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Timothy Balme, Diana Peņalver, Elizabeth Moody, Ian Watkin, Brenda Kendall ... see more see more... , Stuart Devenie , Davina Whitehouse , Forrest J Ackerman , James Grant , Ken Hammon , Tony Hiles , Peter Jackson , Jamie Selkirk , Duncan Smith , Angela Louise Robinson , Peter Vere-Jones , Sarah Scott Davis , Jim Booth , George Port , Chris Short , Frances Walsh , Nick Ward , Brian Sergent

Director Peter Jackson's second feature cheerfully trumps the gross-out quotient of his splatterfest debut, the appropriately named Bad Taste. The tone is cartoonishly comic, and the premise is simple... read more read more...: The village dweeb (Timothy Balme) is trying to maintain a budding romance with the sweet Paquita (Diana Penalver) while concealing the fact that his overbearing mum (Elizabeth Moody, in an amazing good-sport performance) is a flesh-eating zombie. (She owes her condition to a bite from a "Sumatran Rat Monkey" at the local zoo.) Complicating matters even further is Les, a greedy uncle (Ian Watkin), who suspects that his sister has died and is eager to occupy her elegantly furnished Victorian mansion. The climax is a housewarming party Les throws to celebrate his "inheritance;" what he really gets is his comeuppance, thanks to his sister and her similarly afflicted zombie pals, who burst out of their basement prison to turn the guests into appetizers. Our hero finally cuts a wide swath through the zombie party crashers with the help of a rotary blade lawn mower, leaving the house awash in blood and body parts in order to save his romance. ~ Tom Wiener, Rovi

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83% liked it

61,071 ratings

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86% liked it

28 critics

R, 1 hr. 37 min.

Directed by: Peter Jackson

Release Date: February 12, 1993

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DVD Release Date: September 8, 1998

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Stats: 5,511 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (5,511)

  • brooklynspo
    June 8, 2008
    brooklynspo
    Think Greg Kihn's "Our Love's In Jeopardy" video @ 200 mph. Fuck I dated myself.
  • fb733768972
    February 10, 2012
    fb733768972
    There is funny, there is scary, there is disgusting, and there is gore. This film is the tip of the iceberg in every category. Peter Jackson directs one of the most disgusting films in history, about an animal discovered on Skull island, later used in his "King Kong" film. The an... read moreimal is very rare and needs to be transported back into society, where they decide to display it at a zoo. It is some kind of skeleton monkey, and we find out that it is in fact dead. It bites Timothy's mother and she turns into a zombie. This sparks the rest of the film and eventually leads into a much larger infestation. This film knows how to make fun of the genre, but it also knows how to take away your appetite. I highly recommend staying away from this film if you have a weak stomach. "Dead Alive" is one of the best horror films out there, even if it is one of the cheesiest. It feels real at times and the transformations are terrifying and disturbing. I have no problem saying that this has a perfect blend of almost every cinema genre. After the film finished, I was able to look past the gross-out portions and come to the conclusion that this is truly a fantastic picture!
  • fb619846742
    November 20, 2011
    fb619846742
    By far one of the most absurd yet hilarious films I have seen concerning a stumbling, bumbling momma's boy (Timothy Balme) who does his best to keep his infected mother (Elizabeth Moody) who later turns into a zombie, under control, despite her constant infection of those around ... read moreher, which results in a chaotic bloodbath. It is hard to believe this is the same Peter Jackson that crafted one of the richest film trilogies ever in "The Lord of the Rings", but alas, everyone has a starting point, and this is a fine one indeed. It is one of those films that is impossible to recommend, being that this movie is celebrated as the goriest film ever made. Instead of trying to keep it safe and going for obvious humor, Jackson goes ridiculous and plays it slapstick and side-splitting, you really have to give him a lot of credit for his camera work and his balls-out approach to this subject matter. Again, because it is so gross and hard to watch, this probably devalues its rewatchability and overall strength of a solid "recommendation" to others. But I personally really enjoyed this film, and was laughing throughout the whole thing. The lawnmower zombie scene is possibly the best horror sequence ever. I'm being serious.
  • fb100001493964409
    October 16, 2011
    fb100001493964409
    Peter Jackson's 3rd film before he directed the LOTR trilogy may be one the most legendary films ever made (well, at least in horror film or cult film circles). And there's a reason why. It is sick. No, really, it's more insane in the gore department than anything I have ever see... read moren. It is literally the goriest film ever made (with the most fake blood ever used for a single film, with one of the final scenes using over 80 gallons of the stuff). But what makes me give this film 5 stars is how freaking funny it is. THIS is horror comedy prime, so excessively violent that the viewer cringes while laughing. Or vomits while laughing (when you rent this film in Denmark, the customer receives 4 complimentary barf bags). The effects look fake, but in a good way, with some truly inventive effects shots (the coolest involving a set of internal organs that attacks someone while checking itself out in the mirror). I really wish that Peter Jackson would make a big budget gore fest nowadays, because with the advances in visual effects, he could do even crazier things. But that probably will never happen. Which is too bad. Because this is kind of an awesome movie.
  • theunknownhobo
    September 24, 2011
    theunknownhobo
    The story line is ridiculous, the special effects terrible and the dialogue abominable but this movie is BRILLIANT. Not the best "horror" movie but for a gross out gore fest where you literally never know what is round the corner, Jackson delivers what I missed in Bad Taste and g... read moreives a magically macabre, genuinely hilarious and diabolically digusting piece of film that any fan of the genre would be happy to have on their shelf, as indeed this fan is and always will be. A classic for the people who don't say "well that didn't look real". Don't watch this movie with someone like that!
  • axadntpron
    July 26, 2011
    axadntpron
    I saw it, I survived it, and I never want to see it again.
  • shawnewing92
    March 14, 2011
    shawnewing92
    Dead Alive is easily the best zombie film ever made. This film oozes with originality and the amount of gore is simply unimaginable. You have never watched a zombie film until you have watched Dead Alive.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    March 14, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    I love Peter Jackson, I think he's one of the most original directors we've seen in a long time. This 1992 that he directed remains famous due in part to the lawnmower scene, which is the best part and high point of the film. I saw this film a while back and did enjoy it, but man... read more was it weird. I've seen Jackson's previous work with Bad Taste and I knew about this splatter classic from my uncle who happens to be a diehard fan of this film. In fact, I think Brain Dead is his favorite film. So I watched it, and man I enjoyed it. the gore was so over the top, it would probably make Fulci nauseous. Brain dead is a fine splatter film that will appeal to gore hounds and Peter Jackson fans everywhere. But to be honest, I couldn't believe that this was made by the same guy that made The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy. What we have in Braindead is one of the goriest, most repulsive films ever made, and the blood and guts fly everywhere. Jackson has crafted a humourous film with this, and Brain Dead definitely remains a classic of horror. But personally I much preferred Bad Taste to this film. Those with weak stomachs should pass on this one, but those who enjoy gore, this is not to miss. Peter Jackson has had a reputation before Lord Of The Rings where he made the best and goriest films, well he is one of the best splatter directors, but for me he's second to Fulci. Brain Dead is a very messed up film thats equally funny as it is disgusting, if you want a gross gore fest, look no further than Brain Dead, you will most likely not be disappointed with the gore content and the Lawn Mower scene is definitely the best thing about the film, and by horror standards, it's also one of the goriest. A definite must see for gore fans. Not a perfect film, but well worth watching.
  • MovieGeek13
    January 4, 2011
    MovieGeek13
    Dead Alive, the first major studio film from Peter Jackson is one of the strangest, most over-the-top horror comedies I have seen. A cult film in the highest regard, this film has tons and tons of gore, horny zombies, a kung fu fighting priest, a zombie baby, and a tarot card pr... read moreophecy that leads to a wonderful romance. If this doesn't sound like your kind of movie, don't bother, you will only be disgusted. If it does, then it was made just for you!
    What's most interesting about this movie is the effects. This is one of Peter Jackson's jump start films, and in it, you see a real auteur at work. The director's passion for new ideas and innovative effect techniques are brilliantly displayed, especially for a film that is budgeted at only 3 million.
    So zombie lovers, grab a bag of popcorn and enjoy. Squeamish people, avoid this one like the plague.
  • 366weirdmovies
    December 31, 2009
    366weirdmovies
    A mama's boy finds his budding romantic entanglement with a local Latina shopkeeper complicated when mom turns into a zombie who he keeps tranquilized in his basement. Campy and often hilarious horror comedy; the last half-hour is a bloody extravaganza that will never be outdone... read more in terms of absurd comic gore.

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Critic Reviews

David Stratton
July 22, 2008
David Stratton, Variety

The best to date from Kiwi gore specialist Peter Jackson. Full Review

Stephen Holden
May 20, 2003
Stephen Holden, New York Times

Because all of this looks blatantly unreal, and because the timing of the shock effects is so haphazard, Dead Alive isn't especially scary or repulsive. Nor is it very funny. Full Review

Owen Gleiberman
February 12, 1993
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

Horror films used to be primordial spook shows, tapping midnight-dark fears. Now they tap bodily goo: rivers of blood, dripping limbs, eyeballs that go pop in the night. Full Review

R. L. Shaffer
January 29, 2012
R. L. Shaffer, IGN DVD

Takes a few views to really appreciate, but Peter Jackson's blood-splattered horror masterpiece is a gory good time. Full Review

Budd Wilkins
October 20, 2011
Budd Wilkins, Slant Magazine

Lionsgate's visceral, albeit barebones Blu-ray package lets viewers really sink their teeth into Dead Alive. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
June 25, 2008
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

Originally released as Braindead, this gory, maccabre satire of 1950s New Zealand society is yet another proof that Peter Jackson is one of the sharpest, most skillful directors working in the genre; ... Full Review

Rob Humanick
October 17, 2007
Rob Humanick, Projection Booth

Rarely has the urge to expectorate one's lunch been a feeling so sublime. Full Review

Rumsey Taylor
October 24, 2006
Rumsey Taylor, Not Coming to a Theater Near You

Braindead is the magnum opus of Peter Jackson's early career. Full Review

June 24, 2006
Time Out

The finale, in which Lionel reduces a horde of flesh-eaters to a mulch of blood, flesh and offal with the aid of a flymo, is probably the goriest scene ever. Full Review

Jon Niccum
June 12, 2004
Jon Niccum, Lawrence Journal-World

Arguably the goriest movie ever made

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Facts

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    • Paquita Maria Sanchez: Your mother ate my dog!
    • Lionel: Not all of it!
    • Lionel: Party's over!
    • Lionel: Party's over.
    • Father McGruder/Zombie McGruder: "I kick ass for the Lord!"
    • Paquita Maria Sanchez: "Your mother ate my dog!"
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Dead Alive (Braindead) Trivia

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  • In the USA this Peter Jackson film is called Dead Alive. Elsewhere it is known as...?  Answer »
  • The movie "Dead Alive" (Peter Jackson) is less commonly known as, but was released as.....  Answer »
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