Have you ever seen the movie BIT PARTS? It's an independent horror movie that came out in 2006. It's a really good movie, and it's one of the many DVDs I've held onto all these years. The film was directed by Dave Reda. A man synonymous with independent horror. I've been following Dave Reda's work for years, and I was recently granted an opportunity to watch Dave's latest short film. It's a five minute zombie film called: AS GOOD AS DEAD. This short film had its premiere at the Dances With Films Festival in Hollywood California. From what I was hearing, the reactions from the screening were very positive (and for good reason).
Now, I know what you're thinking:
"Oh god I'm so sick of zombies."
Yes, I get where you're coming from, but trust me when I say that this new short film exceeded my expectations. While it does have a cast of zombies, somehow Elftwin films was able to do something different with them. AS GOOD AS DEAD is entertaining from start to finish. While I break it down for you, I'll do my absolute best not to spoil anything, because im convinced that AS GOOD AS DEAD is a short film you have to see for yourself.
The only real complaint I had with this short film is that the trailer does not do it justice. Thankfully there is a reason for that. If you've seen trailer, then you already know what the basic premise is. If you haven't, you're more than welcome to watch it on my channel. AS GOOD AS DEAD throws you right in the middle of a zombie chase. With two female leads running away from the undead. The short film stars Dani Sciacca, Jeffrey Damnit and Ashley Mary Nunes.
It starts off as by the numbers zombie fare. It's a premise that's more than familiar to us genre fanatics. On the positive side, this short film takes a drastic turn and becomes something completely different. It's a swerve that I did not seeing coming, AT ALL. Knowing the brilliant mind behind the camera, I get it. You see Dave Reda comes from a family of performers and artists. Show business is in his blood, and if you've ever watched any of his previous work, you understand his sense of humor. I won't explain what the swerve itself is, but I'll just say that I had a blast with it. AS GOOD AS DEAD is some of the most entertaining five minutes you'll ever have.
Kudos to the main actors, zombie extras and everyone behind the scenes that worked on this project. Boneyard FX did an incredible with the makeup. The zombies themselves look fantastic, and their movements felt straight out of a George Romero movie. You can tell that this was made for horror fans, by horror fans. That love and passion is visible on the screen, and with the choice of music, it felt like a love letter to the 80's. Which for me, made it that much more enjoyable. You know how much I love 80's horror movies.
I've been following Dave Reda's filmography for years, and I have to say, this is his best work yet. One thing I did find odd is that Dave Reda himself does not appear in the short film at all. Typically Dave plays a small part in all of his movie, but this is the first time he's stayed behind the camera. Not that it's a good or bad thing, it's just a bit weird for him as a filmmaker that has a past history of playing an extra in movies. Or one might say: bit parts.
There's not much else I can say about this short film without giving the surprise away, so I'll just say that this is something that I think you're going to enjoy. Once AS GOOD AS DEAD becomes available to the general public, I will post an update on social media so that you may be able to experience it for yourself. I had a great time watching this film. It was not at all what I was expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised with how much fun it was.
I give AS GOOD AS DEAD 8/10 zombie bites.
