Dead and Breakfast (DVD)

Despite numerous comparisons (most notably by Ain't It Cool News on the DVD box) to the hit Brit rom-zom-com, Dead and Breakfast is no Shaun of the Dead. That film successfully fired on all its cylinders, presenting side-splitting, playful laughs with head-splitting, gory horror. Dead and Breakfast has a lot of yuck, but only a few yuks.

The story follows a group of friends on a cross-country trek to attend a big wedding. We have our archetypes in each character — Ever Carradine is the tough chick, Erik Palladino is the horny dude, Gina Phillips is the good girl, Oz Perkins is the nerd, Bianca Lawson is the sexpot bitch, and Jeremy Sisto is the level-headed one (literally, after he gets decapitated and is used as a hand-puppet).

The opening scenes take place inside an RV and they are so poorly shot and amateurishly directed, it’s a wonder that anyone thought it was a good idea to give that as a first impression… Then again, the movie can only get better from there.

The city kids get hopelessly lost on the boonie backroads, forcing them to seek shelter in a lonely bed and breakfast owned by an enigmatic, super-composed mystic named Mr. Wise (David Carradine) and seemingly run by a high-strung French pastry chef (Diedrich Bader). Before you can say “duck!” heads are rolling and recently unleashed evil spirits are on the hunt for fresh dead bodies to occupy and animate.

As the body count rises, so does the local hick sheriff’s (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) suspicion. He orders what’s left of the friends to stay in town, making them prime targets for zombified possession and square-dance lessons. Throughout the proceedings, there’s a Greek chorus in the form of hillbilly hip-hopper Randall Keith Randall (Zach Selwyn) who sings and strums along to the bloody horrors as they unfold. He even takes part in Thriller-style hoe-down as bopping zombies advance upon the B&B where the last few holdouts fight for their lives.

There are quite a few clever flashes in Dead and Breakfast — having watched it twice, I have come to the conclusion that writer-director Matthew Leutwyler would be wise to stick with the former and let someone else direct his next pic. (Actually, that’s just wishful thinking on my part… he’s already got his next project lined up). Leutwyler has a flair for dialogue and irony, and he’s come up with a fairly ingenious storyline, but he clearly wasn’t able to keep all the balls in the air as a director. As a result, the action sequences don’t entirely work, the actors’ performances are uneven, and the cinematography suffers. No doubt the production was hampered by a miniscule budget, but that’s only part of the problem.

If you’re looking for a really good low-budget zombie comedy with country-fried crackers, goofy musical numbers and gore-galore, I instead recommend Gory Gory Hallelujah…

…or watch’em both as a double feature; Dead and Breakfast is worth a rent thanks to Anchor Bay’s care and concern to make for a well-rounded viewing experience. The beautifully packaged disc boasts not one, but audio commentaries. I did not listen to the one with  Leutwyler, Special Effects Supervisor Michael Mosher and Actors Erik Palladino and Zach Selwyn — but the one with Leutwyler and actors Ever Carradine, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Erik Palladino and Oz Perkins is really fun and informative. It’s clear that these folks all like each other and are proud of their achievement, which makes the movie that much more tolerable. There are also Bloopers, Deleted & Extended Scenes, Trailers and a Posters / Stills Gallery.

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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson