BIOPHAGE (2010)

Great Film overall

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

For having a relatively low budget, the film's style and overall art direction are immensely impressive.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

For an ultra low-budget zombie movie this particular one really wasn't that bad. At least not in comparison to the majority I have seen currently out in the market today. Filmed in black-and-white this movie essentially begins after an infectious disease referred to as the "phage" has caused most of humanity to revert to flesh-eating zombies. It is at this time that we are introduced to the two main characters named "Sgt Cain" (Ron Marnich) and "Dr. Bell" (Aaron Jackson). Both work at a medical research laboratory called Mt. Bethel and they have been ordered by their boss, "Dr. Miller" (John Yost) to scout out a nearby hospital to acquire some badly-needed medical supplies. In the process of their mission we learn that Sgt Cain has had an affair with Dr. Miller's wife "Julia Miller" (Kristin Pfeifer) for which Dr. Miller holds a great deal of resentment towards Sgt Cain. Likewise, it appears that Sgt Cain still has an attraction for Julia even though she apparently wants to put the affair behind her. In any case, while this sub-plot has great relevance the main problem both Sgt Cain and Dr. Bell have to contend with is the zombies and, interestingly enough, the humans they come into contact with. Now rather than reveal any more of this movie and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that with what few resources the director (Mark Rapp) had at his disposal I believe that he managed to craft together as good a final product as anybody could have possibly produced under the circumstances. Further, although the actors were certainly not household names both Ron Marnich and Aaron Jackson--and to a lesser extent Dawn Ali (as "Bianca")--performed in a fairly decent manner. Even so, taking everything into consideration, this film is still not in the same league as the average zombie movie produced in Hollywood. Again, it was an ultra low-budget production and the lack of adequate resources clearly showed. That said I don't blame the director or the actors for this fact. Quite the contrary as I believe they should be commended for their efforts. However, as mentioned earlier, this film simply doesn't compare to those with much larger budgets. As such I have rated the film accordingly. Below average.

Oh My God! I just finished watching one of the worst Zombies films ever made! I love a good B grade movie & a classic horror movie but when you try to make a Badly written, Badly Acted & Badly directed film look like a classic by making it in Black and White it only ends up being a Black and White Piece of Rubbish! I don't care if the budget was only $10000 I've seen better acting in cereal commercials! Admittedly I only watched it because of the guy that plays the doctor but now he makes me nauseous. The script was pathetic, I can only assume the Zombie makeup was self done by the cast themselves & the fact that these Zombies looked so weak and slow I don't know how they manage to catch and hold anyone. Beware never watch Biophage!

Obviously the other reviews are fake. Comparing this piece of crap to other movies (not just great zombie movies but just ANY movie) is a true shame.The acting is the worst I've ever seen, especially Sgt Cain, I hope this is his first and LAST acting job. He was truly horrible.I respect and often like low budget movies and have no problem with some flaws but this one is a true nightmare, most irritating is the acting and the dialogs are predictable and meaningless. The story itself is slow and going nowhere. Do not waste your time!Hope and strongly suggest the people involved in this movie find another hobby.

Zombie movies come in all shapes and sizes these days, but few have anything new to say about the genre since George Romero single handedly moved the Zombie film from fringe horror flick to state of the art social commentary. Moreover than any other area of horror, the zombie film has its severed fingers on the pulse of a civilizations plight. In the latest entry, Director Mark A. Rapp introduces us to a hybrid Zombie/Buddy film that uses the dilemma of two survivors as fodder for a deeper discussion of humanity after the apocalypse. In Biophage, two men, Sgt. Cain (Ron Allen Marnich) and Dr. Bell (Aaron Jackson) are returning from a mission to the CDC in hopes of stopping a deadly viral outbreak that has infected most of the Earth's population and turned them into mindless flesh eating monsters. Those humans that remain have either a natural immunity to the virus or are being treated with an experimental drug to halt the transformation effects. What remains of the world and the people who populate it are at the center of what Biophage is about. This is not your common zombie film. Rapp uses the plague to dissect how human beings would cope with a total shutdown of societal rules and morals. How would we react if freed of all the trappings of propriety? Those of you looking for flesh munching, brain bashing, bullet-ridden bodies are in for a rude awakening. While the film features some pretty skillful zombie make up and a few brief feasting scenes the zombie is only a secondary character in the film, as our heroes must struggle not only with their inner demons but a host of rather unpleasant encounters with survivors, who have, for lack of a better term "gone ape sh*t". Shot on the cheap, for a mere $10,000, Director Rapp makes the most out of his use of 16mm film to approximate a gritty black and white world where the many shades of gray echo the stark reality of the times. In addition to the solid direction, Rapp, along with Kirk Hazen provide an equally impressive and intensely haunting musical score. The measured simplicity of the piano often punctuates the bareness of the countryside with relative unease. It is rare that an independent film has such an effecting score and I tip my hat to the filmmakers for recognizing the importance of music in creating a foreboding atmosphere for their film. In terms of performance, Marnich and Jackson each prove firm, if not exceptional, in their turns. Each seeming more at ease when tossing remarks off the cuff than when delivering more somber arguments. A case in point sees the characters arguing over the viewing of a video taped suicide, Jackson's instance of avoiding the viewing is wooden, but his beat deliver of "do you like snuff films?" has exactly the right amount of human sarcasm needed at that very moment. Shooting a picture on film with a restricted budget severely limits most filmmakers in the number of takes that can be shot, simply due to monetary constraints. I suspect that case to be true with respect to Biophage, but it is important to note that I never felt pulled out the film by a poor line delivery. Overall Biophage is an interesting addition to the world of Zombie cinema, and in keeping with the traditions of making a relevant statement within the film, I think that writer/director Mark A. Rapp has crafted a substantially appealing and entirely valuable work of art. by T.W. Anderson