Awaken the Dead is an Independent Creation by Jeff Brookshire Combining Zombies and Espionage
When creating Awaken the Dead Jeff Brookshire took on all of the production roles himself; some of them well versed (writer) and some of them for the first time (Editing, Directing, Producing). The result is VERY credible.
Review by The Horror Czar, Don Sumner
July 2007
Movie release: November 6, 2007 (U.S. DVD)
Written and Directed by: Jeff Brookshire
Starring:
Gary Douglas Kohn as Christopher
Lindsey Morris as Mary
Nate Witty as Stanley
Michael Robert Nyman as Jeremiah
Awaken the Dead has been promoted from the very beginning as a “new kind of horror movie” and “a zombie movie with a story”. Based on the stir I couldn’t wait to watch and review this flick, largely because I didn’t quite understand what was meant by the publicity. The best horror movies DO have a story, and quite good ones in fact – zombie movies included. How was Awaken the Dead going to be different?
The story revolves around two key characters, Christopher (Gary Douglas Kohn) and Mary (Lindsey Morris). Both have received a letter instructing them to meet at a certain house and wait there for further instructions. As the story unfolds we learn that both feel compelled to obey the letter (to the letter – ha) because its author is Jeremiah (Michael Robert Nyman) – and Jeremiah is a cold blooded government assassin to whom each of them are in some way indebted.
Suddenly the world goes haywire and there are zombies roaming the streets. Lucky for our heroes the house that they are in has bullet-proof glass and bunker-like defenses, so the creepy undead cannot get in.
At this point we move on with the story, gaining insights to the main characters as well as gaining new non-zombie refugees. One of the new comers, Stanley (Nate Witty) is particularly hilarious as the scared and dorky Jehovah’s witness that came to the neighborhood to fight for souls, and ends up fighting for his life with everything from a blow dryer to a blender.
Awaken the dead is fast-paced and has sufficient plot twists and turns to keep it interesting. The ending does a good job wrapping up loose ends and leaves the viewer feeling satisfied that there is understanding and resolution. There are a few factors that stand out as particularly good:
• Nate Witty as Stanley is very funny, very goofy and adds a level of comedy and innocence to the flick that steals the show. I think we’re going to see much more of this actor in the future.
• The acting, over all, was very good.
• The music, composed and performed by Edible Clowns and the Gentle Fracture was fantastic. I’m hoping for a soundtrack.
I agree that Awaken the Dead has a good and interesting story. I don’t believe it is accurate to assume that a George A. Romero zombie classic is light on storyline or plot twists because of the simple fact that it may be a zombie movie. I think that many people (normal people perhaps?) that don’t enjoy zombie flicks for their own sake are disgusted by the gore and assume that is all there is to the movie. We Horror Freaks know better.
Those who enjoy independent action/adventure films, who can appreciate the need for imagination inherent in a low-budget movie and those that travel off the beaten path of slick Hollywood mega-productions will enjoy Awaken the Dead. If you are a hardcore zombie fan then you will have to prepare to open your mind.
Brookshire has said many times that he is not a horror fan, and he didn’t set out to create a zombie movie (but rather a good movie with zombies in it). For the hardcore zombie fan this could be fatal. The gore and kill scenes are just not up to par with the zombie-genre notables, and the scares may not be intense enough for the devout Horror Freak.
For everyone else, play Awaken the Dead on your big screen, invite a few friends over, serve wine and cheese and call it a “Cannes Film Festival party”. A good time will be had by all. Questions or comments about Awaken the Dead? Discuss it on The Ossuary Forums!
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