Dead Alive (1992)

A young man's mother is bitten by a Sumatran rat-monkey. She gets sick and dies, at which time she comes back to life, killing and eating dogs, nurses, friends, and neighbors.

Director:

Peter Jackson

Writers:

Stephen Sinclair (story), Stephen Sinclair (screenplay)

Stars:

Timothy Balme, Diana Peñalver, Elizabeth Moody

13 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Timothy Balme	...	Lionel Cosgrove
Diana Peñalver	...	Paquita Maria Sanchez
Elizabeth Moody	...	Mum (Vera Cosgrove)
Ian Watkin	...	Uncle Les
Brenda Kendall	...	Nurse McTavish
Stuart Devenie	...	Father McGruder
Jed Brophy	...	Void
Stephen Papps	...	Zombie McGruder
Murray Keane	...	Scroat
Glenis Levestam	...	Nora Matheson
Lewis Rowe	...	Mr. Matheson
Elizabeth Mulfaxe	...	Rita
Harry Sinclair	...	Roger
Davina Whitehouse	...	Paquita's Grandmother
Silvio Famularo	...	Paquita's Father

Storyline

Deep in the lush jungles of the isolated Skull Island lies the habitat of the elusive, yet endangered and utterly vicious "Simian Raticus", or better known as by its common name, the Sumatran Rat-Monkey, a hideous mix of a virus-carrying slave-ship rat and a tree monkey. Presently, back in New Zealand's Wellington, the oppressed Lionel Cosgrove who lives with his despotic mother Vera, has finally found his soulmate, Paquita, but sadly, his world will rapidly change when after a stroll at the local Zoo, a live specimen of the rare species will bite Vera. Now that she's got the "bite", with the infection spreading and turning Vera into a festering, puss-squirting living dead ravenous for flesh, things are bound to get out of hand, as an ever-growing collection of stiffs and other stimulant-enhanced zombie misfits detained in Lionel's house basement will demand immediate action. Poor Lionel he needs to step up and clear up the mess, but above all, summon the courage to confront his ...

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Plot Keywords:

zombie | zombie attack | living dead | monkey | zoo | 

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Taglines:

The Goriest Fright Film of All Time!

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for an abundance of outrageous gore

Details

Official Sites:

NZonScreen listing

Country:

New Zealand

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

12 February 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dead Alive

Filming Locations:

Botanic Garden, Wellington, New Zealand

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$242,623

Company Credits

Production Co:

WingNut Films, New Zealand Film Commission, Avalon/NFU Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min 85 min (R-rated) 97 min (unrated) 80 min (FSK 16) 92 min (1992) (1993) (cut) 85 min (heavily cut) 99 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Uncle Les is hit in the groin five separate times during the final act of the film.

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Goofs

Before the luncheon scene, the Mathesons introduce themselves to Lionel as if for the first time. At the funeral, they display long-term familiarity ("Poor Lionel, he was always dreadfully attached to his mother.")

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Quotes

Roger: You know what they are saying about you don't you? You've got funny in the head! A real bloody weirdo!

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Alternate Versions

The Japanese laserdisc version is 104 min. long. Additional footage contains significant character development and gore.

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Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: Cannibal Holocaust (2011)

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Soundtracks

Heat of My Thoughts
Composed and performed by Tony Backhouse
copyright central

User Reviews

Good grisly fun!

DEAD ALIVE (1993) ***1/2 New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson made his mark in horror cinema (and for himself as a talent to be reckoned with) in this incredibly gory, funny and altogether sickfest zombie flick about a young man's shrew mother getting bit by a Sumatran Rat Monkey rabid with a truly nasty disease that turns her (and all that she infects with a bite) into a crazed/ravenous thing that can't be stopped in its rapacious wake of terror. The scattershot breakneck pace makes fellow monster maven Sam Raimi look like Busby Berkeley! Classic cult film that will have you laughing at the putridness of it all. Look for Jackson's homage to "King Kong" with Skull Island reference at film's precredit sequence.