Forever Dead (2007) User Reviews

A Lesson on how not to make a low budget horror film

[msw_rdc · 1/10 · 12 April 2008]

Now I'm a great believer in finding new talent to inject new life into the horror genre, but unfortunately this film fails on the very basic level of film making. I started watching this hoping for another "Bad Taste". (Peter Jackson's first feature), unfortunately from the get go the director Christine Parker gets it all wrong.

Obscure Camera angles and shaking cameras are not a very good start. If the film was being filmed like "cloverfield" you might be able to get away with it, but the worst problem for me was the actor's awareness of the cameras.

Mind you I suppose with the camera positioned at such stupid angles and incredible close up to the actors face maybe it was off putting. One last point about the film is the sound, the music is very important in setting tension and so forth, all we had in this film was a few completely inappropriately placed music tracks.

The rest of the time it was quiet. So, all in all the director Christine Parker is not a fresh new talent waiting to be discovered. I wish I could say something positive about this film but I can't.

It would be easy for me to say don't let any of these guys near a camera again, but we all have to start somewhere.

I hope they have learned from this film, and you're next feature is hundred times better.

Before you do your next zombie feature why don't you rent out "bad taste" or "Dead Alive" to see what really can be accomplished on a relatively low budget.

Something below z-grade film?

[mcgeheemark · 1/10 · 28 March 2008]

This looks like something you'd find at a yard sale in a box of old VHS tapes. I watch a lot of sub-par films, but I think that this movie beats out most of the worst of them. The camera work is painful to watch, and this could have been helped in part by the use of an occasional tripod or some rigging to steady the nausea inspiring work. The story isn't horrible, but there's far too much going on to be interested in any parts of it other than the "rabid rabbit." Far too much fake blood, far too much reliance on screaming, and some work truly needs to have been done on the dialog in this movie.

The problems outweigh the positives from a viewer perspective.

Bad but fun

[gaius-octavius · 3/10 · 9 December 2009]

This is obviously not a high-budget movie. The acting skill varies, the special effects are not very special and the sound is uneven. It's a little over-long for an Indie horror flick - the loss of twenty-odd minutes would help the pacing a good deal – and the subject matter isn't particularly original.

That said, it's rather fun. You get the impression that the cast and crew enjoyed their time making the movie, and it feels like it was made by fans of the genre. This isn't one for fans of glossy Hollywood horror, but it's oddly likable in its own way. It's not a film to rush out and look for, but if you stumble across it in your travels, you could do worse.

Zombie Rabbit

[shadowfever · 4/10 · 29 October 2010]

I watched this as part of a 50 movie no budget collection called Catacomb of Creepshows. This definitely was not the worst in the collection.

I love horror movies. I am a fan of micro-budget horror films. I make them myself so I appreciate anyone who has the fortitude and the courage to attempt and then complete one. That doesn't mean they are all good, that doesn't mean they are even watchable.

Problems: Much too long. Should have had at least 20 minutes cut. Script was too loose, definitely should have been tightened up. Most of the acting could have been improved upon. The tendency in these types of movies is to use friends and relatives. In most places there is a pretty large contingent of actors and actresses who are willing to act in low dollar projects just to have the opportunity to work. Take advantage of that.Please use the sticks. Hand-held cameras should be outlawed in low budget films. Light it please. Find someone with a photography background to use as your DP or learn to light. Light kits don't have to be expensive and they make a world of difference.

Good points: They looked like they enjoyed themselves. Some of the gore was pretty good. The special effects were laughable but fun.

Not a complete waste of time but I hope they learned something from this one and do better on the next.

No budget, take it as it is

[kali90210 · 4/10 · 10 July 2010]

OK, now if this was playing at your local cineplex and you coughed up $10 for a ticket you'd probably want to burn the theater down. For what it is--a zero budget effort by first time filmmakers--it's fun, with at least an attempt to be more than just another zero budget zombie movie.

Pluses--OK makeup effects, a few good ones, attempts at deeper characterization than usual, some nice tunes by bands I've never heard of Minuses--acting ranges from OK to stiff, shaky camera work (Boy does THAT get old fast), inconsistent tone--is it a campy comedy? Needs more laughs. Is it a horror movie? Needs less silliness.

Big question--the best and funniest bit involves a zombie rabbit. The effects work is terrible yet effective, if that makes sense, in that HG Lewis way. Why they only had it for 2 short scenes i can't imagine--a better idea would have been to follow that silly rabbit for 90 minutes instead of yet another group of humans trapped in a house.

Obviously the filmmakers had a good time (I know someone who worked on the set and he was raving about everyone there, so I wish I could say the movie was better.) Hopefully they can do a better job of conveying that fun into their next effort!

Catacomb of Creepshows #5 (0f 50) or talk of Lupus should stay on House

[movieman_kev · 1/10 · 23 September 2012]

After a zombified bunny gets lose from a nearby lab, it spreads an infection that travels quickly through the woods of North Carolina. Numerous people try to avoid the outbreak to varying degrees of success or lack there of in this extremely low-budget film.

Five films into the Catacomb of Creepshows 50-movie collection and I've already got to the first truelove worthless film. Even the other bad ones had somethings to say nice about them (yes even the abysmal "Demons in my Head") Not so here. It's overlong, none of the myriad of characters have anything close to a story arc or development, the sound is atrocious (The talking parts too soft, the screaming WAY too loud) May god help me, but I even think "Redneck Zombies" was better than this turd.

Oh noooo not ANOTHER one

[barniac68 · 1/10 · 24 March 2014]

I'm actually viewing the film for the first time as I write this, which you may consider a bit unfair as it might get better in the 36 mins left to go...but then again, I didn't exactly look at the time remaining because I'm enjoying it. I bought this in a triple-pack with Swamp Zombies & Stiff Odds (not a good idea to call it 'The Zombie Chronicles', distributors Brain Damage Films, as the 2001 release of the same name has a really BAD reputation amongst zomgeeks...) as a friend recommended Swamp Zombies to me (& if this was FaceBook I'd seriously consider unFRIENDing the person who did so). Having sat through Swamp Zombies I thought lo-to-no-budget zomflix had scraped the bottom of the barrel - until I started watching this turkey. I'd like to point out that I've never even held a camcorder but reckon my elderly neighbour with Parkinson's could have made a better job of filming this. Should come with anti-depressants included in the case. AVOID.

Zombie film on a budget

[CorblimeyGuvnors · 3/10 · 12 January 2015]

5th Movie into the Catacomb of creepshows box set and what can I say !!! The worst so far. An infected rabbit escapes from a lab and bites people which turn them into zombies. Let's start with the rabbit itself. It looks like flattened road kill being dragged on the floor. The zombies, well they never die even when shot in the head (well they are the forever dead). Also these zombies are fast, except when they are chasing a woman with a broken leg on crutches, or when they feel like slowing down from time to time !!! There is also digital rain in one scene, you can tell it is digital as everyone has dry hair and clothes. There are zombie children in this also, and do not worry, they were not psychologically scarred, as you can see them smiling when they attack people and look to be having a good time. Ultimately I struggled through this due to the very bad acting. I always like to think of a positive so would say that some of the gore was good and I liked the music. I can appreciate that this was shot on next to no budget.

If people think this is horrible...

[elderlandwurm · 10/10 · 28 March 2008]

...in a certain respect they're right. When Compared to higher budget horror, and more specifically zombie, flicks it's crap. Complete trash. But when you realize it's made completely on the cheap, with a group of friends, locals, and nearby extras and industry people it's just about as good as anyone could do. It's cheesy, over the top, sub-par edited, and the sound effects are definitely old school. But I loved it. It's a great truly indie horror. Fun and gory. I think the only complaint I really had about the movie was the long haired redneck that kept staring at the camera. Other than that small issue I got what I expected. Stop being so hard on people who do what they can with what they've got, and start being harder on this high budget cow pile industry that keeps force feeding you multi million dollar "independent" flicks and series movies that don't even stay true to the source material.

Watch with friends and beer

[jessie6-1 · 8/10 · 20 January 2009]

This film has lots of creativity with a very small budget. Being in the film, I have seen it a number of times. I recently saw "The Forever Dead" screened in front of about 50 people. There were laughs and cheers when the zombie rabbit showed up. There were moans of disgust during some of the more gory scenes. If you want to entertain your friends with a film that will make you laugh between scenes of extreme gore, this is it. If you like horror films that have some comedy in them like Evil Dead, this film is for you. I don't expect this film to win any academy awards or be made into a musical, but it isn't Hollywood cookie cutter crap like Legally Blonde 4 either.