Monday, October 01, 2012

Juan of the Dead

(2012) ***1/2

HORRORTHON!!!  YES!!! YES!!!! YES!!!!!!!!  okay, that's out of my system. thank you.

Juan & Lazaro, poor loser fishermen living in Havana, Cuba, slouch their way through life, living day to day, and generally, not connecting with their neighbors or adult children.  Then, they notice something strange about their friends and neighbors - they seem to have come down with some sort of disease that makes them incoherent and terribly aggressive.  So, do they try to find a way to survive?  No, of course not.  They look for a way to profit from this invasion of what their local media is referring to as another invasion of American dissidents. 

So, if your first thought is that this looks like a cheap, Spanish-language knock-off of Shaun of the Dead, well, in a way you're right, and this movie makes no attempt to hide it.  But, 20 minutes into this movie, after it follows the same pattern as "Shaun", but in Cuba, this movie take its own turn as Juan & Lazaro start a business: "Juan of the Dead, we kill your loved ones".  Yes for just 30 pesoes, Juan, Lazaro, and team will come out and take care of your zombie-filled home or business.  This was hilarious, and a fresh take on the "after freaking out, how would you cope with zombies" in a tongue-in-cheek way.  In addition to this, I've got to give this film credit for its self-awareness (they discuss the variety of Romero type zombies vs. Danny Boyle zombies and give them the clever nickname hares & turtules).  Also, the political references are entertaining, as most of this film, Juan and Lazaro think the zombie invasion is another Bay of Pigs type fiasco perpetrated by the Americans.

Definitely worth your time - check this one out.  Especially if you enjoy the horror/comedy mix. 

6 comments:

Octopunk said...

Nice find! I've never heard of this. Sounds like it's just the right level of self-aware. The title alone would mean it'd have to be.

Your opening scream has been entered in our records. Thank you for your support.

Catfreeek said...

Great find Trevor! I have never heard of such a film but it sounds hilarious.

JPX said...

Delightful title and terrific review! This sounds like fun, nice discovery.

Johnny Sweatpants said...

Sweet! It's always nice to see zombie movies go in creative and unexpected directions.

DKC said...

Sounds like it's right up my biddy alley! (That sounded kind of naughty, but you know what I mean!)

AC said...

fun find!

Malevolent

 2018  ***1/2 It's 1986 for some reason, and a team of paranormal investigators are making a big name for themselves all over Scotland. ...