Dave Francis, who directs, does it again with his newest undead offering Awakening. This is another in his series of horror films. However, this is a much more ambitious attempt than his original indie Zombie Night. There are definitely more professional production values on display than in his earlier works. The cinematography, for one, is decent. His leads, Steve Curtis and Sharon DeWitt, turn in able performances. Dave Francis makes an appearance as the father. Kudos to the full-on zombie makeup artistry. This film, made on what would be considered a lower budget than the look of the film would belie, used hundreds of actors to portray undead zombies. Dave Francis has worked with a dedicated team to create his apocalyptic vision. This work owes a nod, as do so many in this genre, to the cinematic tradition inspired by the Ed Wood school of horror and suspense that later brought us Night of the Living Dead, which it owes much of its rehashed zombie styling to. Perhaps originality is lacking, but for those seeking their old-fashioned zombie fix without all the special effects of a larger budget film, this might do.
Zombie Night 2: Awakening
(III) (2006)
Zombies, zombies everywhere
27 November 2015
Warning: Spoilers