Colin DVD Movie Review
Colin DVD Movie Review
Colin DVD Movie Review. Starring Alastair Kirton as Colin and Daisy Aitkens as Linda. Directed and written by Marc Price.
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Colin is one of the few revisionist zombie flicks that shows the horror from the inside out: that is, from the undead's perspective. The 2008 U.K. production has enjoyed considerable notoriety for its low-low budget of $75.00, and has gotten kudos for the acumen of Alastair Kirton, who is perfectly cast as the title character — and it's finally available stateside on DVD tomorrow (October 19).
So... does this zombie flick, er, live up to all the hype? In my opinion, it does not. I will admit I was hooked for a few minutes, but the story is much better-suited to a short than a feature.
We meet Colin at the moment of his death, and through his rebirth into the netherworld. Kirton does a fine job of conveying both abject confusion and cannibalistic carnality, but the sluggish editing coupled with vigorous videography undermine any potential shivery suspense.
Colin almost works as a character study — unaffected humans, like you and me (presumably) are the enemy — as we watch the newly-sprung supernatural being navigate in a hostile environment and try to figure out how to survive. There are few intriguing elements to that, but a shoehorned subplot about a hapless documentary film crew definitely falls flat. There is a decent development which explores what would happen if Colin were to be reunited with his blood relatives, but some quieter moments would have helped, as the frenetic shaky cam never, ever lets up. For me, it didn't lead to the desired disorientation, but rather to a level of motion sickness even five Dramamines couldn't dent.
If you can get a look for more than a second or two, you'll see that the gore and special effects are well done. Comedic turns work nicely (such as Colin's curse of the doorknobs), but since the movie is not a comedy there isn't enough lightness to make it work. In fact, the movie is too dark both literally and figuratively. On top of all that, there is just-plain too much shambling, lurching and groaning.
Diehard zombie fans might enjoy watching Colin convulse, but for the more cultured creature fan, I suggest re-watching Fido.
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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson
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