Monday, August 8, 2016

Zoombies (2016)

One of my best friends recently sent me a link to an Independent article titled: Enjoyment of Trash Films Linked to High Intelligence, Study Finds. Adding "Hugs, lovely and intelligent lady!"

I've since seen this article running wild in my horror movie communities. We fellow horror movie fans all knew this, it's just nice that science is finally catching up.

Speaking of science, friends, and horror movies. I've been receiving cyber hugs, real hugs, and all the love a girl could ask for because this Spring and Summer has been trying to take me down! I'm going to get heavy here for a moment but stick with me. I'm going to tie some dark news with a movie about zombie zoo animals in a sec, and it's going to be awesome.

In June my Mom passed away suddenly. A peaceful but sudden heart attack in her sleep. This was devastating to me - to my whole family and to the world that loved her. Then in July I was diagnosed with a rare cancer of the ear. A Middle Ear Carcinoid. An alien looking tumor so rare I can honestly say without any hint of irony or exaggeration: I'm Literally One In A Million. And that's when I just about lost it - but I didn't.

Instead, I focused on celebrating Mom's life and my great memories with her while also finding uncanny and ass kicking similarities with myself as Ripley battling the Queen Alien. I had my moments, though. Moments where I felt my soul was mostly crushed. Mostly.

I embraced those moments, let them go and then turned to people I loved and trusted. I turned to listening to my inner self. I turned to science and learning as much as I could about this cancer anomaly. I also turned to movies: Really Really Really Really bad movies. And I loved every single second of them.

Zoombies is one of those films. I've chosen to write about Zoombies because of it's deliberate attempt to "borrow" Jurassic Park themes - a movie that resonates super great memories of Mom and my brothers - and also because I feel this type of film is exactly what the article is talking about. Bonus: it's also entertaining, even if you didn't have a totally traumatic Spring and Summer.


The movie is about a massive theme park dedicated to giving visitors the ultimate zoo experience. Unfortunately a virus breaks out and turns all the animals into zombies critters with the ability to break out of their cages and wreak havoc. Man plans, God laughs.

This was a fun film.

I appreciated the almost extinct sexuality or nudity scenes. I get tired of that in campy horror films sometimes. Not that I'm against it, I just find it boring and eye-roll inducing 60% of the time. Particularly if the scenes are completely unoriginal, which they are, 60% of the time.

I did appreciate the superfluous action scenes, though. The choice of zombie zoo creatures are exceptionally hilarious/entertaining/shocking. You'll never look at a koala the same again.

The blood and guts are pretty much as you would expect, all over the place and absolutely ridiculous. Funny thing about campy horror: gory scenes equal bellowing laughter. As the article states: "At first glance it seems paradoxical that someone should deliberately watch badly made, embarrassing and sometimes even disturbing films, and take pleasure in them." Paradoxical indeed, that's precisely why I'm laughing.

Acting and dialog is all rather run-of-the-mill - full of puns, wit, humor, sarcasm, but also with more heart than I was expecting. Straight up this is a delightful film, particularly if campy horror is your thing.

In all, I recommend this film if you need to escape for a while. Not escape to get away from current issues, not escape to hide from what you must face, but to escape from taking yourself too seriously - so that you can face a sometimes really terrifying future with a chuckle in your gut.

Which brings me to the end of this review, but I wanted to share something from another best friend who sent it to me, adding: "This interpretation of "Row Row Row Your Boat" reminds me of you because you have a gift in how you interpret life." I strongly encourage you all to take a moment and check it out:


Oh, and good news - science says I should be cancer free by October. Peace, Love, and Horror movies everyone! Take care of each other, I recommend gathering together for 'trash' horror film night. XO

I saw this movie on Netflix, or use the links under Find It. Watch It. on Horror Habit's side bar to locate where else you can find this side-tickler of a creature feature.