Attack of the Lederhosen Zombies

OK, maybe I am a little biased, because I am from Austria (hello Rainhard Fendrich...), but I don't get the negative reviews. So I would like to raise the attention to an overlooked point.

This is a horror comedy and I fear that either the dubbed version lost a lot of the funny moments or maybe the sense of this typical Austrians humor wasn't broad enough.

E.g. the drinking scene with the Russian investor: If you know a little bit about the country's history AND the actual consumption of alcohol it is perfectly set up.

So if you don't get the laughs it leaves you with a very simple story and solid handmade SFXs.

For me it's the perfect mix of humor, gore, fun and nice ideas.

I hope for more genre movies (action, thrillers, horror) made in Austria.

Two words that you've probably never heard together: Zombie deer – a concept as wacky as is it entertaining, which coincidentally is how I would describe Attack of the Lederhosen Zombies. This film continues the tradition of movies such as Shaun of the Dead and Cabin Fever, which show the humorous escapades of a group struggling to survive the zombie apocalypse.

Set in the Austrian Alps, three teenagers are left to fend for themselves after a falling out with their snowboarding sponsors over a prank gone wrong. Trapped on top of a ski resort during a failed science experiment, they must find a way down the mountain to safety before being consumed by the zombie horde. The films emphasis on the origin of the outbreak really stood out to me as most zombie thrillers ignore or breeze over this crucial event.

Where Lederhosen Zombies really shined was through its creative use of special effects and gore. Whether it was disembowelment by wood chipper or decapitation by snowboard, I was constantly on the edge of my seat, wide-eyed, and thirsty for the next unexpected kill.

In a nutshell, Attack of the Lederhosen Zombies it a flick that excels in the entertainment factor and shouldn't be taken too seriously. Filled to the brim with comedic one-liners and eye-brow raising violence, this movie branches out into its own genre: ZomCom. I really enjoyed the unique spin on one of my favorite genres as well as the colorful cast. This was a great addition to last Friday's fright night. Careful! It might just take a bite out of your funny bone.

How often have you really seen comedy and horror work well together? Probably not too often but "Attack of the Lederhosen Zombies" does a great job at fusing these two categories. This lighthearted, zombie filled film brings together every aspect of horror films and comedies to make it enjoyable for everyone to watch.

When three teens are stranded on the Austrian Alps during a snowboarding trip, you don't think many bad things could happen. But add a science experiment gone wrong, and a mountain full of zombies to the equation and then you have real mayhem. Luckily, the humor throughout keeps the spirits high and hopeful for an escape from this hellish location.

The script has cleverly written jokes that kept me laughing and a self-aware cast that notably mentions they are in some type of "zombie movie" to the audience. I noticed an 80's vibe present that also helps to give off a quirky feel.

But not to worry for all the horror lovers. There is an intense fight scene between the zombies and snowboarders that still had me hiding my eyes (mostly because I'm squeamish). If you can think of any way to kill a zombie with a snowboard, it is done in this movie and probably more. Whether there is a head being cut off or in half, a body severed, or a zombie being shot to death you will have enough gore to last you a lifetime. Basically, the special effects did not disappoint and the makeup helps make some of the most realistic looking zombies.

This ZomCom is a great flick that I really enjoyed. It is perfect for a movie night and deserving of any comedy or zombie lovers time. This spoofy film does not disappoint and should be added to everyone's movie watch list.

Horror/comedy fans can rest easy knowing that Attack of the Lederhosen Zombies director Dominik Hartl pulled off an incredible feat: delicately walking the line between horror and comedy. The humor in this film is truly humorous (slapstick is not the name of the game here, thankfully, but there is a little thrown in for good measure). Likewise, the horror is truly horrendous in the best possible way—dramatic character deaths, gory zombie dismemberment, and painful moral decisions see to that. As the film is foreign, it also possesses a unique trait that further distinguishes it from less inspired contemporary films: the humor is intellectually funny. It is evident that actual thought went into not only the jokes themselves, but also their timing and story integration. It is entirely possible to laugh out loud without even looking at the screen; listening to the words is often simply enough. Lederhosen Zombies earns the "comedy" in its horror/comedy genre label; if you like other cerebral horror comedies (like Edgar Wright's Shaun of the Dead or Sam Raimi's Army of Darkness) this film deserves a spot on your list.

If there's one horror sub genre that truly outstayed its welcome for far too long by now, it's undoubtedly the zombie-comedy. Particularly since Edgar Wright's fantastic "Shaun of the Dead", there's an oversupply of literally hundreds of wannabe refreshing and original zombie flicks in all kind of shapes, settings or specific situations. We've had Nazi zombies, zombie boy scouts, zombie beavers, Cuban zombies, Russian zombies, Aussie zombies, zombie strippers, retired zombies, baby zombies, intelligent zombies, mockumentary zombies, space zombies, ex-girlfriend zombies, drug-addicted zombies, football zombies, political zombies, cowboy zombies, zombie nerds, handicapped zombies and I could probably list another few dozen of zombie variations… The thing with these flicks is that they are light- headed and easily watchable, but gradually becoming so damn mundane and tiresome. Personally I have decided to skip 99% of the 'zomedy' spawn and only still watch the occasional one at a festival or together with friends while getting drunk. Zombies in traditional Austrian garb and roaming around in an après- ski resort are gimmicks that hadn't been done before yet, so here's the movie with the all-summarizing title "Attack of the Lederhozen Zombies". The worldwide premiere took place at the Brussels' International Fantastic Film Festival around midnight, so ideal place and circumstances for me to switch off most of my brain functions and enjoy the bloodshed along with the rest of the outrageous festival crowd!

High up in the Alps of Tyrol, Austria, the megalomaniac resort owner Franz has developed a monstrosity-machine that supposedly turns liquid into pure and fresh snow regardless of how warm the outside temperatures are. His plan is to beat global warming and make the skiing season last all year, and thus he invited a Russian industrialist over to give a demonstration and hopefully receive financial support. The demonstration goes horribly wrong – or what else did you think – and the Russian inhales green fumes that almost instantly turn him into a zombie. Meanwhile, three stunt- snowboarders are stranded atop of the mountain as well and Rita's après-ski hut is getting ready for the end-of-the-season party that will last all night. They all come together for one hellish night of bloody mass annihilation and schnapps! The film doesn't feature any gag or kill that you haven't seen numerous times before in other movies, except now the massacres are done with the sharp edges of a snowboard or ski poles instead of the more conventional armory. According to writer/director Dominik Hartl, the concept idea comes from observing drunken winter sport tourists at the après-ski parties in Tyrol. People drink too much schnapps or beers, lose their dignity and stumble around the snowy landscapes as if they are drooling, brain dead zombies. My family and I go on skiing vacation in Tyrol every year and I can definitely confirm that the comparison is very accurate. Heck, I probably even wandered around there looking like a zombie myself! What Dominik Hartl does quite well is referring, both obviously as well as subtly, towards legendary sequences of other genre milestones. The opening sequence is a beautiful homage to John Carpenter's "The Thing", the artificial snow liquid looks exactly like the green goo in Stuart Gordon's "Re- Animator", the mingling of the zombies between the regular party- goers is a big fat wink towards Edgar Wright's "Shaun of the Dead" and Rita's bloody stroll with the forage chopper is very reminiscent to the lawnmower scene in Peter Jackson's "Braindead".