"Dead Alive" (aka "Braindead") is a zombie classic, and it has been ever since I first saw it back in the early 1990s on VHS. The sheer amount of gore is more than enough to make you stop and take notice of the movie.
This is a gory zombie movie, no doubt about it, but it is also a movie that combines comedy and horror in a very good manner, and the end result is just a very hilarious and enjoyable zombie comedy.
The movie starts out in a brisk tempo and doesn't really slow down, so there isn't really a dull moment throughout the course of the movie. And the storyline is very easily followed and it is a story that you quickly take a liking to.
As for the characters in the movie, while they are very caricature and over-the-top, then it works out well for the movie, because it is not just one character that is that way, it is all of them. And they had a good ensemble of actors and actresses to perform the various roles. I think this movie is actually the only time I've seen Timothy Balme in a movie.
The special effects in the movie are quite good. Well, aside from the stop-motion-animated rat monkey, which was just atrocious. But again, it fits well into the movie and the atmosphere, so you don't really mind the fake stop-motion used. And as I mentioned earlier, there is more than enough gore to make even the most seasoned of gore fans satisfied.
"Dead Alive" is a movie that you cannot avoid if you are a fan of the zombie genre. And if you haven't already seen it, you definitely should take the time to do so.
I am rating this classic a solid seven out of ten stars. "Dead Alive" is well-worth the time and effort.
