DOTD remake DVD cover rip-off.
When some cops decide to perform some sans-badges extra curriculars work by visiting a particularly vicious and violent criminal gang in their own apartment building it would be fair to expect that this won’t be a case of “more tea Vicar?”. What you might not expect is that a shitload of bloodthirsty zombies might show up – but that’s exactly the case with French film The Horde.
“… And all my zombies on the left say Hoooo!”
I haven’t left me much room here, after all I’ve just outlined the entire plot. The remainder of the film shows how the two disparate groups react once it is clear what faces them. The remainder of the film shows how the two disparate groups react once it is clear what faces them.
The various cops and robbers all have names but as the greater proportion of them end up being edible goo it doesn’t seem that important. There are men and women, seedy bearded white guys and big black bald fuckers, but once the bullets start flying and the fangs start munching it is squibs for all and the usual guessing game of who will live for the inevitable sequel!
Ultimately the survivors hook up with a crazy old coot who is ex-military and keeps calling the zombies “Chinese”. There are the usual fractures within the group, both enemy vs enemy and friend vs friend, and the usual guilt free 1 : 50 kill ration of good guys to zombies.
As our anti-heroes slash, main and butcher their way through the building millions of rounds are let off into the…well the Horde of zombies who are all spitting, snarling and reaching for fresh flesh. The makeup must be commended, and they really do spit and drool quite a bit – even for zombies.
I dunno, I feel like I’ve seen this film many times already but I still quite liked it. With all the humans reprehensible and scuzzy in their own way it was hard to pick the survivor(s), and I admit I got it wrong a few times. Thankfully even though certain humans come back as zombies to target their ex-friends and family it is not as obvious or contrived as 28 Weeks Later (that film’s real weak point), and the inevitable stand off between man and zombie is handled pretty well.
This will be remade in the US within a couple years, it has enough going for it and is different enough to guarantee that.
The Horde is violent, disturbing, disgusting and violent (yeah I said it twice – double violent). The living are almost as disposable as the already dead and don’t waste time trying to remember any names.
I liked it.
Final Rating – 7 / 10. A standard zombie movie with a few non-standard features. Familiar and gory enough to enjoy but different enough to just stand out from the rest of the pack… or should I say Horde of other zombie films on the shelf.
