DOC OF THE DEAD (2014)

Doc of the Dead (2014)
Directed by: Alexandre O. Philippe
Written by: Alexandre O. Philippe, Chad Herschberger
Starring: Bruce Campbell, George A. Romero, Max Brooks, Robert Kirkman, Simon Pegg, Tom Savini

DOC OF THE DEAD (2014)
Directed by Alexandre O. Philippe
On DVD and Demand from 23rd February 2015

DOC OF THE DEAD is a documentary looking at the horror phenomenon that is zombies. From their first cinematic appearance in White Zombie to their incarnation in modern day cinema such as World War Z, the documentary discusses how zombies have evolved from their voodoo origins into something caused by biochemical warfare or generated virus. The documentary also explores the different mediums in which zombies have conquered, such as film, literature, graphic novels and videogame and their sudden popularity boom on television with the highly successful The Walking Dead series.

Many zombie affiliated legends are interviewed on the documentary, such as Night of the Living Dead director George Romero, World War Z author Max Brooks, The Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell, Shaun of the Dead star Simon Pegg, The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, SFX wizard Greg Nicotero and his SFX master Tom Savini, among others. They share their thoughts on the zombie phenomenon, from the films to their survival plan should the world be stricken by the zombie apocalypse. It’s a great insight to see their point of view on the subject, seeing as they’ve done their part in contributing to genre and idea of the walking dead, particularly in the case of Romero. It’s also interesting to note their preference on the flesh-eaters, whether they prefer them slow and shuffling or enraged, running beasts. The two types are certainly different breeds, which displays how the genre has evolved and is keeping fresh within fans’ minds.

Besides from famous faces, DOC OF THE DEAD also interviews people, like you and I, for their opinion on zombies. Whilst for some people it’s a bit of fun, for others it’s an obsession. There are a couple of people featured on the documentary who love zombies so much they got married as zombies with Bruce Campbell! And to make it even more entertaining, the entire family on either side were dressed as zombies too and were equally obsessed. As well as zombie proposals, the documentary takes a good look at the rising popularity of zombie walks hitting cities across the world. In Manchester, we have a very successful zombie walk called Zombie-Aid that has even spawned charity singles, such as Uncle Rotter’s Zombies Wild, that have raised money for children’s charity, Make-A-Wish Foundation. Thousands of people turn up to events like these, male and female, young and old, and enjoy themselves whilst shuffling along with street wearing ripped clothing and bearing oozing wounds on their faces and with blood dripping from their mouthes. It certainly is a sight to see, and how each year garners more and more participants is a wonder to behold.

With the likes of the The Walking Dead television series, which shows no signs of ending any time soon, zombies look to be staying in the public eye for years to come, and this documentary does a great job of exploring the possible reasons why we’ve taken zombies into our heart as we have.

Witty, insightful and presented in an engaging format, DOC OF THE DEAD is a fantastic watch for all fans of horror, not just zombie fans.

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