By Adam Ruhl
Today’s film is the newest of all the Scream Factory offerings
we’re reviewing and it’s also the most British, East London British to be
precise. Cockneys vs. Zombies is the greatest English Horror-Comedy zombie
movie since Shaun of the Dead and manages to completely distinguish itself from
similar films. I first saw it a year ago at Fantastic Fest 2012 where it was a
festival darling and now Scream Factory has given it the royal treatment and
brought it to America.
Cockneys vs. Zombies
The Film:Lovable loser brothers Terry and Andy are desperate to save their grandfather’s retirement home. They resort to an ill-conceived bank robbery with a group of their not-so-lovable loser friends. Things go wrong, but luckily for them the zombie apocalypse hits just as they’re in a standoff with the police.
Terry, Andy, and their friends now have to battle across the
east end to rescue their grandfather. Along the way there are hordes of
zombies, pratfalls, and thick accents. Cockneys is immensely fun and the
characters are well developed for a zombie comedy. The humor is broad, but some
jokes are very specific to the region and may go over American heads. The
English don’t shy away from language which makes for some great senior citizen
cussing moments.
There’s also plenty of great zombie splattering to be had in
the film. Heads explode and babies are
punted as the crew struggle to survive. Meanwhile,
back at the retirement home, pensioners defend themselves with walkers and
Special K boxes. Alan Ford from Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch
plays the toughest grandfather you’ve ever seen.
Writer James Moran and Director Matthias Hoene also worked
on a film called Tower Block in the same year (Hoene moved to Co-producer of
Tower Block). It’s a thriller about a group of people trapped in a project
building by a sniper. Tower Block is also released by Scream Factory and paired
up with Cockneys makes a very satisfying movie night.
The Disc:
The film is a new release and its transfer is pristine. The
film is shot on hi-def video so there no film grain or scratches to preserve. Since
this is the first release of the film on disc the inside cover is a still from
the movie instead of prior cover art. Several commentaries round out the bonus
features as well as a healthy amount of deleted scenes. The deleted scenes are
worth watching; alternate takes of some footage and a lot of shots of people
getting punched that didn’t make the final cut but it’s all pretty funny.
The Features:
- Audio Commentary with Director Matthias Hoene
- Audio Commentary with Writer James Moran
- Behind the Scenes
- Deleted Scenes
- Theatrical Trailer
The Specs:
- 1080p Hi-Def widescreen 2.35:1
- DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
- English-only Audio & Subtitles.
- Original Release: 2012
- Runtime: 88 Minutes
- Not Rated
Final Grades:
Story: A / English
Zombie Humor. Classic.
Presentation quality:
A / Its brand new, I should hope so.
Scare factor: C+
/ Horror-Comedy, jump scares.
Gore Factor: B / typical
zombie antics.
Repeat view-ability:
A / Funny as hell.
Add Cockneys Vs. Zombies to your collection, click HERE!
Check out yesterday’s Scream Factory review, Psycho 3!
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