Video Dead

Robert Scotts' low budget shocker "The Video Dead" wasn't quite as much fun as this viewer would have liked. Sometimes it's just too silly and inane for its own good. Still, there's always something to be said for endearingly tacky cheap cheese fests like it; it's got its heart in the right place and there are some very entertaining sequences.

A mysterious package arrives at the home of a reclusive writer. It turns out to be a TV set, but this ain't your typical TV set. It only features one program, a movie titled "Zombie Nightmare", and soon the zombies in this movie-within-the-movie manifest themselves in reality. Fast forward a few months, and a new family is moving into the writers' house. They come to realize that the zombies are attacking the living, and with the help of a Texas character named Joshua Daniels (Sam David McClelland), they try to take care of the problem.

The makeup effects are a highlight, and the zombie performers are certainly enthusiastic. They're all fun to watch, especially one that is dubbed The Bride. There are some irresistible splatter moments, with extremities and other body parts being lopped off and some healthy nods to "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre". Best of all is a showdown between Jeff Blair (Rocky Duvall) and The Bride (Diane Hadley). The sense of humour really helps; writer / director Scott refuses to ever take this stuff very seriously.

The acting is frequently quite amateurish, but this merely adds to the amusement factor. Roxanna Augesen is appealing as our heroine, Zoe Blair, and Victoria Bastel is a hoot as local rich gal April. McClelland is very sincere as the guy who knows the answers to the zombie problem, and Jennifer Miro adds sex appeal as the mystery woman from "Zombie Nightmare".

Overall, "The Video Dead" is agreeable enough entertainment for lovers of B movies, getting off to a good start and working its way towards a fun finish.

Seven out of 10.

There are some positives. The practical effects involving televisions sets are pretty cool. They put serious time and effort into the zombies - they look great for a no budget movie!

However, the movie itself is driven by some absolutely absurd logic and ridiculous decision-making on the part of its characters. I'm at a loss for how it didn't get the MST3K treatment and hasn't gotten the Rifftrax treatment.

It's fun, but in a you're laughing at it, not with it, sort of way.

To say The Video Dead is not the best movie is somewhat obvious. But this ultra cheap and ridiculous horror flick is a decent timekiller at the very least. The plot is a television that constantly plays a low budget zombie movie that comes out of the television and attacks the viewer. To contemplate,"who thinks of this crap"? The greater question is who thought this was a good idea to fund and actually make this. Funds are tight here and it shows, I would guess most of the money for this project would go to the special f/x, which are pretty decent actually with some nice gore. The overnight quality of this is quite low and has some awesomely bad acting, that has the bar set even lower for low budget horror. Like I said previously, The Video Dead is not a good movie, but is so blatantly 80's and ultra cheesy and ludicrous, it is hard not to enjoy it a little .

The writer Henry Jordan (Michael St. Michaels) receives a mysterious TV set and soon he learns that the apparatus is a gateway through which undead come to the world of the living. They kill Henry and the house is sold to another family. The teenager Zoe Blair (Roxanna Augesen) comes to house to clean it for her parents that are traveling abroad. Her brother Jeff Blair (Rocky Duvall) comes later to help Zoe and finds the TV set in the basement. He brings to his room and out of the blue, the stranger Joshua Daniels (Sam David McClelland) knocks on the door. Joshua explains that he sent a TV set mistakenly to that address, instead of to the Department of Occult Warfare. Jeff does not believe in Joshua, but soon he leans the truth about the TV of the undead.

"The Video Dead" is a funny trash-movie about a television set that is a gateway to the world of the undead. The screenplay entwines horror with comedy with great scenes and laughable dialogues. There are many flaws (for example, nobody questions the fate of Jeff; his girlfriend and her family), but the film entertains and it is worthwhile watching if the viewer is fan of the genre. The conclusion is excellent. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "A TV dos Mortos Vivos" ("The TV of the Dead")

A lot of people dont seem to like this film , but i would have to say it was great. It's about this t.v. that is some sort of portal for zombies. The t.v. turns on by itself and the zombies come out of it and terrorize humans. This had 80's written all over it and for me thats a damn good thing. I love movies like this. I think people dont like these films because they think that the makers meant it to be 100% serious, which they don't. You have got to get the humor in the movies, to truly love them. This movie had a total Blood Hook/Dead Dudes In The House feel to it. so if you like the films Blood Hook or Dead Dudes In The House you have to see this one. There is some really great gore in this movie like, zombies and humans getting cut up with chainsaws and zombie decapitations and much more. I give this movie an 8 out of 10. So once again if youre a fan of 80's horror/dark comedys like sleep away camp, Blood Hook, Dead Dudes In The House, or Day Of The Dead check this sucker out.