samaraispy

Has anyone seen this movie?
what do you guys think of it?
i pesonally think its funny but everyone i show it to either thinks i am sick or they watch the movie without cracking a smile.
If i am the only one who thinks it funny there must be something wrong with me..pls prove this wrong.

Adam Tyner

I love it and watch it repeatedly. No one else I know likes it.

------------------
My DVD list | My homepage

G. Noel Gross

Strange, gross little flick. Loved it.

------------------
MY DVD LIBRARY: A study in addiction
MY DVD TALK REVIEWS: Blood, Breasts and Beasts

jaeufraser

This movie has quite a following so you're not alone. It's by peter Jackson of course, who's doing Lord of the Rings as we speak. His other "splatstick" movies as he calls them, or Meet the Feebles and...damn I forget the other one...are all worth watching. And I think the Frighteners is excellent and of course heavenly Creatures is a fantastic movie.

aron craig

The other one is 'Bad Taste', his first film. Not quite as straight gory as Dead Alive, but much sicker in many ways. And just as funny, love all his movies.

And if you like his more 'cultured' side you may want to try and track down a copy of the terrific 'Forgotten Silver'.

aron.

DodgingCars

I seen the movie and didn't think it was funny at all. I have a pretty strange sense of humor, so you would think it would appeal to me, but I thought most of it was either stupid or boring. Didn't like it at all and I didn't even finish watching it. If I can't finish a movie -it means I REALLY didn't like it.

Hemulen

Forgotten Silver is most enjoyable when considered in context. It was released as a "documentary" about a long forgotten film pioneer, and various people flocked to join in on the whole thing.. only later to be announced as a joke (ie, not at all factual, ie a mockumentray).

(I'd say that Heavenly Creatures better represents a cultured side, and hopefully represents the shape of things to come with LOTR)

(all those who enjoy this spirit of events should also read/get "Why cats paint", by Burton Silver)

The Antipodean

I love PJ's movies, and I think DEAD ALIVE aka BRAIN DEAD achieves a kind of gory epiphany - here's a question for you though, is the DVD of this the UNRATED or "R" version? I've heard in some places, like amazon, that it's the butchered (no pun intended) "R" version and not the full movie (i.e., lawn mower scene and all). Anyone know the answer to this? My wife and I would love to buy the DVD but don't want to get short-changed on material.

Adam Tyner

The DVD is unrated, but it's not the full unrated version available in some places overseas...

------------------
My DVD list | My homepage

[This message has been edited by ctyner (edited May 16, 2000).]

Adam Tyner

Thanks to the good ol' IMDB, here's a list of cuts and changes:

• Originally released in unrated 97-minutes long version, later cut down to 85-minutes to ensure a R-rating. Both versions are available on video.
  
  
• The Japanese laserdisc version is 104 min. long. Additional footage contains significant character development and gore.
  
  


• Hong Kong release is 103 minutes long.
  
  
• UK version is the complete original version which left British film critics stunned as the censors let it through uncut. Differences between British Braindead (uncut) and the unrated American Dead Alive include:
  
  
• Braindead opens with a closeup of the New Zealand flag, which then changes to the Queen riding accross a courtyard, finishing with a close up her on horseback. God Save The Queen is playing in the background. The opening sequence in Sumatra that begins Dead Alive follows.
  
  
• At the mother's funeral, uncle Les is seen walking down the church isle and sits down behind Paquita. A conversation in which Les tries to hit on Paquita follows, which is unsuccessful. Piquita then stands up and sits away from Les.
  
  
• After Lionel agrees to let Les have the money and the house, we see the music for the party get turned on and Void breaking free from his bonds. In Braindead a party guest lets Void out of the basement, and for his trouble gets headbutted.
  
  
• During the party Void enters the living room and attacks a guest. Lionel intervenes by hitting Void around the head with a Jack Daniels bottle and then pours the contents down Voids throat.
  
  
• After the Zombies have been let out of the basement, there is a short sequence where a guest with glasses is chased around a room by 2 zombies before he is finally caught and bitten. (In Dead Alive you can see the very end of this sequence just before the camera switches to Paquita stabbing a bag of tomatoes in the airing cupboard.)
  
  
• After Lionel has bitten through the intestine and falls onto a zomies head, in Dead Alive we move onto Les killing zombie by "rolling" it to death in a clothes press. In Braindead Lionel is confronted by the vicar & nurse zombies who impail each other on a pitch fork and continue to have sex.
  
  
• In Braindead there is approximately 16 seconds of extra gore in the lawnmower sequence where we see Lionel hack up numerous zombies, see the demise of the vicar and the nurse (whilst still in the middle of making love) and see Lional kicking body parts towards Paquita to be put into the food mixer.
  
  
• Braindead also contains the following scene missing from both versions of Dead Alive:
  
  


• Just before Lionel makes his entrance with the lawnmower, Paquita and friend (the one with glasses) are attacked by Voids legs (cut off in the bathroom scene) and a horde of zombies. Paquita and the girl grab a leg each and rip them apart. They then use these limbs to attack any zombie that comes near them.
  
  
• In the original New Zealand release when the zombie baby first apears it attacks Lionel but is unsuccesful as its umbilical cord gets caught up on a nail. This scene is not present in the unrated american version.

------------------
My DVD list | My homepage

RalphWiggum

I didn't want to start a new thread, so I dug this up from a long time ago. Anyway, I just bought, and watched for the first time, Dead Alive. During the first 20 minutes or so, I wasn't sure the movie was going to live up to the hype, but then it got sooo much better. The last act is so crazy...I love it!

I have a question about the DVD, though. Is there supposed to be an insert included? The disc is barebones and cheap, so I assume not, but I want to make sure while I can still exchange it. Thanks!

garmonbozia

Trimark does not do inserts. Notice the chapter listings on the back of the case.......this is usually a dead give-a-way that there is not an insert.

RalphWiggum

Thanks, that is what I thought, although the chapter list on the back didn't even register in my brain.

Now this thread can return to the nether-regions of DVDTalk again.

Duodenum

i have a really weird relationship with this movie.

the first time i watched it on LD, i laughed so hard i cried for nearly all of the film. i think i understood exactly what PJ intended the film to be during that viewing.

the second time i watched it, i was disgusted. i think my mood caused much of the humor to be overlooked.

on each viewing thereafter, i have experienced mixed feelings. but what stays constant is:

-the acting. awesome stuff, perfect for their roles. there are soooo many memorable characters and quotable lines. and each person plays the role to the hilt. there's no half-assing in this film, despite it being a splatter comedy.

-the effects. sometimes horribly cheezy, but mostly amazing considering the budget and homebrew nature of early PJ stuff.

-the "classic" scenes. they never get old. the custard scene, the stroll in the park, etc..

as for the truly uncut version, don't sweat it. i have the Japanese LD cut, and, while it does contain some sweet extra footage, one shouldn't be ashamed of only owning the unrated DVD. i think the picture is best on the 97 minute Trimark DVD anyway...? just avoid the r-rated cut like a murderous zombie baby.

i tried to but the "red" edition in Germany, but it has apparently been deleted. i may Ebay it someday, but i'm not in a hurry.

now Meet The Feebles....THERE is a love/hate film.

theman1971

I personally thought this movie sucked! After reading about how people liked this movie and it's gory and such, I rented it and thought it was a piece of crap. IMHO.

My advice is rent it, if you can find it. Buy a copy afterwards if you like it. For me, I'm glad I didn't blow the $20+ that Best Buy wanted for it.

Thong

clappj

I thought the same thing.
Then I ejected the tape and realized that I had the R-rated version.
The R-rated version does suck, but the Unrated version is great!
I bought it, and haven't regretted it since!

BlackBeauty92

the bad thing about the Region 1 DVD is... it's NOT the unrated cut

so, it leaves me wanting for more...

theman1971

Are there that much of a difference between the R-rated and the Unrated?

Thong

garmonbozia

umm, yes it is.
it's not the longest cut of the film that has existed, but it is the unrated cut.

clappj

Yes, there is a ton of difference!
It's like night and day.
All the cool gory effects were cut for the the R-rated version.

The US Trimark version is indeed the Unrated one.

There apparently is a longer but available overseas, but from what I've read it offers just a couple seconds more gore and a little more "plot".

caligulathegod

The unrated DVD (only one available. The R version is only on VHS) is the right version. It is just tightened up and is PJ's preferred cut. The longer version is more of a rough cut and has more extraneous character development and a bit additional gore. The regular unrated does not shortchange the gore, though. If you rented a tape at BB or most places chances are you got the R version which is an abortion. It completely cuts out anything worth seeing in the film. If you get the DVD and don't like it, then you really don't need to be watching this kind of film, anyway. I can't imagine a real horror fan not liking it. Not that it's for all tastes, but it's definitely for those that can appreciate a good zombie film and have a sense of humor.

Kainan

I loved this film. The only reason I haven't bought it is because I don't have anyone else who would even remotely come close to watching it. I still love it though. There is nothing like a priest doing karate on zombies. LOL!

clappj

"I kick ass for the Lord."
-Father McGruder