“Attack of the Vegan Zombies!”
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Joe and Dione own a vineyard and winery which had once belonged to Dione’s father. Unfortunately, their crops have been mysteriously getting worse each year. Facing bankruptcy, they have only one more chance to turn their vineyard around. Dione asks her mother for some “special” help. Fast forward one year, they have an abundance of crops and Joe hires a group of college students to help with the harvest. As the harvest begins, strange things start to happen.
This low-budget, indie flick is a fun, original spin on the zombie genre. Some of the characters are over the top and stereotypical, especially the 2 college nerd agronomists. While the characters do provide comedy, they fail to generate empathy. Only Dione, the main character, evolves throughout the story enough to draw the viewer in and become invested in her fate. The chemistry between the characters/cast works and it’s obvious that they were having fun. The acting, when not over the top, isn’t bad. The dialogue is largely cheesy (loved the homage to Scooby Doo and Jaws), though awkward or stiff at times and excessive at others. Especially since the film relies heavily on storytelling through dialogue, rather than showing the story.
The sound effects aren’t bad and in most places, subtle. The filming location is beautiful. Great use of practical effects and make up. The camera effects are hit or miss, sometimes dead on (in some places distinctly Raimi-esque), sometimes distracting. The film jumped scenes which was often abrupt and jarring. The “gore,” what there is of it, was fun. The violence often implied rather than shown.
I gave this film 3 glasses of red wine for originality and for the fact that they obviously had fun making it.
