Undead or Alive (2007)

Director:

Glasgow Phillips

Writers (WGA):

Glasgow Phillips (screenplay)
Scott Pourroy (story) ...

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Western

Tagline:

Guns don't kill people. Zombies kill people.

Plot:

Elmer Winslow is a soldier on the run from the Union Army, and Luke Budd is a cowboy with a broken heart. When the two misfits rob the corrupt sheriff of an old west town, they have no idea that a plague of zombies is sweeping the country, or that Geronimo's sexy niece may be their only hope of survival.

Plot Keywords:

Geronimo | Nudity | Zombie With Gun | Native American | Female Nudity

Cast

Chris Kattan	...	Luke
James Denton	...	Elmer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lew Alexander	...	Geronimo
Todd Anderson	...	Kermit
Richard Barela	...	Drunk Zombie
Matt Besser	...	Claypool
Brett Brock	...	Townsman 1
Richard Bucher	...	Townsman
Jeff Chase	...	Zombie
Chris Coppola	...	Cletus
Gino Crognale	...	General Store Owner
Jeffrey J. Dashnaw	...	Townsman (as Jeffrey Dashnaw)
Scott Flick	...	Zombie Soldier
Michelle Greathouse	...	Schoolmarm
Patricia Greer	...	Saloon Girl
Leslie Jordan	...	Padre
Geoffrey C. Martin	...	Trap door zombie
Keola Melhorn	...	Zombie
Tracy Melhorn	...	Zombie
Michael Patrick Metzdorff	...	Gunfighter Zombie / Union Soldier Zombie
Cristin Michele	...	Kate
Christopher Allen Nelson	...	The Captain
T. Jay O'Brien	...	Farlow
Brian Posehn	...	Ben
Navi Rawat	...	Sue
Chloe Russell	...	Ruby
Elizabeth Slagsvol	...	Saloon Girl
Russell Solberg	...	Townsman
Mia Stallard	...	Anna
Ben Zeller	...	Ebeneezer

Also Known As:

Undead or Alive (USA) (new title)
Wanted: Undead or Alive (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for zombie violence and gore, language and brief nudity.

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:M (2007) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Odd Lot Entertainment

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Ben is cut down from the noose of the hanging post you can clearly see his tongue when the priest is over him. Yet earlier in the movie it is explained that Ben has eating his own tongue.

Movie Connections:

References Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Soundtrack:

Danger

Another in a Recent String of Zombie Comedies

Two men, forced to be partners due to an unusual set of circumstances (involving a sheriff and a prostitute), get captured by the niece of Geronimo, but end up on her side when the sheriff and his men acquire Geronimo's curse (making them a zombie-like creature). The men are now on the run, hoping to find either an escape or a cure.

One cannot comment on this film without comparing it to other zombie comedies. The closest is probably "The Quick and the Undead", which I haven't seen. The modern classic is "Shaun of the Dead", which may never be surpassed -- it certainly wasn't by this film. Another entry is "Dead and Deader", which doesn't seem to be popular amongst fans but I have to say is on par with this one -- DAD is heavier on the references (which I like) and UOA is heavier on the slapstick comedy. So, that might help you make your choice if you are going to watch one or the other.

The other deciding factor has to be Chris Kattan. He's less flamboyant here than usual ("Night at the Roxbury") but is still Kattan. If you have some sort of aversion to him, you may want to avoid this film. The other actors are all quite good, although I found it very difficult to believe that Geronimo's niece had any Native American blood in her. But I won't fault her for that.

The gore is decent. Early on the effects are cheesy, but they seem to get better as they go, or I just notice the poor quality less. Not sure which, but you'll get a good share of blood. The nudity, unfortunately, is limited almost entirely to the male bottom. I may be a regular subscriber to "Buns and Ammo" but sometimes I like to see women, too, which this film can't offer.

This film was an impulse rent (it was this or "Day Watch") and I don't regret it. Sure, the plot and acting and everything else is cheesy. But, this film served it's purpose: a light-hearted gore-splattered zombie comedy to watch with friends while drinking the cheapest beer known to man (Mountain Creek). Good times. I highly recommend you repeat the experience.