Horror Theater Video blood suckers from outer space film review

There's nothin' like a good ol' horror film made in the state of Texas, specially a zombie film, yet a parody of zombie the film.

Created from the mind of director, writer and star Glen Coburn came this direct-to-video homage of the zombie film in 1984. By '84, American audiences have not only got the zombie taste from George Romero, but also most of the Euro-zombie films came to America via videotape, usually in heavily edited forms and usually under newly given "Americanized" names (example "The Grim Reaper 2", also know as "Absurd", came out as "Monster Hunter" with cemetery packaging and walking dead creatures erratically placed). Most of these films, made to be taken seriously, seemed like parodies of themselves.

But why go to Europe when we have the best zombie parodies right here in good ole' Texas.

A strange alien presence, not really made clear, comes to a rural farming community in Texas, changing it's citizens into FLESH EATING ZOMBIES!!!!! Ralph (Coburn) and Julie (Ellis) spend the film trying to find out what has happened and what can be done about it. Along the way are some extremely humorous moments, the best being when the first arrive at his uncle's house to find the uncle and aunt have been transformed, but are still inviting them to stay for dinner as they are trying to kill them. "I make a great spaghetti sauce" the zombies aunt tells Julie. And as Ralph and Julie are driving away, the zombied relatives are waving goodbye, as the uncle is holding his own arm in his other hand. The is also a guest appearance by comedian Pat Paulsen as the President. How they got him for this film, we'll never know, but he does a perfect impersonation of Bill Clinton, feeling up his buxom blonde intern, and Clinton wasn't even President yet when this film was made. Maybe this film gave old Bill some ideas?

The film is loaded with these types of gags, and believe it or not most of them work. The special effects are above average for this type of low budget film, with loads of severed limbs squirting blood.

Most reviewers are hard on this film, but you have to look at it for what it was intended to be, a parody of the zombie film. I laughed more than I though I would, so for this reviewer at least, it succeeds.

My Rating:

REVIEWED BY TONY BERNARDINI