The Mad (2007)

good back-story, and good acting

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

best movie i've ever seen.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Driving through the countryside, a doctor traveling with his family decides to stop off in a small town during a big town celebration where they notice they're the only survivors of a weird plague that has turned all of the locals into raving zombies and must try to get out of town alive.This is one of the greatest zombie comedies of the genre. One of the greatest attributes here is the fact that this one manages to both mix the serious zombie action with the humorous comedy which makes for plenty of enjoyment. The film gets some rather great jabs with comedy in here, including plenty of silly gags and physical pratfalls that always works well based on their complete unfamiliarity with the situation. The hilarious wordplay between everyone is also worthy of a few laughs, especially the argument on the doorstep as well as the ensuing one in the barn as they try to figure out what's going on and a later one with the characters standing around discussing whether or not they're dealing with zombies or just really sick people. Just as good is the segment where the zombies strike at the diner, which unleashes a torrent of gags including a dance sequence disguised as a fight to a jukebox playing an appropriate song for such a scene. The seriousness is made up with the graphic zombie attacks, which here are actually threatening to the others where the laughs are played more in trying to get away from them, not the zombies themselves, so they remain a fearsome threat. There's some rather nice gore to this in the multitude of attacks in the form of some rather big action scenes where they attack in the diner, which leads to some really big parts later which are just as good. The film also has a frenetic pace, able to incorporate a lot of good stuff into it from the zombies to the gags to a couple of really fun moments that make it even more of a blast to watch. This here was a thoroughly entertaining film since this here doesn't have a whole lot really wrong, and the few flaws aren't that bad at all. The main one is that the zombies here aren't that well done, looking really cheaply and without a whole lot to really make them memorable. The design is to slap on contact lenses and a few blood marks over the face and it's considered a zombie when all it does is really make the film look cheaper and is very hard to take seriously because of it. The other one is the fact that the storyline about the tainted farm's meat is a little too convoluted. First, it's mentioned that they're cows were sick, which became a big scandal, then used an experimental treatment to make them better, which no one knew about to make them healthy then gave it back to all of the locals. It's a little tough to understand and doesn't really make much sense. These here are what really strike the film down.Rated R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language and mild drug use.

WOW, the Zombie comedy genre sure seems to be in style lately. I'll say this much, The Mad had a lot of firsts in it, and definitely entertained me, even though it wasn't quite as perfect as some reviews have made it out to be. first off, Billy Zane is a great actor, in fact this is totally his movie. I did laugh at his dialog, even though I felt his performance was a tad uneven at times. Some of the death scenes were just plain hilarious. I won't spoil it for you with specifics, but I will say look for a funny decapitation scene, as well as an attack from a possessed Hamburger Pattie.... Now that has to be a first. The Mad certainly has B movie classic potential. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good campy horror film.Spoiler Warning- I do have some mild criticism. For one thing, I didn't care for the climactic portion at the farm. I felt the villainous father and son duo, were just kind of dumb, and pointless. I didn't find them funny, and certainly didn't find them threatening in any way. Second although the film did have a few generally laugh out loud moments, the comedy, and performances were a tad uneven at times, and just didn't consistently hit for me. But hey I can't complain to much about a film that has freakin Hamburger Patties attacking people. If you enjoy this check out the numerous recent entries in the Zomedy genre like Dead and Deader, Shaun Of The Dead, Stink Of Flesh, Dead and Breakfast, and an early example of the genre, Dead Heat.

This film is as messy as a zombie chowing down on guts. Considering it's only 80-odd minutes long, it takes a good half hour to get going. It's certainly a quirky film, there are some bits which are genuinely funny, and none at all that are scary or particularly horrifying - not quite sure what the DVD has that makes it "unrated" to be honest! Billy Zane is okay, although UK viewers may find his resemblance to "Les" from Vic Reeves Big Night Out a little disconcerting. All other actors do their jobs well enough, but they can't carry the comedy. The script tries to be too clever and/or postmodern for its own good sometimes, and any humour, irony or subtle comedy just doesn't work. Shaun Of The Dead (to which this film owes a huge debt) did it all so much better.One scene with Amy and her dad walking through the field, dissecting their lives whilst kicking a couple of zombies to death without pausing for breath is the best scene in the film - unfortunately spoiled by inappropriate background music which just does not fit.The director refers to this film as "social commentary" - he believes the zombies have a lust for consumption, of any material goods - but this isn't brought across to the screen. They just look like typical zombies destroying a car, it doesn't make you think "Wow, what a subtle insight into American materialism." Worth seeing only if it costs you nothing, you have 85 spare minutes, and you'll watch anything with zombies and/or cows in it.

In the increasingly popular movie genre of zombie comedies, The Mad is an excellent entry. I saw the premiere of this film at the Canadian Filmmaker's Festival last week and it was a bucket of fun.The film stars Billy Zane (Dr. Hunt) and Maggie Castle (his daughter Amy) as they attempt to navigate the usually rocky terrain of a family road trip, complete with Amy's boyfriend and the Doc's girlfriend (played to bitchy perfection by Shauna MacDonald).I can't say too much without giving the premise away, but suffice it to say, when the zombies appear, there's a pleasant amount of blood and gibbets of flesh to go around.Zane does well in a comedic role, and the supporting performances are strong.This movie does exactly what it's supposed to do: makes you laugh, frightens you, and leaves you feeling satisfyingly entertained.One additional thing I have to mention: saw the cover art for the upcoming DVD and it doesn't really speak to what the movie's about: this is a zombie comedy, not a purely gruesome horror flick. Just my opinion.