A Little Bit Zombie and An Instant Cult Classic: A Movie Review and Preview

*full disclosure: a screener of this film was provided by Casey Walker.

Director: Casey Walker.

Writers: Trevor Martin and Christopher Bond.

Cast: Kristopher Turner, Kristen Hager, Crystal Lowe, Shawn Roberts, and Stephen McHattie.

First-time director Casey Walker may very well have a cult classic on his hands. With plenty of experience in the television front, and lots of training with his film making friends, he shows that he has the talent to work in the big leagues.

A Little Bit Zombie will make its world debut at the Victoria Film Festival on February 4th. This movie is a smart rom-com. It cleverly adds to the mythos of what the walking dead can represent on screen. And this motion picture can easily rank up there with other Canadian zombie products like Fido and Pontypool.

Viewers may remember Stephen McHattie from the latter product, and he shows that he is no stranger to the genre as a Mad Max-inspired zombie hunter. At least this actor’s experience makes for some highly inspired motivations, but this film is not just about him.

Instead, its focused on Steve (Kristopher Turner), a human resource manager who sees problems between his sister, Sarah (Kristen Hager), and wife-to-be, Tina (Crystal Lowe). By taking them and his best friend Craig (Shawn Roberts), to a cabin in the woods, they’re going to encounter more than just one crazed hunter.

One night, during his little bachelor-style party, a zombie mosquito bites Steve. Just how he deals with a sudden infection is both hilarious and tragic at the same time. They seemingly reveal his troubled feelings about bridezilla. Also, Craig shows that he’s not so kind when some of the antics he pulls on Steve are painful. The zaniness makes for some chortle-worthy physical comedy.

Also, this film nicely examines how close some people can become, and how far apart others can act when it comes to understanding diversity. With the subplot of Max hunting for zombies, both him and his Wilma Denky (Scooby Doo) inspired protégé, Penelope (Emilie Ullerup) are also at odds over finding a zombie cure or just wiping them out for good.

And with six characters to deal with, Walker shows that he can manage a complex film. He also finds time to let some hilarious supporting cameos have some fun. George Buza is stellar as Captain Cleatus, a butcher who has his own penchant for brains. Long time television viewers will remember him from Maniac Mansion. World Wrestling Entertainment fans will recognize Robert Maillet. He was last remembered for knocking out Robert Downey Jr. in the movie, Sherlock Holmes.

And for a film that has been influenced by many other pop culture products, many distinct flavours can be tasted on screen. The comedy has the zest of an early Robert Zemeckis product and the flow of Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead trilogy. If that is not enough, there are plenty of other in-jokes to make any zombie fan wanting to make a drinking game out of this movie … Mmm, brains!

Even the nastiness that Tina and Sarah has for each other may have some viewers think about Death Becomes Her, where the unfortunate Earnest has to figure out how to please both women. Writers Christopher Bond and Trevor Martin certainly know their material. With Bond being co-creator/writer of Evil Dead: The Musical, that should come to no surprise. The pop culture references are a dime-a-dozen in both products.

With this kind of dream team behind Walker, this film will show that even though one may be a little bit zombified, they can love too. This angle does not often get explored, and rom-zom-com’s may well be the new word for a subgenre to be reckoned with. Brains are hardly the appropriate instrument the undead want to strum their sinewy twine to.

Overall: 8.5 Out of 10 (great character development, plenty of homages to sate a pop culture enthusiast and a balanced story to feature an all-star cast)

The film's fan page is here:

A Little Bit Zombie on Facebook

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