Rental: Dead Snow
AKA: Død snø (Norway)
Release Date: DVD November 2009
Rated: R (Strong gore, violence, language and sexuality)
Starring: Charlotte Frogner, Vegar Hoel, Stig Frode Henriksen
Writer/Director: Tommy Wirkola (and co-writer Stig Frode Henricksen)
Official Site: Dead Snow
I am not really one for blood-soaked horror films, so this wouldn’t have been one I’d have picked up from the video store shelf ordinarily, but I had read many decent reviews around the Internet that warranted giving it a try. From what I saw the only thing separating this from any other run-of the mill zombie flick were the subtitles. Sure, the idea of Nazi-Zombie’s seems original enough but they are still just zombies and it all boils down to gut-ripping walking corpses looking for carnage.
I guess I don’t see the fascination held by the zombie cult-like fan base but from their point of view this movie had to seem really great since it added a new element to a genre that hasn’t really seen any new material in decades. Honestly, what could be more hate-worthy than zombies who also happen to be sadistic Nazi’s?
Dead Snow or Død snø, borrows elements from lots of other American and British films that are easy to catch. The writers even were kind enough to have one of the characters quoting Evil Dead trivia in the early parts of the movie which made sense later when quite a few of the slapstick gore tricks were copied from Sam Raimi’s cult-classic. From disembowelment’s, decapitations, severed limbs and even crotch wounds this film definitely delivers on the gore but not on much else. Some humor was thrown in, even with a close-up-montage-like scene borrowed from Shaun of the Dead, but not enough to save the movie from the empty gore-fest label that most similar films fall victim to.
With plenty of cringes and shock-induced laughs, Dead Snow was far from boring but not exactly enjoyable either. The human body can only be destroyed in so many ways on film before you stat wondering just why exactly your watching it happen to begin with. I personally find horror films that revolve around things you can’t actually see (or stab repeatedly) much more affecting and frightening than films like this one. But Dead Snow does have a following in zombie fans that don’t seem to be getting tired of the walking corpse genre any time soon.
Bottom Line: GREAT FOR ZOMBIE FANS, NOT SO MUCH FOR ME
Posted on 12/24/2009 at 7:44 pm
Your right about that one scene, it was pretty funny. Even though I am not a big fan of zombie movies I will admit that for that genre this was a good one. I'm sure going to see it while a zombie costume contest was going on had to be fun too. Dead Snow did have quite a few other funny moments too like when Martin and Roy are in the shack and try to throw the bottle they lit on fire outside and it hits the side of the cabin. That was pretty entertaining.
Posted on 12/25/2009 at 3:24 pm
Sounds like a wild movie. I know watching the preview I wouldn't be able to watch it with you, not much on alot of blood. It did look like it would be funny though.
Good review as always.
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Posted on 12/24/2009 at 11:08 am
I absolutely loved Dead Snow, however, I'm also a huge fan of zombie movies. I also saw it on Halloween, at midnight, at a packed showing at the Alamo Drafthouse where a best zombie costume contest was being held. It was quite a night. This is a great movie, for fans of zombie movies, but, I completely agree with you about there being nothing there for everyone else.
Tell me honestly, though, when one of the skiers went to great lengths to amputated his own arm to avoid a zombie bite infection, and when he was finally done, a zombie pops out of the snow and bites him on the leg, you didn't laugh, at least a little? Or was it just too much blood by then?