The Video Dead.

Here's a film i saw many times in the video rental store when I was a young boy, but was never allowed to rent. I managed to watch an old VHS copy a few years ago, and I thought I'd spread the word for this little seen gem of 80's zombie horror.

The movie begins with a man getting a package he wasn't expecting. An old TV. The problem with this TV is that it only shows one movie, and that movie is called Zombie blood nightmare. In this movie, zombies are crawling out of the ground, when suddenly one of the zombies turns to face the viewer and manages to escape the realms of television land.

We then cut to three months later, where a brother and sister are moving into the house we saw at the beginning to get the place ready for their parents who are away on business in Saudi Arabia. Jeff (the brother) finds the TV that releases the dead, and he decides to movie it into his room.

While Jeff is watching the TV one night, a woman appears on the screen and begins seducing him. Before they can get to it a man comes out of the TV and murders the woman right in front of Jeff. The man informs Jeff on what he is about to unleash, but of course, Jeff doesn't take any notice, and unleashes a Zombie horde on the neighborhood.

Jeff then meets a Texan named Joshua Daniels, who that seems to know an awful lot about the zombies and how to stop them. This is where the film takes off and turns into an amazing horror comedy.

I must admit, there wasn't as much splatter as I'm used to seeing in a zombie movie, but then the zombies in this film are nowhere near normal. You see, these zombies don't like mirrors. The dead dont like to see their own reflection. We then find out there are two ways to kill these zombies, and these are:1- To trap the zombies in a room where there is no escape so they will go crazy ??!!!
2- Attack them like you would a living person, because the dead don't realize they are dead, so killing them would finally make them realize??!!                  

I understand it is confusing, but I feel it just adds to the film so much. Another thing I forgot to mention, if you don't fear the video dead, they wont attack and they become rather docile. The rest of the movie is spent with the teens and Joshua hunting down the zombies, with some amusing kills thrown in for good measure (for example, a lady is shoved inside a washing machine and put on the spin cycle).

What I love about this movie is it was made with love for the genre, and although the zombies don't ever munch flesh, I still found them awfully creepy. Especially the one in the bridal dress.

I know this film isn't for everyone. The acting is bad, the script virtually non existent, but I just cant help loving it. Horror movies have become less fun nowadays, and I feel that's a big thing missing from our genre.

Here is an alternate cover for The Video Dead.



I really hope the studio sees fit to transfer this movie from VHS to DVD or BLU RAY, as a whole generation are missing out on one of the best "so bad its good" movies ever made.

Until next time......

Darkest regards.......Dani.