The Battery (2012)

The personalities of two former baseball players clash as they traverse the rural back roads of a post-plague New England teeming with the undead.

Director:

Jeremy Gardner

Writer:

Jeremy Gardner

Stars:

Jeremy Gardner, Adam Cronheim, Niels Bolle

9 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeremy Gardner	...	Ben
Adam Cronheim	...	Mickey
Niels Bolle	...	Jerry
Alana O'Brien	...	Annie
Jamie Pantanella	...	Egghead
Larry Fessenden	...	Frank
Kelly McQuade	...	Laura
Eric Simon	...	Basement Zombie
Ben Pryzby	...	Dead Zombie by Lake
Sarah Allen	...	Dead Zombie by Lake
Nichole Kinnett	...	Car Zombie
Lyles Williams IV	...	Motel Zombie Guy
Olivia Bonilla	...	Motel Zombie Girl
Elise Stella	...	Fresh Slut Zombie
Matt Bacco	...	Mickey's First Kill

Storyline

Two former baseball players, Ben (Jeremy Gardner) and Mickey (Adam Cronheim), cut an aimless path across a desolate New England. They stick to the back roads and forests to steer clear of the shambling corpses that patrol the once bustling cities and towns. In order to survive, they must overcome the stark differences in each other's personalities. Ben embraces an increasingly feral, lawless, and nomadic lifestyle while Mickey is unable to accept the harsh realities of the new world and longs for the creature comforts he once took for granted. A bed, a girl, and a safe place to live. When the men intercept a radio transmission from a seemingly thriving, protected community, Mickey will stop at nothing to find it, even though it is made perfectly clear that he is not welcome.

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Plot Keywords:

car | connecticut | zombie survival | independent film | baseball player | 

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Taglines:

How Will You Survive?

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Horror

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 June 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bateria

Filming Locations:

Kent, Connecticut, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

O. Hannah Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

All the canned food seen in this movie was purchased at a dollar store.

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Connections

References The Great Escape (1963)

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Soundtracks

Darlin' You're Sweet
Written and Performed by Wise Blood
Courtesy of Dovecote Records

User Reviews

Nicely offbeat road film drama... with zombies

Ben (the director, Jeremy Gardner) & Mickey (Adam Cronheim) are two ex pro baseball players who are eking out an existence while wandering a zombie infested America. Ben is nomadic and doesn't like staying in one place for too long, while Mickey longs for settlement. Mickey hides himself away from the zombie apocalypse via solace in his headphones which he almost permanently wears, while Ben is more the hunter gatherer type, more concerned with survival. On they wander, smoking, fishing, playing catch and generally getting on each others nerves, as when one has survived a zombie apocalypse, one unfortunately doesn't get to choose one's traveling companion.

And that's pretty much it in terms of plot as The Battery is more of a quirky, offbeat character driven road film than an outright zombie film, with the zombies themselves only very occasionally making an appearance. However, while being flawed, The Battery is at heart a pretty decent film, with great and believable chemistry between our two squabbling protagonists, and while shot on a minuscule paltry budget of a mere $6,000 it's a beautiful looking film and easily transcends its shoestring budget via its wholly believable performances. It's also gut bustingly funny in parts with great dialogue and one unutterably wrong but absolutely hilarious scene that had me on the floor.

It's not a film without its flaws though, with some scenes going on far too long, which kinda annoyed me and I really think it could've benefited with some leaner editing. However, for a debut film shot with such ultra limited resources, it's overall a minor quibble as ultimately The Battery is a winner, so horror fans should give it a chance as it's an ambitious and satisfying film with a ton of heart. Awesome soundtrack too.