As the first person to ever contract Onset Rigors Disease (ORD), a condition that ultimately turns the sufferer into a violent zombie, Harold Gimble's deterioration is much slower than others; to help him cope with the gradual stiffening of his limbs, Harold (Stan Rowe) is appointed a nurse, Penny (Sarah Spencer), who relieves his pain and brings some joy back into his life. When Harold is talked into taking part in tests for an experimental drug for ORD, he initially shows improvement, but then takes a rapid turn for the worse, a fact that delights the local community volunteers, whose job it is to bash in the heads of sufferers who 'turn', but which proves hard for poor Penny to handle.
In a world over-run by low-budget zombie movies, many of which are sorely lacking in originality, I admire any attempt to do something fresh with the genre; Harold's Going Stiff is not only incredibly innovative, tackling its zombie theme from a whole new perspective, but it's also a wonderfully made film, a real gem that benefits from touching performances from stars Rowe and Spencer, a brilliant and often very funny script, and sharp direction from Keith Wright, whose handling of the faux documentary style is nothing short of brilliant. A tragic tale with bags of heart, that touches upon sensitive issues such as old age, crippling illness, and euthanasia, this is worlds away from the movies of Romero or Fulci, and even Shaun of the Dead (which will no doubt get mentioned in many reviews), but it is certainly no less worthy for serious zombie fans.
In a world over-run by low-budget zombie movies, many of which are sorely lacking in originality, I admire any attempt to do something fresh with the genre; Harold's Going Stiff is not only incredibly innovative, tackling its zombie theme from a whole new perspective, but it's also a wonderfully made film, a real gem that benefits from touching performances from stars Rowe and Spencer, a brilliant and often very funny script, and sharp direction from Keith Wright, whose handling of the faux documentary style is nothing short of brilliant. A tragic tale with bags of heart, that touches upon sensitive issues such as old age, crippling illness, and euthanasia, this is worlds away from the movies of Romero or Fulci, and even Shaun of the Dead (which will no doubt get mentioned in many reviews), but it is certainly no less worthy for serious zombie fans.