Horror Pick: Cockneys Vs. Zombies
It seems like only yesterday that Edgar Wright brought his zombie comedy Shaun Of The Dead overseas, kick-starting a showy parade of equally cheeky horror impostors that couldn’t quite capture the magic of Simon Pegg and company. You would think balancing gore and guffaws would be easier than it looks, but thanks to the numerous failed attempts of other valiant directors, we now know not everyone has that special, psychotic ability. Admittedly, while it’s no Shaun Of The Dead, Cockneys Vs. Zombies remains one of the more hilarious and enjoyable efforts spawned from Wright’s obvious influences. How? Simple. Geezers.
The whole draw of Cockneys Vs. Zombies comes from a plot about a senior citizen home full of grey-haired warriors fighting off the undead. Sure, this may sound silly, watching grandparents with walkers shuffle away from zombies at an equally sluggish pace, but when those walkers are rigged with Uzis, these senile Rambo wannabes churn out solid horror gold. Oh, it also helps that the likes of Alan Ford and Honor Blackman comprise only a few of the iconic actors representing the older crowd, blasting through zombies after a slew of respectable, classic performances.
While the retirement home is under siege, we also watch as a group of lowly robbers find themselves stuck in the heart of a zombie apocalypse, led by actors Rasmus Hardiker and Harry Treadaway. Based on my addiction to British charms, this lot of bumbling first-timers provide equal amounts of gratuitous comedy and violent retribution while trying to figure out the best ways of surviving wave after wave of zombies. Filmmaker Matthias Hoene does a magnificent job blending black comedy with scene after scene of vicious zombie bloodlust, shooting to challenge the best of the best zombie comedies out there – but he does come up just a tad bit short.
Who cares though – Cockneys Vs. Zombies is still well worth any horror fan’s time, and while it might not re-invent the wheel, it has too much damn fun playing around with it. Plus, it’s Alan Ford killing zombies. You shouldn’t need another description.