Zombie Massacre (film)

Last updated
Zombie Massacre
Zombie Massacre festival poster.jpg
Festival poster
Directed by
  • Luca Boni
  • Marco Ristori
Written by
  • Luca Boni
  • Marco Ristori
  • Russell Romick
Produced by
  • Uwe Boll
  • Luca Boni
  • Marco Ristori
  • Benjamin Krotin
Starring
CinematographyMirco Sgarzi
Edited byMarco Ristori
Production
companies
  • 1988 Games
  • Boll Kino Beteiligungs
Distributed by Entertainment One
Release date
  • July 1, 2013 (2013-07-01)
Running time
90 minutes
Countries
  • Italy
  • United States
  • Germany
  • Canada
LanguageEnglish

Zombie Massacre (UK DVD title: Apocalypse Z) is a 2013 horror film written and directed by Luca Boni and Marco Ristori. Uwe Boll served as producer and acted within the film in the role of President of the United States. The film stars ex-bodybuilder Christian Boeving, Mike Mitchell, and Tara Cardinal, [1] and is an adaptation of the Wii video game of the same name, developed by 1988 Games. [2] [3] The film had its UK DVD release on July 1, 2013. The sequel, Zombie Massacre 2: Reich of the Dead, was released in 2015.

Contents

Plot

As the U.S. government begins experimenting with a bacteriological weapon in a small town in Eastern Europe, a disaster occurs in which the weapon spreads its effects on the citizens of the area, turning them into mutated zombies. To cover up the exposure and make it look like a nuclear meltdown of an area power station, the U.S. President orders a team of contracted mercenaries to be sent in to wipe out the zombie plague and secure the "accident" while facing off with the zombie horde.

Cast

Production

Apocalypse Z, UK DVD cover Apocalypse Z DVD cover.jpg
Apocalypse Z, UK DVD cover

In 2007, plans for the film and Wii video game were first announced. [4] [5] In 2011, it was announced that Boni and Ristori were attached to direct, with filming expected to take place the following year. [1] In October 2012, a trailer for Apocalypse Z was released. [6] [7]

Release

Zombie Massacre was released on Blu-ray on August 29, 2013, [8] but according to The Numbers both DVD and Blu-ray haven't been released until November 2013. [9]

Reception

HorrorNews.net gave the film a rating of C−, stating that while the film was "overall [awful]", the directing and makeup effects were a highlight. [10]

Sequel

A sequel, Zombie Massacre 2: Reich of the Dead, also directed by Luca Boni and Marco Ristori was released in 2015. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

Resident Evil, known as Biohazard in Japan, is a Japanese horror game series and media franchise created by Capcom. It consists of survival horror, third-person shooter and first-person shooter games, with players typically surviving in environments inhabited by zombies and other mutated creatures. The franchise has expanded into other media, including a live-action film series, animated films, television series, comic books, novels, audiobooks, and merchandise. Resident Evil is the highest-grossing horror franchise.

<i>Resident Evil: Apocalypse</i> 2004 film by Alexander Witt

Resident Evil: Apocalypse is a 2004 action horror film directed by Alexander Witt and written by Paul W. S. Anderson. A direct sequel to Resident Evil (2002), it is the second installment in the Resident Evil film series, which is loosely based on the video game series of the same name. The film marks Witt's feature directorial debut; Anderson, the director of the first film, turned down the job due to other commitments, though stayed on as one of its producers. Milla Jovovich reprises her role as Alice, and is joined by Sienna Guillory as Jill Valentine and Oded Fehr as Carlos Olivera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uwe Boll</span> German filmmaker (born 1965)

Uwe Boll is a German filmmaker. He came to prominence during the 2000s for his adaptations of video game franchises. Released theatrically, the films were critical and commercial failures; his 2005 Alone in the Dark adaptation is considered one of the worst films ever made. Boll's subsequent projects, released during the 2010s, were mostly released straight to home media. After retiring in 2016 to become a restaurateur, Boll returned to filmmaking in 2022. His films are financed through his production companies Boll KG and Event Film Productions.

<i>Resident Evil: Extinction</i> 2007 film by Russell Mulcahy

Resident Evil: Extinction is a 2007 action horror film directed by Russell Mulcahy and written by Paul W. S. Anderson. A direct sequel to Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004), it is the third installment in the Resident Evil film series, which is loosely based on the Capcom survival horror video game series of the same name. The film follows the heroine Alice, along with a group of survivors from Raccoon City, as they attempt to travel across the Mojave desert wilderness to Alaska and escape a zombie apocalypse.

<i>BloodRayne</i> (film) 2005 film by Uwe Boll

BloodRayne is a 2005 action horror film directed by Uwe Boll, from a screenplay written by Guinevere Turner. It is based on the video game franchise of the same name, from Majesco Entertainment and game developer Terminal Reality, of which it acts as a loose prequel to the first game. It is also the third video game film adaptation made by Boll, who previously made House of the Dead and Alone in the Dark. The film stars Kristanna Loken, Michael Madsen, Matthew Davis, Will Sanderson, Billy Zane, Udo Kier, Michael Paré, Meat Loaf, Michelle Rodriguez, Ben Kingsley and Geraldine Chaplin.

<i>House of the Dead</i> (film) 2003 film by Uwe Boll

House of the Dead is a 2003 action horror film directed by Uwe Boll, from a screenplay by Dave Parker and Mark Altman. Based on The House of the Dead video game franchise, it stars Jonathan Cherry, Tyron Leitso, Clint Howard, Ona Grauer, Ellie Cornell, and Jürgen Prochnow. The film takes place on a fictional island infested by zombies, forcing survivors to fight their way off. Not a direct adaptation of the individual entries, Boll described the film as a prequel to the original 1996 game. House of the Dead was Boll's first film to be released theatrically, in addition to his first video game adaptation.

<i>The Return of the Living Dead</i> 1985 film by Dan OBannon

The Return of the Living Dead is a 1985 American comedy horror film written and directed by Dan O'Bannon from a story by Rudy Ricci, John Russo, and Russell Streiner, and starring Clu Gulager, James Karen, Thom Mathews, and Don Calfa. The film tells the story of how a warehouse owner, accompanied by his two employees, mortician friend and a group of teenage punks, deal with the accidental release of a horde of unkillable, brain-hungry zombies onto an unsuspecting town.

<i>Postal</i> (film) 2007 action comedy film

Postal is a 2007 German-American action comedy film co-written and directed by Uwe Boll, and starring Zack Ward, Dave Foley, Chris Coppola, Jackie Tohn, J. K. Simmons, Verne Troyer, Larry Thomas, David Huddleston and Seymour Cassel.

<i>Seed</i> (2007 film) 2007 Canadian film

Seed is a 2007 Canadian horror film written, produced, and directed by Uwe Boll. Filming ran from July 17 to August 11, 2006, in British Columbia, Canada, on a $10 million budget.

<i>Zombiegeddon</i> 2003 American film

Zombiegeddon is a 2003 American horror comedy film directed by Chris Watson. It stars Ari Bavel, Paul Darrigo, Felissa Rose, Edwin Neal, Linnea Quigley, Tom Savini, and Uwe Boll. It was distributed by Troma Entertainment, It was released to DVD on July 11, 2006.

<i>Alone in the Dark II</i> (film) 2008 film by Peter Scheerer and Michael Roesch

Alone in the Dark II is a 2008 horror film written and directed by Peter Scheerer and Michael Roesch and starring Rick Yune, Rachel Specter and Lance Henriksen. It is a standalone sequel to Uwe Boll's 2005 film Alone in the Dark, featuring an entirely new cast and a story that is unrelated to the original film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zombie apocalypse</span> Subgenre of apocalyptic fiction

Zombie apocalypse is a subgenre of apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction in which society collapses due to overwhelming swarms of zombies. Typically only a few individuals or small bands of survivors are left living. In some versions, the reason the dead rise and attack humans is unknown, in others, a parasite or infection is the cause, framing events much like a plague. Some stories have every corpse rise, regardless of the cause of death, whereas others require exposure to the infection.

<i>Zombieland</i> 2009 American film by Ruben Fleischer

Zombieland is a 2009 American post-apocalyptic zombie comedy film directed by Ruben Fleischer and written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. It stars Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, and Bill Murray. In the film, Tallahassee (Harrelson), Columbus (Eisenberg), Wichita (Stone), and Little Rock (Breslin) make their way on an extended cross-country road trip to find a sanctuary free from zombies.

<i>Rampage</i> (2009 film) 2009 Canadian film

Rampage is a 2009 action film written and directed by Uwe Boll and starring Brendan Fletcher, Michael Paré, Shaun Sipos and Lynda Boyd. It received a theatrical release in Germany, though was released direct-to-video in the rest of the world. It was Boll's first film to gain mainly positive reviews. The film was followed by two sequels Rampage: Capital Punishment (2014) and Rampage: President Down (2016).

<i>Blubberella</i> 2011 film

Blubberella is a 2011 German exploitation comedy film written and directed by Uwe Boll. The plot is about an obese dhampir superhero, set in German-occupied Europe. The entire film is a scene-for-scene spoof of BloodRayne: The Third Reich with most of the same cast and crew. The film received negative reviews.

Night of the Living Dead is a zombie horror media franchise created by George A. Romero beginning with the 1968 film Night of the Living Dead, directed by Romero and cowritten with John A. Russo. The franchise predominantly centers on different groups of people attempting to survive during the outbreak and evolution of a zombie apocalypse. The latest installment of the series, Survival of the Dead, was released in 2009, with a sequel, Twilight of the Dead, in development. This would be the first film in the series not directed by George Romero, who died on July 16, 2017.

<i>The Profane Exhibit</i> 2013 Anthology Horror Film

The Profane Exhibit is a 2013 internationally co-produced anthology horror film written and directed by ten renowned genre filmmakers from across the globe: Nacho Vigalondo, Anthony DiBlasi, Ryan Nicholson, Michael Todd Schneider, Sergio Stivaletti, Marian Dora, Yoshihiro Nishimura, Uwe Boll, Ruggero Deodato and Jeremy Kasten.

<i>Amoklauf</i> 1994 film by Uwe Boll

Amoklauf is a 1994 German horror film written and directed by Uwe Boll. Boll's third feature, it established a number of directorial trademarks that would recur throughout the filmmaker's career, such as a scene involving a mass shooting, and a premise that revolves around "psychologically disturbed men and intersecting systems of oppression conspiring to unleash the violent potential within them."

<i>Anger of the Dead</i> 2015 film directed by Francesco Picone

Anger of the Dead is a 2015 Italian zombie film written and directed by Francesco Picone.

References

  1. 1 2 Vejvoda, Jim (September 6, 2011). "Uwe Boll's Zombie Massacre". IGN . Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  2. Sterling, Jim (25 September 2007). "Uwe Boll snaps up unreleased game — AGAIN! Zombie Massacre is the next victim". Destructoid . Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  3. C.J. Smillie (September 6, 2011). "Uwe Boll Making Another Video Game Movie". GameRant. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  4. Mallory, Jordan (September 4, 2011). "'Zombie Massacre' is another gaming film from Uwe Boll". Engadget. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  5. Arendt, Susan (September 28, 2007). "Uwe Boll Bringing Zombie Massacre to the Screen". Wired. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  6. Heritage, Stuart (October 17, 2012). "Zombie Massacre: when hipsters and rats turn bad". The Guardian . London. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  7. Walkuski, Eric (7 November 2012). "Uwe Boll-produced Zombie Massacre gets a trailer featuring zombie rats!". JoBlo. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  8. Kluger, Bryan (August 29, 2013). "Zombie Massacre". High-Def Digest. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  9. "Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: Zombie Massacre". The Numbers . October 21, 2013. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  10. "Film Review: Apocalypse Z". HorrorNews.net. 16 July 2013. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  11. "Zombie Massacre 2: Reich of the Dead – Italy | Canada, 2015 – reviews". MOVIES and MANIA. November 20, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2021.