7.5/10
84,367
570 user 159 critic

Braindead (1992)

R | | Comedy, Horror | 12 February 1993 (USA)
Braindead Poster
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) | 2 more credits »

Stars:

Timothy Balme, Diana Peñalver, Elizabeth Moody | See full cast & crew »
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13 wins & 5 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

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

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 ... Written by Nick Riganas

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

zombie | zombie attack | living dead | monkey | zoo | See All (48) »

Taglines:

The rot has set in.... See more »

Genres:

Comedy | Horror

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for an abundance of outrageous gore | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Official Sites:

NZonScreen listing

Country:

New Zealand

Language:

English | Spanish

Release Date:

12 February 1993 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Dead-Alive See more »

Filming Locations:

Botanic Garden, Wellington, New Zealand See more »
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Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$242,623
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

WingNut Films,New Zealand Film Commission,Avalon/NFU Studios See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (R-rated) | (unrated) | (FSK 16) | (1992) (1993) (cut) | (heavily cut) | (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

300 liters of fake blood was used in the final scene of the film. See more »

Goofs

On the bottles, tranquilizer is spelled "tranquillizer". Merriam-Webster's online dictionary lists "tranquillizer" as an acceptable variant. See more »

Quotes

Father McGruder: The Devil's among us!
See more »

Connections

Referenced in King Kong (2005) See more »

Soundtracks

29 Steps
Composed by Fane Flaws and Stephen Winderwel
Performed by Tony Backhouse
copyright central
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does the Sumatran rat-monkey really exist?
Q: What are the differences between the US Unrated Version and the Uncut Version?
Q: Can the zombies in "Braindead" be stopped?
See more »

User Reviews

Good grisly fun!
6 March 2003 | by george.schmidt – See all my reviews

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.
35 of 43 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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