The Dead Next Door Review

DVD Movie Review - The Dead Next Door Movie

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It should be noted right up front that this movie was shot on Super-8mm film and cost $125,000 to make. While that sounds like nothing for a feature film, it also happens to make it the most expensive 8mm movie ever made (and that’s with the cast and crew working for free). Financed by none other than Sam Raimi, The Dead Next Door was written and directed by an ambitious 19-year old named J.R. Bookwalter. And believe me, it shows.

Normally, I’d have better things to do than rip on a film made by a teenager, but they charge actual money to rent or buy this movie. In my mind, that means the filmmakers should have to take their lumps like anyone else in the business. The hardest part is just figuring out where to begin the criticism.

In the opening scene of the movie, a scientist accidentally finds a way to animate human remains and unleashes a zombie apocalypse on the world. A few years later, mankind is still locked in a life or unlife struggle with the hordes of bloodthirsty cannibals.

Luckily, we have the Zombie Squad to protect us. Who are the Zombie Squad, you might ask? Well, they’re an elite force of soldiers trained to combat the zombie menace. So elite, in fact, that one of them gets bitten through sheer negligence within the first 10 minutes. Yep, we’re in real good hands.

Anyway, the zombie squad eventually heads off to Akron, Ohio, of all places, to try and retrieve the original notes of the aforementioned scientist (why they didn‘t do this years earlier is beyond me). Along the way, they run into a cult of the undead and more zombies than you can shake a stick at.

While the film only runs 84 minutes, almost every moment of it is painful to watch. Director Bookwalter is still learning how to put a movie together, and many key moments are ruined by bad editing and poor shot selection.

The script is weak and features dialogue that’s both flat and derivative. As far as the acting goes, well, the acting is simply horrible, but this wasn’t really a surprise considering that everyone worked for free. In fact, I can’t think of a single actor or actress who distinguished themselves. It was just that bad (and not even in a laughable sort of way).

The director has an annoying tendency to fill the movie with jokes and tributes that make it seem even more amateurish than it actually is. For example, the character of Reverend Jones (Robert Kokai) is a direct copy of cult leader Jim Jones, all the way down to his oversized sunglasses. While this might have elicited some response in the mid-80s, many modern viewers would simply be left scratching their heads.

The film is also littered with references to other horror icons. While a certain amount of enthusiasm is fine, it’s getting a little out of hand when you have characters named Carpenter and Savini. And even though Sam Raimi reportedly financed the film, did they really have to go and name the main character after him?

And let’s not forget about Dr. Moulsson (Bogdan Pecic). The top scientist in the film, he wears (I kid you not) a cheesy-looking novelty hat which reads, “Once I thought I was wrong, but I was mistaken.” As you might imagine, this immediately takes the wind out of any scene that he’s involved in. I just couldn’t stop staring at that stupid hat.

The special effects wind up being about the lone bright spot of the film. While I’ve read a few reviews that knocked them, you have to keep in mind that such effects weren’t exactly cutting edge in the 80s. In my mind, most of it looked about as good as what you would see in the original Dawn of the Dead.

While The Dead Next Door does have plenty of blood and guts, this film is only recommended for the most hardcore of zombie fans. I stopped short of giving it a failing grade, however, due to the sheer ambition of the filmmaker, the better-than-I-expected effects, and an occasionally competent scene.

But it still stinks.

Grade: D-

If you like this movie, you might also enjoy:

• Day of the Dead
• Shaun of the Dead
• 28 Days Later

You might also be interested in our review of Hood of the Living Dead or our review of House of 1000 Corpses.

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