News

5 of the Craziest Asian Zombie Films You Probably Haven’t Seen (and really should)

Published

10 years ago

August 28, 2014

There is something to be said for the sheer craziness of zombie films that come from Asia; while the western template for the zombie film has stood stock for years (pick two zombie movies; their plots are, at their core, similar), Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Thai filmmakers have taken more chances with the zombie genre. Now that is not to say that all Asian zombie films are better/different than those zombie films made in the west, but Asian horror cinema is usually where the zombie film fan has to go in order to see something innovative and new. Or weird. Very, very weird.

What has been compiled here is a list of zombie films from around Asia (three Japanese, one from Hong Kong & one Thai) which I think that, as a zombie fan, you should try and see, if only for the sheer crazy spectacle of it. My recommendations are also entirely based on sub-titled versions of these films (save for one), because dubbing is evil.

1) Helldriver AKA Nihon bundan: Heru doraiba (2010)

[youtube id=”pKHKDfsSxT4″ align=”center” mode=”normal” autoplay=”no”]

The newest film on this list, Helldriver is a gore fest from director Yoshihiro Nishimura (of Tokyo Gore Police fame) about antlered zombies and the girl who has to stop them with a katana shaped chainsaw. It involves a “schoolgirl” named Kika (Yumiko Hara) who is attacked by her mother Rikka (Eihi Shiina, an actress you may recognize from her fantastically creepy role in Audition), a cannibalistic serial killer. Kika is ‘saved’ by a meteorite that smashes through Rikka’s heart, but Rikka rips Kika’s heart out as a replacement. Then some space ash bursts out of Rikka and falls on northern Japan, turning anyone who inhaled it into a zombie with a weird antler face:

zombie surprised by mirror

Kika is reanimated by a secret organization, and dropped into the infected side of Japan (the government having built a wall to separate the infected and uninfected sides of the country) to fight her way to her mother, who has proclaimed herself the ‘Queen of the Zombies’ because…yes. There are other characters, and a side-plot about the Japanese government arguing about zombie-human rights, and another about the sale of zombie antler as an illicit drug…something…but if you are watching Helldriver you are watching it for the zombie gore. The plot exists mainly to drive you from one action set-piece to the next, and sometimes even does it in a car made entirely of zombie parts (which you can see in the above trailer), and that is not even the most ludicrously awesome thing that gets built out of zombies, but I have to leave somethings unspoiled for you to see yourselves.

While the budget does affect the special effects, the makeup for the zombies serves its purpose, and there is plenty (gallons) of blood and gore throughout. While the film can drag a little bit in its 117 minutes, it is worth it just for the sheer volume of everything.

2) Kung Fu Zombie AKA Wu long tian shi zhao ji gui (1982)

In brief, Kung Fu Zombie is an old school, so-bad-it-is-good Hong Kong kung fu movie where the villain comes into town in order to kill Pang (martial artist Billy Chong) but instead of doing it himself, the villain gets a Taoist priest/wizard to raise zombies to do the job for him, and things go horribly awry.

Look, I could tell you all about this one, or you could just watch it:

[youtube id=”u_xZYbFMe0o” align=”center” mode=”normal” autoplay=”no”]

Kung Fu Zombie is one of those films that we are lucky enough to have a full version of on YouTube, although it is dubbed; however, while I am generally anti-dubbing when it comes to foreign films, there is something awesome about 1980s kung fu movie dubbing, as it really adds a layer to the hilariousness of these old movies.

While this is the least ‘zombie’ of these zombie films on this list, Kung Fu Zombie is an unintentionally funny mash-up of 1980s cult kung fu movies and the supernatural zombie genre, and another good example of the difference in tone and genre that only Asian cinema can bring to the zombie genre.

3) Battlefield Baseball AKA Jigoku Kôshien (2003)

[youtube id=”ocyUzoaoVfQ” align=”center” mode=”normal” autoplay=”no”]

Battlefield Baseball is a film which satirizes sports films (and the Japanese obsession with baseball) and adds in some ridiculous, over the top zombie horror. The plot…OK…again, while I promise there is a plot, it is paper thin and a bit hard to follow; this is another film where you have to embrace the weirdness, and just be in for the ride.

Battlefield Baseball revolves around the Seido High School baseball team making it to the Koshien Stadium tournament, but dismay to find themselves facing the Gedo High School team, who do not so much play baseball, as they are vicious and armed zombies who slaughter their opponents on the field (they call it “fighting baseball” but there is, to be fair, very little baseball involved).

I would watch this baseball on television…

Seido’s one hope is to recruit Jubei (Tak Sakaguchi), a mysterious pitcher who swore never to play baseball again, due to the lethality of his ‘Super-Tornado’ pitch (and we get Jubei’s back story in the best way possible: song). Jubei does not help in the game and Seidos team is slaughtered and through “plot”, Jubei discovers his desire to beat Gedo, and with the help of some cyborgs and crazy, will do his best to beat the Gedo team at their own game.

This is one of the craziest films I have ever seen, and you do need to be in the right mood/with the right group of people to enjoy Battlefield Baseball, but this surely is one of those zombie films that you just have to see once.

Also, note that the full film is available on YouTube again, however it is dubbed in German, so it will only work for a really particular audience.

4) Wild Zero (1999)

[youtube id=”YQ_D9OjDoQ0″ align=”center” mode=”normal” autoplay=”no”]

Japanese garage rock stars, named Guitar Wolf, Bass Wolf and Drum Wolf, help a young couple fight zombies brought back by aliens as part of an invasion plan of Earth.

Yep.

Wild Zero is exactly as fun as it sounds; it is one of those B-Movies that you come across that is just ridiculous and fun enough that you can forget everything for 98 minutes and watch guitars and guns blaze their way through swarms of zombies. And really, when you see a synopsis like that you have to expect a film that appeals to the Midnight Movie, B-Movie crowd, and that is precisely where Zero‘s sweet spot is. Directed by Takeuchi Tetsuro, a well known Japanese music video director, you can also get a sense of the aesthetic you are going to get from Wild Zero: it is fast paced, aggressive, and quite a ride.

It is fun, it is silly and as will all of these films, with the right crowd, you are going to have a blast with Wild Zero.

5) SARS Wars: Bangkok Zombie Crisis AKA Khun krabii hiiroh (2004)

Speaking of over the top: SARS Wars.

I. Um…

Well:

Flying zombie baby? Check.

SARS Wars is a Thai film, where SARS Type-4 has evolved in Africa into a zombie virus which is ripping through a quarantined apartment building in Bangkok because of an hornet and an airliner. Thai comedy actors Suthep Po-ngam and Somlek Sakdikul star as comic book style (there are animated sequences), zombie killing heroes who have to try and rescue a beautiful girl from a gang (of course, holding the girl in said apartment building) and then must team up with the gang to fight of the ravenous zombies, including a (ghost? zombie?) Burmese python.

This film is a horror comedy, that pushes for lowest common denominator humour a bit too much, but is, at the same time, hilarious for stretches, and filled with ridiculous (sometimes cartoon) gore. There is a twist that happens later that makes absolutely no sense, but if you are walking into SARS Wars expecting anything less than insanity, you will be disappointed and probably unsure of what just happened in your life. I have not even begun to describe the insanity in SARS Wars, so go in expecting nothing but being bamboozled and having a ridiculous time, and you will be pleased.

As an example: when SARS Wars ended with my group of horror movie junkies, we all sat in a stunned silence for about three minutes…

Here’s a fun checklist for you while you watch SARS Wars:

(__) Zombie Baby

(__) Magic bullet

(__) Albert

(__) Suddenly: Random weird cartoon

(__) Furry

( X ) “That made no sense!” (I’ll get that one for you)

(__) Uncomfortable joke

(__) Meta reference to the film being a film

(__) Someone you are watching SARS Wars with becomes wide-eyed and yells expletives at the screen/you for making them watch SARS Wars

That’s it, that’s all folks.

Let me know what you have seen from here, what you liked (or hated), or if you have anything crazier that you prefer to these five films in the comments below.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

1 Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Movies

Melissa Barrera Says ‘Scary Movie VI’ Would Be “Fun To Do”

Published

28 mins ago

April 24, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Melissa Barrera might literally get the last laugh on Spyglass thanks to a possible Scary Movie sequel. Paramount and Miramax are seeing the right opportunity to bring the satirical franchise back into the fold and announced last week one might be in production as early as this fall.

The last chapter of the Scary Movie franchise was almost a decade ago and since the series lampoons thematic horror movies and pop culture trends, it would seem they have a lot of content to draw ideas from, including the recent reboot of slasher series Scream.

Barerra, who starred as final girl Samantha in those movies was abruptly fired from the latest chapter, Scream VII, for expressing what Spyglass interpreted as “antisemitism,” after the actress came out in support of Palestine on social media.

Even though the drama wasn’t a laughing matter, Barrera might get her chance to parody Sam in Scary Movie VI. That is if the opportunity arises. In an interview with Inverse, the 33-year-old actress was asked about Scary Movie VI, and her reply was intriguing.

“I always loved those movies,” the actress told Inverse. “When I saw it announced, I was like, ‘Oh, that would be fun. That would be so fun to do.’”

That “fun to do” part could be construed as a passive pitch to Paramount, but that’s open to interpretation.

Just like in her franchise, Scary Movie also has a legacy cast including Anna Faris and Regina Hall. There is no word yet on if either of those actors will appear in the reboot. With or without them, Barrera is still a fan of the comedies. “They have the iconic cast that did it, so we’ll see what goes on with that. I’m just excited to see a new one,” she told the publication.

Barrera is currently celebrating the box office success of her latest horror movie Abigail.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Lists

Thrills and Chills: Ranking ‘Radio Silence’ Films from Bloody Brilliant to Just Bloody

Published

17 hours ago

April 23, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, and Chad Villella are all filmmakers under the collective label called Radio Silence. Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett are the primary directors under that moniker while Villella produces.

They have gained popularity over the past 13 years and their films have become known as having a certain Radio Silence “signature.” They are bloody, usually contain monsters, and have breakneck action sequences. Their recent film Abigail exemplifies that signature and is perhaps their best film yet. They are currently working on a reboot of John Carpenter’s Escape From New York.

We thought we would go through the list of projects they have directed and rank them from high to low. None of the movies and shorts on this list are bad, they all have their merits. These rankings from top to bottom are just ones we felt showcased their talents the best.

We didn’t include movies they produced but didn’t direct.

#1. Abigail

An update to the second film on this list, Abagail is the natural progression of Radio Silence’s love of lockdown horror. It follows in pretty much the same footsteps of Ready or Not, but manages to go one better — make it about vampires.

Abigail

#2. Ready or Not

This film put Radio Silence on the map. While not as successful at the box office as some of their other films, Ready or Not proved that the team could step outside their limited anthology space and create a fun, thrilling, and bloody adventure-length film.

Ready or Not

#3. Scream (2022)

While Scream will always be a polarizing franchise, this prequel, sequel, reboot — however you want to label it showed just how much Radio Silence knew the source material. It wasn’t lazy or cash-grabby, just a good time with legendary characters we love and new ones who grew on us.

Scream (2022)

#4 Southbound (The Way Out)

Radio Silence tosses their found footage modus operandi for this anthology film. Responsible for the bookend stories, they create a terrifying world in their segment titled The Way Out, which involves strange floating beings and some sort of time loop. It’s kind of the first time we see their work without a shaky cam. If we were to rank this entire film, it would remain at this position on the list.

Southbound

#5. V/H/S (10/31/98)

The film that started it all for Radio Silence. Or should we say the segment that started it all. Even though this isn’t feature-length what they managed to do with the time they had was very good. Their chapter was titled 10/31/98, a found-footage short involving a group of friends who crash what they think is a staged exorcism only to learn not to assume things on Halloween night.

V/H/S

#6. Scream VI

Cranking up the action, moving to the big city and letting Ghostface use a shotgun, Scream VI turned the franchise on its head. Like their first one, this film played with canon and managed to win over a lot of fans in its direction, but alienated others for coloring too far outside the lines of Wes Craven’s beloved series. If any sequel was showing how the trope was going stale it was Scream VI, but it managed to squeeze some fresh blood out of this nearly three-decade mainstay.

Scream VI

#7. Devil’s Due

Fairly underrated, this, Radio Silence’s first feature-length film, is a sampler of things they took from V/H/S. It was filmed in an omnipresent found footage style, showcasing a form of possession, and features clueless men. Since this was their first bonafide major studio job it’s a wonderful touchstone to see how far they have come with their storytelling.

Devil’s Due

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

News

Perhaps the Scariest, Most Disturbing Series of The Year

Published

17 hours ago

April 23, 2024

Timothy Rawles

You may have never heard of Richard Gadd, but that will probably change after this month. His mini-series Baby Reindeer just hit Netflix and it’s a terrifying deep dive into abuse, addiction, and mental illness. What is even scarier is that it’s based on Gadd’s real-life hardships.

The crux of the story is about a man named Donny Dunn played by Gadd who wants to be a stand-up comedian, but it’s not working out so well thanks to stage fright stemming from his insecurity.

One day at his day job he meets a woman named Martha, played to unhinged perfection by Jessica Gunning, who is instantly charmed by Donny’s kindness and good looks. It doesn’t take long before she nicknames him “Baby Reindeer” and begins to relentlessly stalk him. But that is just the apex of Donny’s problems, he has his own incredibly disturbing issues.

This mini-series should come with a lot of triggers, so just be warned it is not for the faint of heart. The horrors here don’t come from blood and gore, but from physical and mental abuse that go beyond any physiological thriller you may have ever seen.

“It’s very emotionally true, obviously: I was severely stalked and severely abused,” Gadd said to People, explaining why he changed some aspects of the story. “But we wanted it to exist in the sphere of art, as well as protect the people it’s based on.”

The series has gained momentum thanks to positive word-of-mouth, and Gadd is getting used to the notoriety.

“It’s clearly struck a chord,” he told The Guardian. “I really did believe in it, but it’s taken off so quickly that I do feel a bit windswept.”

You can stream Baby Reindeer on Netflix right now.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.