Stacy: Attack of the Schoolgirl Zombies

Japanese weirdos…you got to love them! Not one nation's cinema industry proved itself so eccentric and imaginative during the last ten years as the Japanese one! Especially in the field of violent cult and spooky horror, the young Japanese directors rule with an iron fists. `Stacy' a.k.a Attack of the Schoolgirl zombies is one hysterical bunch of nonsense, but oh so fun to look at. For no particular reason, girls aged 15-17 years die and metamorphose into gut-munching zombies. Preferably, they should be re-killed by their loved ones and cut up into 165 (!) pieces. How about that? Naturally, the plot is inferior to the huge amount of splatter madness and sadistic humor Stacy is filled with. I'm practically sure the scriptwriters of this film were hooked on some kind of vicious drug! How else would you explain some of the silly stuff they're presenting us here? But…you got to hand it to them: they know their classics! The multiple references and tributes to milestone zombie-films are priceless! The chainsaw brand their using, for example, is called `Bruce Campbell's Right Hand', the zombie-squad members are referred to as `Romero' (as in George A.) and the sleazy scientist is some sort of Baron Frankenstein replica with artsy pink glasses! Terrific trivia stuff.

Nonetheless, `Stacy' won't ever join the list of Japanese cult-classics-to-be which already includes titles such as Battle Royale, Itchi The Killer or Ringu… It's just too goofy and amateurish to be highly memorable. Unlike the exiting topic of zombie violence, Stacy contains a couple of boring moments, lousy acting and – worst of all – way too many `what the f**k'-moments. Several monologues and sequences simply don't make any sense and they seem to be made up by illiterate monkeys. Luckily for the viewer, those dull moments are almost always followed by wild and nasty zombie action, so it remains bearable at all times. Therefore, I recommend `Stacy' for what it is…a refreshing and light-hearted gore galore that'll make you laugh for a good 80 minutes. No more, no less! The absolute highlight of absurdity: the amateur-Frankenstein scientist separates a girl's head from her body and by doing so, he pulls out her entire spinal column with it…You have to see it to believe it!

Part millennium movie, part post modern 'Evil Dead', this bloody tale of the wonder and terror of schoolgirls aged 15 - 17 is surely uniquely Japanese, and yet is also able to trigger a more basic response.

It's literary origins give it a seriousness, that it's cartoon like visuals of young girls ripping into the flesh and innards of their victims seems at odds with and yet…..

From the first day of 2001, we are told, girls of these ages are first dropping dead and then returning as zombies that twitch and turn till they are sliced into 165 pieces and all search to be killed by their lover.

Extreme, odd and colourful!

For quite some time my friends had been telling me about this nifty little Japanese zombie film called "Stacy." So the other day when wandering around a video store I noticed that they had it, so I rented it. The word bizarre comes to mind when talking about this film.

The movie starts out with three little kids poking a dead sixteen year old girl (I'd wager they thought she was asleep), the girl reawakens as a Stacy (the official word for the zombies) and kills the little kids. The movie has a rather interesting take on the zombie apocalypse. Instead of affecting everyone it only affects girls between the ages of fifteen and seventeen. To combat the threat of the Stacies the Japanese government created the Romero Repeat Kill Squad (an obvious reference George A. Romero), the Repeat Kill Squad is for those who are too wimpy to kill their own daughters. Apparently to "repeat kill" a Stacy one has to chop the body up into 165 different pieces. So to try to combat the Stacy threat people are encouraged to kill their daughters, and they even sell these implements of death in stores and infomercials, they even have a pamphlet on how to repeat kill the Stacies.

This movie has a neat concept and a pretty cool storyline, but it just sort of fell apart. The movie is just very campy, and at least it doesn't try to take itself too seriously. There are some points in the movie that you'll find yourself asking "why the hell did they do that?!" Perhaps if I read the book in which it's based the movie as a whole would've made more sense, I don't know. But as it stands Stacy is a somewhat enjoyable film that is only marred by its occasional annoying scene, and a truly annoying ending.

'Tis a story of love 'Tis a story of death 'Tis a story of love beyond death

But most importantly...

'Tis a story of chainsawing hot zombie school girls.

"STACY"

At the dawn of the new millennium, young girls, aged 15-17, entered a state of bliss, dubbed, Near Death Happiness, or N.D.H. But from there, turned into flesh eating zombies, that couldn't be stopped unless their bodies were cut into 165 small pieces (then left on the curb in trash bags, for the Romero Rekill Squad to come and dispose of).

While style isn't this movies strong point, the story, originally by Kenji Otsuki, is a deep and compelling one, but at the same time, hidden by comedic killing, and wantonness gore. This movie pays great homage to Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, and Army of Darkness. Under all of this though, is a story that is very driven, and complete. It takes zombie movies in an unheard of direction, and sets a bar far beyond any other zombie movie has yet to surpass, and will not for a while.

This movie is truly a great watch, the special effects are at times cheesy, but at other times (beheaded girl) are a real treat to watch. Supposedly this movie has a semi famous cast, I don't recognize anybody in there, but I'm sure after being in a film like Stacy, they are probably all living on their own private islands right now, surfing in pools of pudding.

Action fans will love it because of the zombies, girls will love it because of the heart warming story of love, zombies will love it because of zombies, In fact, this movie is probably the key to world peace.

Watch it or die.

I watched this film thinking I was going to see another terrific, no holds barred, Japanese gore fest. Japan seems to have no problem starring 15-17 year old children in extreme horror films. I was ready for anything.

I wasn't ready for the spectacular performance by Natsuki Kato. She slips easily through extreme emotional states . I wasn't ready for the wildly off beat humour thrown in by the Drew Ilegal Repeat Kill Group. I was also quite touched by the heavy handed lecture on how society has failed its children. I don't know, maybe I'm getting old.

The viewer should make no mistake, this is a B-movie. It's over the top in its execution, but flows nicely...well except for the 5 minute puppet show! There is a lot of blood. Sadly, much of it looks like dried paint. There were some great scenes of gore. Not all of them realistic, but effective nontheless.

And I really like the bunny outfit. What a great touch. This is a film that doesn't take itself too seriously, but has a rather serious social comment. I loved it.