Sometimes, an indie film comes along that makes you thank your lucky stars that you are a horror fan. This kind of film keeps you going, even if you have to dredge through hours and hours of crappy films just to find it. I search high and low for these types of movies, but they are sadly few and far between. Well, today I had the pleasure of viewing the independent Die and Let Live, a zombie horror comedy that succeeds on all fronts.
Maybe I loved this film so much because I'm a sucker for zombie flicks or films that feature some kind of high school party (which always leads to drama even before the zombies show up), but with Die and Let Live, I think the double-whammy of quick, witty dialogue and gore-filled action sold me.
Benny decides to throw a party (ahem, "private gathering") so he can hook up with his crush, Stephanie. His best bud, Smalls, decides to have it at his "summer house" (the guest house behind his mom's). Meanwhile, an outbreak has occurred at a local pharmaceutical company, causing the dead to reanimate. The walking dead cannot be stopped and are soon roaming the streets - not even a head wound will stop them, it only slows them down a bit. The zombies soon reach the now out-of-control rager at Smalls' place and a small group of friends bands together to stave off the zombie attack and retrieve their Bambino's pizza.
The first things that grabbed me about this movie were the likable characters and witty (yet realistic) dialogue. The high school characters were all believable and the acting was all spot on. Special props go to Zane Crosby as the hilarious sidekick Smalls and Josh Lively as Benny, but the rest of the cast does a great job in all their roles. Crosby, Lively and director Justin Channell all wrote the flick, doing a terrific job with characterization, dialogue and action.
Speaking of action, this film just doesn't let up! I was entertained and laughing out loud the entire length of the movie. When the zombies begin their attack on the party, the zingers and gore just don't stop. The film even features a cameo by Lloyd Kaufman (as news reporter Floyd Faukman...hehe). The gore is plentiful and well done, even featuring a victim getting not only his entrails but also his entire rip cage yanked out!
Die and Let Live is definitely an impressive and entertaining horror comedy by director/writer Channell. If you enjoyed the off-beat and absurdest humor of Return of the Living Dead along with a good heaping dose of gore, definitely check out Die and Let Live!
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