale. But a lack of visual polish and character reactions dull what could've been a tight, small-scale horror.

Overall, a missed opportunity, but still one of Gulager's more watchable post-Feast efforts. Strong leads and solid zombie work, but ultimately held back by its shrill tone and TV aesthetic.