Death Metal Zombies (1995 Video) User Reviews

TRUE

[BandSAboutMovies · 4/10 · 29 January 2023]

How true is Death Metal Zombies? Not only does a girl wear a Relapse shirt, but it also has a ton of that label's artists on the soundtrack such as Amorphis, Brutality, Deceased, Disembowelment, Dismember, Hypocrisy, Incantation, Mortician, Pungent Stench and Winter.

It also has Brad Masters and his crew of metal dudes like to go to shows and fight other metal dudes in the woods, I guess to prove how kvlt they are. Brad wins, because he is the lucky caller who gets a Living Corpse tape - yes, this movie is so metal it has cassettes - from a radio show and it has a song called "Zombified" that turns everyone into - did you guess? - Death Metal Zombies.

Yes, the lead singer of Living Corpse, Shengar, is the lord of the dead world and man, that's awesome. He decides to go after Brad's girl, Angel, who skipped the party because she had to work and now she's with a dude named Tommy and supposedly they know how to stop the headbanging dead.

Also: There's a slasher on the loose wearing a Nixon mask.

Everyone in this movie is a master of air guitar, most essentially the girl in the Relapse shirt that is wearing the mommest of all mom jeans.

Todd Jason Cook also made Evil Night, Demon Dolls, Horrorscope, Lisa's Nightmares, Frightmares and Zombified, which has a zombie attack a nightclub, a serial killer attacking people and only two people who can save everyone. So, you know, Death Metal Zombies.

I love metal. I love zombies. I didn't love Death Metal Zombies.

[BA_Harrison · 2/10 · 29 January 2018]

As a fan of both gory low-budget movies and very loud rock music, it pains me to say that this mid-'90s home-made zombie flick was clearly put together by avid horror/metal fans with far less talent than taste. I wanted to like the film, but the dreadful acting, weak direction and awful script sucked all the fun out for me. Those involved look like they were having a great time, but I cannot say the same for myself.

The pitiful plot sees metal-head Brad (Bill DeWild) winning a radio competition, the prize being a special tape of music by his favourite band, Living Corpse. When Brad plays the cassette to his friends, the head-banging pals are transformed into zombies and ordered to kill by Living Corpse's lead singer Shengar (Thomas Banta). Meanwhile, a serial killer in a Nixon rubber mask is also on the prowl.

Kudos to director Todd Jason Cook for actually getting one of the girls to commit to a shower scene, and for achieving some reasonable splatter effects on an almost non-existent budget, but the cheapo gore and gratuitous nudity doesn't make the film any less painful to watch.

Wow was this bad

[darkoneskip · 2/10 · 21 March 2019]

I like sov micro budget underground b movies. Low budget near no budget , but this was the worst in 10 years. Listen there wasnt anything even funny you could make fun of and laugh just bad and boring. Zombies had no make up lil black around the eyes. No effects horrible acting just C- video. You have been warned. Check out Deathgasm if you want a good metal zombie flick. 2 stars was for the effort of making a video. Cheers

A shot-on-video nightmare

[Leofwine_draca · 2/10 · 29 August 2017]

DEATH METAL ZOMBIES is one of those underground straight-to-video horrors that were being made during the 1990s. These were filmed on camcorders with a minimum of skill and talent and a maximum of enthusiasm. In a plot reminiscent of the modern DEATHGASM, a bunch of heavy metal enthusiasts play a cursed song and are turned into flesh-munching zombies. It's the kind of film that has been made in various bedrooms with incredibly stilted non-actors in the lead roles. The zombie make-up consists of white face paint with black eye shadows. There's some cheesy gore too. This is laughably trashy, unintentionally hilarious, and very, very dated.

No budget zombies for head bangers

[ultra_tippergore · 19 August 2007]

First of all: if you don't like camcorder no budget movies, never watch this, you will hate it. Second: If you don't like thrash metal, never watch this, you will hate it. I like this kind of no budget gory movies and i love heavy metal, thrash and all metal in general, so i can enjoy this effort. The plot is simple, a group of head bangers are turned into zombies(there isn't any zombie make up and they are not living dead, so i think instead of zombies they are "possesed by evil" people). There are zombie ridiculous stuff like fighting the head banger zombies with country music, awful acting, long music clips in the movie and atrocious photography. There is good gore, good music and a killer Nixon.

Terrible zombie film which is saved by the soundtrack

[abduktionsphanomen · 7/10 · 29 January 2023]

Death Metal Zombies - 1995 (This Film Rates a C ) A super low budget shot on video film with death metal head zombies PLUS a crazed slasher in a Richard Nixon mask as a side story. Its dedicated to Kurt Cobain (end credits). A dorky metal head enters a contest to win a cassette from the band Living Corpse. It contains an exclusive song called "Zombified" that only he will own. After winning he and some friends find that the exclusive song is not so innocent. Everyone who listens turns to zombies. To reverse the curse the song needs to be played backwards but country music "corrodes their brains" and temporarily slows them down. Eventually the curse is broken. Flash forward 10 years later and the cassette is refound and replayed as a mp3 file by a familiar face. There are brawls in the woods, fire jumping, waterbeds, long hair, metal t-shirts, acid washed jeans, BOOBS and a lot of things that make no sense. Its all horrible; the acting, dialogue and script are the worst I have seen/heard. Like the worst. (7 min mark, 14 min mark, 37 min mark, 1 hour 1 min mark). The gore is laughable but is meant to be funny. It's not anything really extensive. The 1990's death metal soundtrack is great even if you are not a fan of the genre. It fits perfectly and is the main highlight of the film especially the live material (17 min mark). It covers for so many of the film's inadequacies, especially lines like: "Hey, I got crabs" and "pusswad". If you know what you are getting into here then it isn't so bad, but it is complete trash and only worth watching for the "everything 90's metal".

A Must Have

[willardwiseman2 · 9/10 · 27 April 2006]

If you invest in this movie, buy the 10th Anniversary edition. Much better quality product. The story line is still the same and the qualities that have made it be around for 10 years are still there. Editing and quality of the film is 110% better. Not sure what they used the first time, but definitely a nice upgrade. This movie is a cult classic. A must have in your horror collection regardless of what you read about it - whether they like it or not - people will always end up telling you it's a must have for a million reasons. You will watch it often with friends while sharing beers and laugh. Probably even come up with some drinking games while watching it. It's a brainless story line, but fun. Relapse Records did a good job of picking out songs for this. Even if you aren't a lover of death metal, the songs don't blow your ears out and distract from the movie.

Fun-loving amateur horror by metalheads, for metalheads

[I_Ailurophile · 7/10 · 27 October 2023]

The term "amateur horror" shouldn't necessarily be taken as an immediate warning sign. Horror lovers with no budget and no developed skills, but boundless heart and plentiful earnest effort, can sometimes achieve more than filmmakers with all the benefits of major studio resources and A-list stars. Yes, strictly speaking the acting is awful, and the dialogue; even the cinematography, editing, and direction are in question, let alone the muddled sound design (nevermind the text preceding the film that encourages viewers to "play it loud"). On the other hand, the soundtrack that filmmaker Todd Jason Cook compiled, filled with very metal recognizable bands (predominantly, but not exclusively, death metal), is superb; speaking as someone who used to go to shows relentlessly, the least that can be said is that Cook is obviously a fan himself, as the dialogue, characters, and scene writing should be familiar to anyone who has ever spent time in the underground scene. To that same point, between that writing, the low-grade nature of the production, and the minimal skills of those involved, the picture also plainly betrays that a Venn diagram of "metalheads," "film buffs," and "nerds, generally" is a perfect circle.

There are other considerations that are more important, though. Despite clearly demonstrating the untrained amateur level on which they were operating, I readily discern in the actor's performances the sincerity of their effort; they can't act, but they really do try their best, which I absolutely admire. That endeavor certainly comes across, too, in Cook's direction, however meager it might be, and in all other facets of the craftsmanship. Though modest, the practical effects, special makeup, and other tangible creations - that is, blood and gore - really do look great. And as the story Cook conjured trades on classic notions since time immemorial of the bewitching power of music, the foundations of the feature are solid. I'm not saying Brendon Small was directly inspired by 'Death metal zombies' in creating 'Metalocalypse,' but the similarities are notable as this homemade flick likewise blends together metal, mythology, and dark fantasy/horror. The writing surely could have been tighter, as some beats, scenes, or ideas could have been reduced or omitted outright, but the core is firm. It may show its limitations, but I see what Cook was doing here, and I'd be plainly lying if I said I didn't appreciate it.

While this was undeniably made first and foremost by metalheads for metalheads, the intersection of metal and horror is a substantial one; anyone who is receptive to amateur horror, shot on home video, should surely find much to love here. Even among its closest cinematic kin this is no top-notch exemplar, for even within the boundaries in which Cook and his friends operated one can observe ways in which the title could have been improved (including excision of tawdry gratuitous nudity). Be that as it may, the energy that those involved poured into this, and the wholehearted honesty of the project, pair nicely with what the participants meaningfully could contribute. Despite all the shortcomings and weaknesses one could reasonably point out I actually had a really good time watching, and I think the same will go for anyone who is open to what the movie represents. It's nothing one needs to go out of their way to see, but if the underlying notions don't turn you off and you do have the chance to watch 'Death metal zombies,' these eighty-eight minutes are pretty fun!

Original zombie film...cult fun!

[galaxyfunstuff · 10/10 · 16 January 2008]

I've seen this movie a bunch of times..it's a great party movie! The original version is not edited as well as the newly re-mastered 10th Anniversary DVD edition.

The new DVD edition has top notch editing, much cleaner quality picture and sound and loaded with tons of cool extras including bloopers, behind the scenes and more.

This movie has a mix of humor and horror and manages some dark, moody atmosphere with some creepy lighting styles and wicked imagery.

I love zombie movies and this one has to be the most original zombie film I have seen. I recommend it to fans of low budget horror.