Really funny movie...It's really great to see a movie that combines the location you live in with your favorite movie genre...Cool effects, thanks to the Alahouzos bros, nice soundtrack, cool foul language (just enough to add to the fun and not the kind you wish to press the mute button for the rest of the movie) and characters that were picked ,probably, it tribute to all the zombie movies (soldier,etc...).The references to "Dawn of the dead" are pretty obvious but who could make a zombie movie with no reference to the master.A pretty nice movie to watch and have fun...All of you who are Greek ,it's a definite must see...But it's also a must see for all the cult-movies fans...Take care...Good work fellas!!
31 Reviews
Evil Greek...
Thanos_Alfie6 November 2013
"To kako" is a Greek Comedy and Horror movie and I have to tell that it surprised me nicely. As Greek I have seen many Greek movies but the most of them were comedies and love movies, for the first time I saw a Greek horror movie and I liked it.
In this movie we see three friends who found a cave in which a devil force was sleeping for a long time and these three friends awakened it. After that this devil force transforms the unsuspecting citizens of Athens into zombies, and we observe a group of people who are trying very hard to survive from these zombies.
Finally I liked this movie because of the effects which are really nice for a Greek movie and in many occasions I am sure that you will laugh very much with them, the sounds of it are really cool and make a creepy environment.
In this movie we see three friends who found a cave in which a devil force was sleeping for a long time and these three friends awakened it. After that this devil force transforms the unsuspecting citizens of Athens into zombies, and we observe a group of people who are trying very hard to survive from these zombies.
Finally I liked this movie because of the effects which are really nice for a Greek movie and in many occasions I am sure that you will laugh very much with them, the sounds of it are really cool and make a creepy environment.
The dead are stirring in Greece...
paul_haakonsen30 June 2013
I didn't really expect much from this movie, being a Greek zombie movie and all, but my prejudice was quickly put to shame. "Evil" (or "To Kako") turned out to be somewhat of a surprise.
Think a mixture of "28 Days Later" and Peter Jackson's "Dead Alive" (aka "Braindead"), then you sort of have the thing that is "Evil".
Personally, I am not keen on zombies that are super agile and running around, as they are in this movie. That being said, then the director of this movie managed to uphold a very "28 Days Later" feeling all throughout the entire movie, and for that, thumbs up.
There was a good amount of gore in the movie as well, though the movie was fairly low-budget, they managed to make the effects look nice and realistic enough. And again, thumbs up on that.
However, one thing that didn't really sit well with me was the characters in the movie. They weren't really given much space to unfold or develop. And as such, they were fairly two-dimensional. There were some attempts thrown in at being funny, particularly from the Argyris guy, whether or not that is good, is a personal preference, I, however, just didn't find the forced humor at place in the movie.
Now, this movie is of course a mile and a stone away from being up to most Hollywood productions, but still, if you are a zombie aficionado, there is some good stuff here and good entertainment, and "Evil" should - and deserves - a place in the movie collection of any zombie aficionado.
So you might wonder why I am only rating "Evil" a 5 out of 10 rating. Well, simply because I don't find agile, running zombies particularly enjoyable, and also because of the misplaced attempts of humor in the movie. "Evil" has a lot to offer, but with some adjustments, it could have been so much more. But with "Evil", Greece has put itself on the world map of the zombie infection.
On a closing note, then the ending of the movie was just priceless. It was the best part of the entire movie. And what a way to leave the audience hanging. Several rotting thumbs up for the bold ending of the movie.
Think a mixture of "28 Days Later" and Peter Jackson's "Dead Alive" (aka "Braindead"), then you sort of have the thing that is "Evil".
Personally, I am not keen on zombies that are super agile and running around, as they are in this movie. That being said, then the director of this movie managed to uphold a very "28 Days Later" feeling all throughout the entire movie, and for that, thumbs up.
There was a good amount of gore in the movie as well, though the movie was fairly low-budget, they managed to make the effects look nice and realistic enough. And again, thumbs up on that.
However, one thing that didn't really sit well with me was the characters in the movie. They weren't really given much space to unfold or develop. And as such, they were fairly two-dimensional. There were some attempts thrown in at being funny, particularly from the Argyris guy, whether or not that is good, is a personal preference, I, however, just didn't find the forced humor at place in the movie.
Now, this movie is of course a mile and a stone away from being up to most Hollywood productions, but still, if you are a zombie aficionado, there is some good stuff here and good entertainment, and "Evil" should - and deserves - a place in the movie collection of any zombie aficionado.
So you might wonder why I am only rating "Evil" a 5 out of 10 rating. Well, simply because I don't find agile, running zombies particularly enjoyable, and also because of the misplaced attempts of humor in the movie. "Evil" has a lot to offer, but with some adjustments, it could have been so much more. But with "Evil", Greece has put itself on the world map of the zombie infection.
On a closing note, then the ending of the movie was just priceless. It was the best part of the entire movie. And what a way to leave the audience hanging. Several rotting thumbs up for the bold ending of the movie.
Really not very good
dsntxst29 May 2015
I realise the film makers weren't out to create a masterpiece with 'Evil' and judging by the other reviews there appears to be a market for this film, but I personally could not stomach it.
The film looks awful; the acting is non-existent; the camera work and editing are headache inducing; the make-up, gore effects and set pieces are woeful; the soundtrack and sound editing are terrible; the plot, characterisation and humour are weak; the pacing is all over the place; and the internal logic of the film world is broken constantly. And for a runtime of around 80 minutes, it amazingly seems to drag on interminably.
There are one or two nice shots but that's the only positive I can give.
Again, I know 'Evil' is not intended to be anything more than a quick-and-dirty horror-comedy but I must be well outside the intended audience as it just did not work for me at all.
The film looks awful; the acting is non-existent; the camera work and editing are headache inducing; the make-up, gore effects and set pieces are woeful; the soundtrack and sound editing are terrible; the plot, characterisation and humour are weak; the pacing is all over the place; and the internal logic of the film world is broken constantly. And for a runtime of around 80 minutes, it amazingly seems to drag on interminably.
There are one or two nice shots but that's the only positive I can give.
Again, I know 'Evil' is not intended to be anything more than a quick-and-dirty horror-comedy but I must be well outside the intended audience as it just did not work for me at all.
Often goofy and annoying.
HumanoidOfFlesh23 April 2010
So here we have zombies on the bloody rampage in Athens.They were awakened from their eternal sleep during one unfortunate event in a forgotten cave.The epidemic spreads through the bite.The zombies are running fast and killing almost everyone in their sight."To Kako" aka "Evil" plays like "28 Days Later" on steroids.Unfortunately I prefer zombies walking than running like hell.There is plenty of gore,some splattery head-shots,cannibalism,squashed heads and beheadings.There's also the standard horrible acting and amateurish scene construction with several annoying dark comedy moments.Still I'd give "To Kako" 7 out of 10 because it possesses the intensity and charm of a film helmed by a director who firmly believes in his creation.
Abomination
adamcarlton2 November 2007
Warning: Spoilers
This is quite possibly the most pathetic excuse for a film i have ever seen. And to think that some commenter's have the audacity to compare this to a George Romero flick.
The first thing you notice is the acting (or lack of it). It is some of the worst i have ever had the misfortune to watch, and i just didn't know what to say. Lets take an example: a girl sees her dad go ape sh_t and then eat her mother. What does she do? She stands up, watches with absolutely no expression of shock on her face, and slowly walks out of the room. WHAT is movie making coming to? Is it not possible to make somebody show a spec of emotion in their acting? Pathetic.
It is not possible to follow this film and take it seriously. The lack of any acting skill coupled with the inconsistent transitions from scene to scene and down-right unrealistic actions makes it unwatchable. I have seen bad films in my time and i rarely EVER turn one off but this made me tap out before the half way line.
The film takes a plunge into the pit of crap with its consistency. Again, there just isn't any. There are basically two sets of survivors from the off. They somehow avoid the whole city turning into zombies by sleeping in an alleyway and a car park respectively. Only one group encounters a single zombie before they make their way, and they miraculously act like they all know each other perfectly the next morning. The dialogue, the acting, the events, the consistency, EVERYTHING i can think of about this film is bad except the camera work which is borderline respectable.
At times it comes across as a decent flick with good angles and some good cues of music but these things are all made useless because there is no pacing. Its like one minute you will see the survivors talking by a car, then it will cut to a desert setting with them talking about how the infection started, then cut back to the same people somewhere else by the same car they left. Another example is when the survivor groups meet up. We don't see it at all. We hear a gunshot when a survivor of the army meets group B and group A run towards the camera after hearing it and claiming "we're saved". End shot, next scene somewhere completely different.
I am just lost for words at how to explain this film. Its like it was made without a director and the people responsible just filmed a load of crap they thought might work and then threw it together in movie maker.
Do not watch this film, ever. You will only waste the time in your life up until turning it off.
The first thing you notice is the acting (or lack of it). It is some of the worst i have ever had the misfortune to watch, and i just didn't know what to say. Lets take an example: a girl sees her dad go ape sh_t and then eat her mother. What does she do? She stands up, watches with absolutely no expression of shock on her face, and slowly walks out of the room. WHAT is movie making coming to? Is it not possible to make somebody show a spec of emotion in their acting? Pathetic.
It is not possible to follow this film and take it seriously. The lack of any acting skill coupled with the inconsistent transitions from scene to scene and down-right unrealistic actions makes it unwatchable. I have seen bad films in my time and i rarely EVER turn one off but this made me tap out before the half way line.
The film takes a plunge into the pit of crap with its consistency. Again, there just isn't any. There are basically two sets of survivors from the off. They somehow avoid the whole city turning into zombies by sleeping in an alleyway and a car park respectively. Only one group encounters a single zombie before they make their way, and they miraculously act like they all know each other perfectly the next morning. The dialogue, the acting, the events, the consistency, EVERYTHING i can think of about this film is bad except the camera work which is borderline respectable.
At times it comes across as a decent flick with good angles and some good cues of music but these things are all made useless because there is no pacing. Its like one minute you will see the survivors talking by a car, then it will cut to a desert setting with them talking about how the infection started, then cut back to the same people somewhere else by the same car they left. Another example is when the survivor groups meet up. We don't see it at all. We hear a gunshot when a survivor of the army meets group B and group A run towards the camera after hearing it and claiming "we're saved". End shot, next scene somewhere completely different.
I am just lost for words at how to explain this film. Its like it was made without a director and the people responsible just filmed a load of crap they thought might work and then threw it together in movie maker.
Do not watch this film, ever. You will only waste the time in your life up until turning it off.
Nothing too special, but a decent effort!
jbbeverley17 January 2008
"To Kako" (aka "Evil") was a film that I didn't expect much out of. A Greek zombie film seemed like a disaster waiting to happen, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it a noble effort despite it's flaws.
The film does come off as fairly novice. It may be cultural boundaries, but I am also picky. Certain people around here call this film "trash", but I don't think that is fair. Compared to Romero's films, EVERY zombie film COULD be considered somewhere between second rate and "trash". This film is somewhere in between, but is worth a look if you like the genre.
What I did like about the film what what they were able to do with an obviously limited budget. The acting is nothing above average but also not "horrible" as some have suggested. Given the budget, the prosthetics and other optical FX were passable. I was relieved to not see an assault of CGI animated gore. I found a couple of the effects laughable, but others to be much better.
There are come continuity flaws, and some moments where the film drags, but the story is fairly well crafted, and the the gore-hounds in the audience will be happy at the amount of splatter and nastiness. Also, some of the dialog moves rather fast, and you may find yourself having to read a bit quicker than usual. But if you can get past these few limitations, you may find this to be an enjoyable movie. I would give it a 4 or 5 normally, but since it is a cut above the majority of non-Romero zombie films, I gave it a 6. You zombie buffs see it for yourselves and decide for yourselves.
The film does come off as fairly novice. It may be cultural boundaries, but I am also picky. Certain people around here call this film "trash", but I don't think that is fair. Compared to Romero's films, EVERY zombie film COULD be considered somewhere between second rate and "trash". This film is somewhere in between, but is worth a look if you like the genre.
What I did like about the film what what they were able to do with an obviously limited budget. The acting is nothing above average but also not "horrible" as some have suggested. Given the budget, the prosthetics and other optical FX were passable. I was relieved to not see an assault of CGI animated gore. I found a couple of the effects laughable, but others to be much better.
There are come continuity flaws, and some moments where the film drags, but the story is fairly well crafted, and the the gore-hounds in the audience will be happy at the amount of splatter and nastiness. Also, some of the dialog moves rather fast, and you may find yourself having to read a bit quicker than usual. But if you can get past these few limitations, you may find this to be an enjoyable movie. I would give it a 4 or 5 normally, but since it is a cut above the majority of non-Romero zombie films, I gave it a 6. You zombie buffs see it for yourselves and decide for yourselves.
Oh my god!
chiotelis_kostas11 February 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I Saw the 6.9 rank of this movie and... Oh my god. Fortunately there is only 50 or so votes that means that there is the cast of the movie who voted! The movie was Really bad. There was a premier in a big cinema in Athens one day before the official date in cinemas and i booked 2 tickets. The hole crowd were laughing... I tell you just one scene where the team Hunted by zombies is going to a house for the night! So two members come to bed together and the boy start leaking the girl at her toes. Then a zombie comes knock down the boy (the girl were enjoying with her eyes closed) and started licking the girls toes for a little time when it Bytes her toes and she starts screaming because she thoughts that there was the boy licking her. Any way DO NOT SEE THES MOVIE
Greek zombie movie plays by the rules!
secrective9 August 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Opening scene is a few guys exploring a cave, someone hears something then blam! back to present time... split shots between the previous people in the cave as they are seen in a dance club, at a football/soccer game , and eating dinner with family.
then the fun starts, each one turns into a zombie and starts eating people. the scene on TV of the football/soccer game felt VERY realistic. each person the original guys bite, turns into a zombie, and so on and so forth. our first character is eating dinner with her dad (one of the guys in the cave). at the table, out of nowhere he starts coughing and soon hes biting his wife! the daughter runs to the neighbors apartment and asks for help. now we meet the second character. both girls then start to run for their lives! VERY good gore in the zombie kills and human eating. some funny parts in the movie too. Evil (to kako) does not add anything to the zombie mythos, but offers instead a well done romp against the undead in athens. the zombies in this movie are fast and slow at the same time... some can jump, some are slow. not super-fast like 28 days , but not slow and lumbering like night of the living dead.
good soundtrack and tight camera work makes this genre feel new again and creates a fast paced zombie thriller.
then the fun starts, each one turns into a zombie and starts eating people. the scene on TV of the football/soccer game felt VERY realistic. each person the original guys bite, turns into a zombie, and so on and so forth. our first character is eating dinner with her dad (one of the guys in the cave). at the table, out of nowhere he starts coughing and soon hes biting his wife! the daughter runs to the neighbors apartment and asks for help. now we meet the second character. both girls then start to run for their lives! VERY good gore in the zombie kills and human eating. some funny parts in the movie too. Evil (to kako) does not add anything to the zombie mythos, but offers instead a well done romp against the undead in athens. the zombies in this movie are fast and slow at the same time... some can jump, some are slow. not super-fast like 28 days , but not slow and lumbering like night of the living dead.
good soundtrack and tight camera work makes this genre feel new again and creates a fast paced zombie thriller.
Bad
nindan9027 July 2008
I'm a zombie fan and this movie was just BAD. I even fast forward some parts when they where running.
I didn't look at all the votes only the first ones and those said it was good. I learned a lesson that always look how many voted and also read all votes. There are so man other good Zombie movies out there then this one.
They often use effects like 3 small windows instead of a big one some times and that ruined it a lot.
Acting bad, story bad. I liked the last scene at the end. That was nice.
I didn't look at all the votes only the first ones and those said it was good. I learned a lesson that always look how many voted and also read all votes. There are so man other good Zombie movies out there then this one.
They often use effects like 3 small windows instead of a big one some times and that ruined it a lot.
Acting bad, story bad. I liked the last scene at the end. That was nice.
Tzatziki and tzombies, or 'Zombie the Greek'.
BA_Harrison11 January 2009
I think it's fair to say that Greece is hardly renowned for its horror movie output (to date I have only seen one other scary film from this countryNico Mastorakis' infamous 'video nasty' Island of Death), but having just enjoyed zombie romp 'To Kako' (AKA Evil), I reckon that the Greeks should spend less time smashing plates and more time smashing skulls, 'cos they're actually pretty good at it!
Director Yorgos Noussias begins his film with the discovery of an enormous cavern on the outskirts of Athens, within which lurks an evil force that is capable of transforming people into flesh-craving zombies. After initially possessing three construction workers who investigate the cavern, the force spreads rapidly throughout the city leaving only a small group of survivorsbuxom teenager Jenny, her sexy neighbour, a randy taxi driver, a soldier, and a football fandesperately searching for a way out of their predicament.
Whilst this might not be the most imaginative of plots, Noussias's superb handling of his material more than makes up for the lack of originality in narrative: genuinely atmospheric scenes of horror are expertly combined with bloody moments of knockabout splat-stick comedy to make this a thoroughly entertaining 83 minutes of scares, OTT gore and laughs. And for a film with such a small budget, this film looks absolutely fabulous, with great cinematography (the shots of the deserted city are particularly cool), snazzy editing (the MTV stylings are a little over-done, perhaps, but it's still technically impressive stuff), and loads of amazing special effects (both traditional and digital).
The blurb on the DVD packaging describes the film as 'a rapid-fire series of over-the-top-gross-out gags and gore' but I feel that this description does not really do the film justice. Yes, 'To Kako' offers gore-hounds a smörgåsbord of splatterific effects and bad-taste humourcrushed heads, decapitations, eviscerations, and juicy impalementsbut there is more to Noussias' movie than just a mindless comedy gore-fest: in addition to making viewers laugh, the director also manages to deliver carefully constructed scenes of tension and excitement, allows his viewers to care about his characters before he has them pulled apart and eaten, and presents an excellent downbeat ending that sees the last four survivors facing insurmountable odds as the undead close in for the kill, thus qualifying 'To Kako' as a bona fide horror experience.
Director Yorgos Noussias begins his film with the discovery of an enormous cavern on the outskirts of Athens, within which lurks an evil force that is capable of transforming people into flesh-craving zombies. After initially possessing three construction workers who investigate the cavern, the force spreads rapidly throughout the city leaving only a small group of survivorsbuxom teenager Jenny, her sexy neighbour, a randy taxi driver, a soldier, and a football fandesperately searching for a way out of their predicament.
Whilst this might not be the most imaginative of plots, Noussias's superb handling of his material more than makes up for the lack of originality in narrative: genuinely atmospheric scenes of horror are expertly combined with bloody moments of knockabout splat-stick comedy to make this a thoroughly entertaining 83 minutes of scares, OTT gore and laughs. And for a film with such a small budget, this film looks absolutely fabulous, with great cinematography (the shots of the deserted city are particularly cool), snazzy editing (the MTV stylings are a little over-done, perhaps, but it's still technically impressive stuff), and loads of amazing special effects (both traditional and digital).
The blurb on the DVD packaging describes the film as 'a rapid-fire series of over-the-top-gross-out gags and gore' but I feel that this description does not really do the film justice. Yes, 'To Kako' offers gore-hounds a smörgåsbord of splatterific effects and bad-taste humourcrushed heads, decapitations, eviscerations, and juicy impalementsbut there is more to Noussias' movie than just a mindless comedy gore-fest: in addition to making viewers laugh, the director also manages to deliver carefully constructed scenes of tension and excitement, allows his viewers to care about his characters before he has them pulled apart and eaten, and presents an excellent downbeat ending that sees the last four survivors facing insurmountable odds as the undead close in for the kill, thus qualifying 'To Kako' as a bona fide horror experience.
Flaws aside, it surprisingly comes out as a fun and very contemporary movie
FotisD4 February 2007
First of all, let's make clear that from the technical viewpoint, this movie isn't even close to what we might call "a decent attempt". The acting is in general horrible, the directing (a few scenes aside) ranges from inadequate to disturbing etc. In a nutshell, there seems to be a mix of very low budget and talentless crew that add up to poor performances and visuals.
However, the story is worth noticing for the way it handles contemporary Greek capital city characters. The group of survivors trying to hold on to life is a mixture of everyday people one would definitely come across if one hanged around Athens for a day or two. That keeps the (otherwise simple) story going and serves as a comical relief Greeks can easily respond to.Furthermore, the movie's ending offers a great visual and also a very satisfying conclusion.
To sum up, this is a rather poor attempt towards a decent Greek splatter film. Even with a low budget, there is no excuse for some of the shortcomings of it. However, it really DESERVES a viewing, because 1) it will make you laugh, 2) the characters will make you feel right at home and 3) it's a Greek splatter horror film, and you won't find many of these (it's the only one I've come across so far).
However, the story is worth noticing for the way it handles contemporary Greek capital city characters. The group of survivors trying to hold on to life is a mixture of everyday people one would definitely come across if one hanged around Athens for a day or two. That keeps the (otherwise simple) story going and serves as a comical relief Greeks can easily respond to.Furthermore, the movie's ending offers a great visual and also a very satisfying conclusion.
To sum up, this is a rather poor attempt towards a decent Greek splatter film. Even with a low budget, there is no excuse for some of the shortcomings of it. However, it really DESERVES a viewing, because 1) it will make you laugh, 2) the characters will make you feel right at home and 3) it's a Greek splatter horror film, and you won't find many of these (it's the only one I've come across so far).
To Kako = Bad!
ninja_slut17 February 2008
Warning: Spoilers
OK, i wont even bother with the story. you probably know what this is about. it is quite poor and keep in mind this piece of garbage is coming from a new "filmmaker" who had the nerve to call Romero's Land Of The Dead an "Ok b-movie" and admit their favorite film is The Blues Brothers!!! If that is the case then what should we call this one? a Z-movie perhaps? The only good actor is Meletis Georgiadis while the rest suck badly. Very bad "actors", so bad they are hard to believe. But its wouldn't be fair to blame everything on them- the lines they had to deliver were pretty stupid to begin with, so at least thats an excuse. Lame humor, really, really lame. Humor in this film will only make retarded people laugh, really. Jackson did it successfully in Braindead, the difference is that he is a filmmaker while Nousias or whatever he is called, is a talentless hack. Very bad Mtv-style direction, cinematography that hardly allows you to see what is going on in the night scenes, you get the picture. Some decent effects here and there are ruined by the incompetence of the director. And the music score is so bad that just makes you want to stop watching. Its the most annoying music score in recent years.
This is still quality stuff compared to the movies of Macabro Films/F. Halatsis but that still isn't saying much!
This is still quality stuff compared to the movies of Macabro Films/F. Halatsis but that still isn't saying much!
Potential unfulfilled
eannamac11 June 2010
Warning: Spoilers
OK it's a low budget film by a first time director & scriptwriter, but even by Z-movie standards this is a bit disappointing.
There are a few decent moments which show that there is ability present and though went into it, however these and an occasional laugh is not enough to cover for the cobbled together plot and acting.
I can't comment too much on the script as my Greek is not quite up to it yet, but when people just wander off the screen (aka dead in Zombie movies) and re-appear 20 minutes later the film descends into farce.
There is a sequel, even a committed Zombie fan like me might just give it a miss. More judicious editing and some re-shooting would have saved it from this miserable score.
There are a few decent moments which show that there is ability present and though went into it, however these and an occasional laugh is not enough to cover for the cobbled together plot and acting.
I can't comment too much on the script as my Greek is not quite up to it yet, but when people just wander off the screen (aka dead in Zombie movies) and re-appear 20 minutes later the film descends into farce.
There is a sequel, even a committed Zombie fan like me might just give it a miss. More judicious editing and some re-shooting would have saved it from this miserable score.
Misuse of Commenting..
heretic36913 May 2007
When i read the comments here, i was hoping for a nice gory Zombie Event. What i got was a cheap piece of amateur trash! Sadly the overjoying comments here have to be from the movie crew themselves.. Every other "normal" people couldn't possibly be that misguided, to praise such a trash movie. The Acting is ridiculous, the Effects are laughable at best, and even for a "Zombie"movie the Story is just Crap. Wouldn't the makers praise their trash-movie so much, one could prepare for a nice piece of trash and it would be OK. But so, users hope for a decent Horror movie, and all they get is a piece of Sh.... Anyways.. only good thing of this flick are the nice, young Greek girls - so everything has it good sides too, it seems.
Much Better Than The Average Zombie Film
gavin69429 June 2013
An evil force is awakened in downtown Athens transforming the unsuspecting citizens into raving zombies. The few survivors will have to fight hard for their lives. To the death.
I have come to have fairly low expectations from the zombie subgenre of horror films. Every year there seems to be one good one and fifty bad ones. For every "Dead Snow" or "Zombieland" we get any number of kids with a $50 budget slapping makeup on and filming themselves trudging through the city... and it gets old.
That being said, this was a pleasant surprise. Not being overly familiar with Greek cinema I was not sure what to expect -- would there be a budget? Could the actors act? Could the director direct? I am pleased to say the film had all three.
While at times it devolves into poor computer graphics, it is largely an entertaining horror comedy, with more than enough blood and guts to satisfy just about anyone. I loved the reminiscence of some of the great splatter films ("Evil Dead" and "Dead Alive" come to mind). And the clever shots reminded me -- in a good way -- of "Run Lola Run".
There are also some very well-placed crane and overhead shots. If these were real (and not a computer trick), they were incredible. And even if they were a computer trick, they were a darn good one. I would gladly recommend this to any blood-and-guts zombie fan.
I have come to have fairly low expectations from the zombie subgenre of horror films. Every year there seems to be one good one and fifty bad ones. For every "Dead Snow" or "Zombieland" we get any number of kids with a $50 budget slapping makeup on and filming themselves trudging through the city... and it gets old.
That being said, this was a pleasant surprise. Not being overly familiar with Greek cinema I was not sure what to expect -- would there be a budget? Could the actors act? Could the director direct? I am pleased to say the film had all three.
While at times it devolves into poor computer graphics, it is largely an entertaining horror comedy, with more than enough blood and guts to satisfy just about anyone. I loved the reminiscence of some of the great splatter films ("Evil Dead" and "Dead Alive" come to mind). And the clever shots reminded me -- in a good way -- of "Run Lola Run".
There are also some very well-placed crane and overhead shots. If these were real (and not a computer trick), they were incredible. And even if they were a computer trick, they were a darn good one. I would gladly recommend this to any blood-and-guts zombie fan.
My ears still hurt
NaturalBornCamper10 April 2011
To give you the big picture: - Really bad acting - Really bad combat scenes - Really bad music that doesn't fit at all with what's happening in the movie - Really bad cheap really loud sound effects probably from a free sound bank that make all the gore scenes fake in the way that they were trying to make it look good and failed. The sound editing is probably the worst part of the movie.
Does not look like a parody to me, more like tried-but-failed-so-it's-a-parody-then.
There is a guy with a shotgun and every time he shoots with it I thought my speakers would bust and my head explode.
Does not look like a parody to me, more like tried-but-failed-so-it's-a-parody-then.
There is a guy with a shotgun and every time he shoots with it I thought my speakers would bust and my head explode.
One of the best comedy splatters ever
skywalker-3925 November 2007
I was blown away when I first saw this movie. It was its first screening ever, in Thessaloniki's Film Festival. I can tell you this, everyone left the theater struggling for breath. It was too funny for us to swallow!
I don't know if i can recommend it to foreign audience. For them, it would seem like a regular zombie movie. But for people that can speak Greek, this is a blast! ALL the clichés, all the idiotic Hollywood phrases we've been used to, are being translated into Greek slang. In the end, the movie is probably the best parody ever. Unfortunately, its highly impossible for foreigners to understand this.
Nevertheless, even if you cant see it as a parody, its quite a decent (although too cliché) movie that can offer some fun when watched with loads of friends.
ps: when I first saw it, on the 1st line of the theater, there where 20+ people laughing and making voices and zombie jokes. when the screening ended, they walked up the screen and bowed to the audience. they where the entire cast of the movie! oh, and they added "we hope you liked our parody of Hollywood #@$@". oh, we sure did!
I don't know if i can recommend it to foreign audience. For them, it would seem like a regular zombie movie. But for people that can speak Greek, this is a blast! ALL the clichés, all the idiotic Hollywood phrases we've been used to, are being translated into Greek slang. In the end, the movie is probably the best parody ever. Unfortunately, its highly impossible for foreigners to understand this.
Nevertheless, even if you cant see it as a parody, its quite a decent (although too cliché) movie that can offer some fun when watched with loads of friends.
ps: when I first saw it, on the 1st line of the theater, there where 20+ people laughing and making voices and zombie jokes. when the screening ended, they walked up the screen and bowed to the audience. they where the entire cast of the movie! oh, and they added "we hope you liked our parody of Hollywood #@$@". oh, we sure did!
very nicely done
timclodfelter9 March 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Not the best zombie movie ever (a few characters do things a bit too stupid, not that that is unheard of in the zombie genre), but a damned fine addition to the canon. The characters are likable, and it's not always obvious who's going to turn into zombie chow and when. Most importantly, you grow to empathize with the characters -- this isn't just some big dumb video game. And the ending shot is one of the coolest things I've ever seen in one of these movies. I'm sure there are some Greek nuances I'm missing, and maybe even cultural in-jokes, but even without that it was a very enjoyable film. It's not as much a comedy as some seem to claim, but there are humorous moments, most of them involving the slimy yet heroic taxi driver character. But this is less like Return of the Living Dead than Dawn of the Dead 2004, where some moments of levity break up lots of tension. The origin of the zombie plague seems a bit odd, but then again the origins of these things are never the real point of the movies, are they?
For Us By Us
colaboy719 July 2006
When I first heard about the making of Greek zombie film, I must admit i felt really excited but a bit weary at the same time.
Excited because this was going to be a first for my country, but a bit uncertain of what it could turn out like...I knew that the guys that made the film were working on a shoelace budget and I was worried that as proper "gore" is quite expensive to create, the whole film would be just people with ketchup on their faces walking around Athens.
From the first moment watching this film you realize that it is made by people who love this kind of genre , for people who love this genre.
Don't expect any hidden meanings when watching "evil". The film is here to entertain us and it succeeds in doing so big time!
The acting is good, the effects are surprisingly convincing, and most of all it is really funny!
Obviously the guys who made this film were inspired by Peter Jackson's "Braindead" . Trying to combine humor with horror is really difficult but they did a great job!
I heard somewhere that the guys have currently plans for a new movie. I just cant wait! And guys if you are reading this... please please please let me be in it! I'll do it for free!
Excited because this was going to be a first for my country, but a bit uncertain of what it could turn out like...I knew that the guys that made the film were working on a shoelace budget and I was worried that as proper "gore" is quite expensive to create, the whole film would be just people with ketchup on their faces walking around Athens.
From the first moment watching this film you realize that it is made by people who love this kind of genre , for people who love this genre.
Don't expect any hidden meanings when watching "evil". The film is here to entertain us and it succeeds in doing so big time!
The acting is good, the effects are surprisingly convincing, and most of all it is really funny!
Obviously the guys who made this film were inspired by Peter Jackson's "Braindead" . Trying to combine humor with horror is really difficult but they did a great job!
I heard somewhere that the guys have currently plans for a new movie. I just cant wait! And guys if you are reading this... please please please let me be in it! I'll do it for free!
28 Days Later Greek Style...
RayoftheDead27 July 2007
Warning: Spoilers
~~WARNING! THE FOLLOWING REVIEW MAY OR MAY NOT CONTAIN SPOILERS. USE YOUR OWN JUDGEMENT WHEN DETERMINING A SPOILER~~
First off, can anyone say 28 Days Later? This movie reeks (pun intended) of the international hit by Danny Boyle. From the surreal haunting music, the camera work involving abandoned shots of Downtown Athens (more notably the train track sequence when heading to the army.), and the red first person perspective of the zombies as they chase their prey. As far as originality goes, the story is part of the same that has been about through the ages. A group of strangers caught up in a diabolical plague set forth to find others as well as make it out of the infested city and to the country. The Gore meter is maxed out with plenty of visceral decapitations, disembowelment's, and gut munching mayhem. Though effective throughout the movie, the effects seem rather comical and cheesy because they are so overdone. And lets not forget the ever so clever comedic performance that are never absent when it comes to a gore-fest zombie movie. There are some pretty snappy one liners and some scenes just make you laugh out loud. Keep an eye on the cabbie throughout the movie as the laughs usually emit from him. A fairly decent cast with some rough "Follow me if you want to live." action lines that could have not been inserted into the already fast paced action. Tough guy and girl antics run amuck. Some unsuspecting scenes really catch you off guard during the duration of the movie, which makes it not only a action oriented horror movie, but gives elements of suspense. If you think you know whats going to happen during this movie I can tell you that you're wrong from the start. Abolutley GOREgeous shots of Athens abandoned. Some notably scenes are: THE RESTAURANT
ALLEY WAY WITH THE WATER PIPE
THE SOCCER STADIUM
All in all this movie garnered a 7 overall for mostly the 28 Days Later atmosphere which really wasn't a fantastic choice to base your movie on. Although the Evil Dead and Dead Alive references totally undertake the negative.
First off, can anyone say 28 Days Later? This movie reeks (pun intended) of the international hit by Danny Boyle. From the surreal haunting music, the camera work involving abandoned shots of Downtown Athens (more notably the train track sequence when heading to the army.), and the red first person perspective of the zombies as they chase their prey. As far as originality goes, the story is part of the same that has been about through the ages. A group of strangers caught up in a diabolical plague set forth to find others as well as make it out of the infested city and to the country. The Gore meter is maxed out with plenty of visceral decapitations, disembowelment's, and gut munching mayhem. Though effective throughout the movie, the effects seem rather comical and cheesy because they are so overdone. And lets not forget the ever so clever comedic performance that are never absent when it comes to a gore-fest zombie movie. There are some pretty snappy one liners and some scenes just make you laugh out loud. Keep an eye on the cabbie throughout the movie as the laughs usually emit from him. A fairly decent cast with some rough "Follow me if you want to live." action lines that could have not been inserted into the already fast paced action. Tough guy and girl antics run amuck. Some unsuspecting scenes really catch you off guard during the duration of the movie, which makes it not only a action oriented horror movie, but gives elements of suspense. If you think you know whats going to happen during this movie I can tell you that you're wrong from the start. Abolutley GOREgeous shots of Athens abandoned. Some notably scenes are: THE RESTAURANT
ALLEY WAY WITH THE WATER PIPE
THE SOCCER STADIUM
All in all this movie garnered a 7 overall for mostly the 28 Days Later atmosphere which really wasn't a fantastic choice to base your movie on. Although the Evil Dead and Dead Alive references totally undertake the negative.
First Greek Splatter/Horror film
metalforos24 September 2008
It's the first Greek attempt to make a splatter film. Just for that it deserves a credit and an overlook for it's low budget. But believe me this doesn't mean that this movie cannot be compared to Hollywood zombie movies because they couldn't afford tanks, mansions and 1000 zombies. This movie is exactly what a zombie movie has to be. The effects are awesome, and not only for the Greek standards. The zombies are so believable, just for an example a taxi driver happened to pass with his car in some of the "zombie's" takes and started running with his car. The directing is a bit strange but stunning, your eyes are stuck in the screen not to miss anything. The actors are amateurs but play their roles very well and were a bit creepy in some of the scenes when they began to act crazy! I give an 10 for a Greek movie and an 8 for a film not to be judged by it's country. You must see it, it's somehow different for any zombie you have seen so far and it won't disappoint you! I'm really looking forward for "To Kako 2".
p.s. The ending is just NOT a Hollywood one, but i don't want to spoil it, i loved it though!
p.s. The ending is just NOT a Hollywood one, but i don't want to spoil it, i loved it though!
look out Hollywood these zombies are better
sharkattack197815 June 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I saw this film in blockbuster in the UK and was a bit intrigued by the cartooned cover. I knew that this film was about zombies and I LOVE ZOMBIE FILMS. Although i wasn't sure how good it was (i didn't want to see another cheap and very nasty (and not in a good way) crappy zombie horror so it was at least a couple of weeks after i saw the trailer and read the user reviews on here that i finally took a proper look at it. Although the film is from Greece, it did put me off a tiny bit but then i realised that i have other horrors in my collection that are Japanese and other foreign languages that were pretty damn good, so what the hell i rented it. I'm glad i did, yeah i'm very glad i did. I was very happy with what i saw. Plenty of zombie deaths in gory fashion. Tons of blood and guts. This was better than Dawn of the dead remake. I also loved the humour in it too. The characters were funny and also great at kicking zombie ass. The scene in the diner was well worth getting the DVD for. You'll see if you watch it. I also loved the imaginative ways that they butchered the undead. Lots of zombies die in this movie in very gruesome fashion.
Another good thing about this film was the shock ending, it's refreshing to see a proper horror ending than the hero walks off into the sunset, makes it more believable unlike Hollywood.
If they do make a sequel. I'll definitely watch it as this one was great. A good laugh and a good gore-fest too. It's good to see that zombie films are making a comeback like this. Balls to the wall action gore-fest. Word of advice if you do want to watch this film and you get the DVD, DON'T LOOK AT THE CHAPTER LIST cause it gives away the ending. Just sit back, crack open a beer and enjoy the fun movie of EVIL. Look out Hollywood they coming to get you!!!!
Another good thing about this film was the shock ending, it's refreshing to see a proper horror ending than the hero walks off into the sunset, makes it more believable unlike Hollywood.
If they do make a sequel. I'll definitely watch it as this one was great. A good laugh and a good gore-fest too. It's good to see that zombie films are making a comeback like this. Balls to the wall action gore-fest. Word of advice if you do want to watch this film and you get the DVD, DON'T LOOK AT THE CHAPTER LIST cause it gives away the ending. Just sit back, crack open a beer and enjoy the fun movie of EVIL. Look out Hollywood they coming to get you!!!!
All you can expect from horror... and much more!!!
thola0124 March 2008
Wow... seems like somebody dropped some cameras over Greece... and they immediately knew how to use them!!! This little gem has everything you would expect from a horror movie and offers much more yet. Of course you have seen most of it somewhere else... the stuff's not really new, isn't it? And yes, in some parts it seemed to me like a Greek version of "28 days later". But I've rarely seen Zombie's heads being destroyed in so many different ways. Headshots, lots of (almost obligatory) decapitations, head splitting and much more. Yes, this is definitely for the real gore-hounds among you! Acting, sets, make-up, etc. were OK but the camera work and editing were really cool in some parts... especially in the ending scene. If you're in the mood for about one and a half hours of good old bloody fun try to grab this. Highly recommended (for fans of the genre). To the producers: more of this, please!!!
Just a Good Ol' Trashy Greek Zombie Film!
TonyDood15 October 2008
If there is a category for "torture porn" there should be one for zombie movies too; that is, movies that are not about plot or character but just "delivering specific goods." "To Kako" could serve as a standard, and it's too bad most fans won't see it because it's from Greece, and subtitled. The filmmakers here know we don't care 1) why people are turning into zombies or 2) much of the personal problems of the characters affected by the zombie plague. They know we just want more, and new, variations on the themes set up by Romero, Raimi and Jackson. They know we want the goods--zombies and over-the-top gore! And this film delivers.
Of course the word "porn" is derogatory and implies there's nothing more than exploitation going on here, which is not the case. Even though the story and characters are inconsequential (there's little or no exposition as to what caused the "zombie virus," why it affected the main characters and why we should care--in fact, initially I had a hard time keeping the characters straight) there's much at work here beneath the surface regarding good ol' fashioned suspense film technique, parody or straight-ahead; despite its direct-to-the-jugular attitude this is not a "dumb" movie. It's actually dark satire, but you have to be able to recognize that to enjoy it fully. The only things I do NOT like about "Braindead" and "Shaun Of The Dead" are the fact that the films waste so much screen time on their respective pathetic male heroes, and their pathetic problems. I also don't care for the way these films descend into cutesy Warner Bros. cartoons. "To Kako" is not "better" than these movies, or Romero's early classics, but it's a solid entry in the genre that is not to be missed if you're a fan. The zombies are plentiful, nasty, and just keep coming in the way that we fans of the genre love.
The benefits: Remarkable, fast-moving, creative splatter set-pieces, inventive camera, editing (loved the "flash forwards") and split-screen work (cheesy, but I think it was *supposed* to be), minimal moments of "down time", an eerie/throbbing techno score, the beautiful Athens locales and doe-eyed actors and a truly memorable, disturbing, apocalyptic ending. On the downside: some technical troubles where the low budget shows, some bad acting, some weird storytelling choices, none of which get in the way of the "fun."
On that topic, this film brings up an interesting point; despite some moments of genuine humor (there's one ridiculous sight gag with the perpetually horny cabbie behind a tree that shouldn't work but made me laugh all the same) this is a brutally violent movie concentrating on the wholesale graphic destruction of men and women trying to kill each other by utterly destroying each others' bodies until they become lasagna. The film's focus, and what will keep most of the fans happy (including this one), is how many people--undead or not--are dispatched, how graphically, and how often. It shouldn't be "fun," and with a heavier directorial hand it wouldn't be (Fulci films are pretty bleak, in general) but it is. That this makes such compelling viewing is probably symptomatic of the times we live in, but I'm not nearly drunk enough to know why...
The great cover art by Michael Bukowski well-represents the comic-book style of the movie. Check it out for yourself if you get the chance, it's worth the gamble.
Of course the word "porn" is derogatory and implies there's nothing more than exploitation going on here, which is not the case. Even though the story and characters are inconsequential (there's little or no exposition as to what caused the "zombie virus," why it affected the main characters and why we should care--in fact, initially I had a hard time keeping the characters straight) there's much at work here beneath the surface regarding good ol' fashioned suspense film technique, parody or straight-ahead; despite its direct-to-the-jugular attitude this is not a "dumb" movie. It's actually dark satire, but you have to be able to recognize that to enjoy it fully. The only things I do NOT like about "Braindead" and "Shaun Of The Dead" are the fact that the films waste so much screen time on their respective pathetic male heroes, and their pathetic problems. I also don't care for the way these films descend into cutesy Warner Bros. cartoons. "To Kako" is not "better" than these movies, or Romero's early classics, but it's a solid entry in the genre that is not to be missed if you're a fan. The zombies are plentiful, nasty, and just keep coming in the way that we fans of the genre love.
The benefits: Remarkable, fast-moving, creative splatter set-pieces, inventive camera, editing (loved the "flash forwards") and split-screen work (cheesy, but I think it was *supposed* to be), minimal moments of "down time", an eerie/throbbing techno score, the beautiful Athens locales and doe-eyed actors and a truly memorable, disturbing, apocalyptic ending. On the downside: some technical troubles where the low budget shows, some bad acting, some weird storytelling choices, none of which get in the way of the "fun."
On that topic, this film brings up an interesting point; despite some moments of genuine humor (there's one ridiculous sight gag with the perpetually horny cabbie behind a tree that shouldn't work but made me laugh all the same) this is a brutally violent movie concentrating on the wholesale graphic destruction of men and women trying to kill each other by utterly destroying each others' bodies until they become lasagna. The film's focus, and what will keep most of the fans happy (including this one), is how many people--undead or not--are dispatched, how graphically, and how often. It shouldn't be "fun," and with a heavier directorial hand it wouldn't be (Fulci films are pretty bleak, in general) but it is. That this makes such compelling viewing is probably symptomatic of the times we live in, but I'm not nearly drunk enough to know why...
The great cover art by Michael Bukowski well-represents the comic-book style of the movie. Check it out for yourself if you get the chance, it's worth the gamble.
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