#peter jackson

Blood, guts and a lawnmower.

Dead Alive (aka Braindead) is directed by the fabled Peter Jackson. This film is an exhibition of gore with a context of hilarity. Although corny, the film exercises great discipline as Jackson was able to combine comedy, violence, romance, all of which get summed up in a satisfying denouement.

In a small town in Australia or New Zealand (I think it’s AU or NZ because people were flipping the bird with the “V” sign) a Sumatran Rat-Monkey has been flown in to show it off at the zoo. A histrionic mother spies on her son as he’s on a date at the zoo, unaware of her surroundings she is bitten by the Rat Monkey and is quickly turned into a psychotic zombie. Unbeknownst to her son who is named Lionel; he struggles to keep her “alive” as he takes on a hilarious sense of denial and treats her with the same attention as if she was alive, but with the same precautions one would take with a wild animal. Her condition worsens and soon she is biting others and as they turn, Lionel realizes there is too much to handle between his new found lover, his scheming uncle and his uncontrollable collection of zombies…

The environment created by Jackson in this film adds to this film’s core values, as it doesn’t take itself seriously. The design of the town in which Lionel lives in mirrors that of an ideal “small town” during the 50’s, occupied by set pieces that rival the model set in which “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood” takes place. Overall, the theme here is “happy go-lucky.” All these elements eventually get shit on by the irony imposed by Jackson in this “squarish” town when the blood and gore begin to splatter, which only adds to the film’s aesthetic appeal.

Peter Jackson, has crafted a wonderful cultist gem in this movie. I loved all of its “campy” elements as it takes on a light-hearted approach to gore a la Sam Raimi. There are absurd close-ups and the content is a joke, at one point there is a kung-fu priest who fights the zombies in the name of the lord as he begins to dismember their body parts with his brute strength, then two zombies even copulate and create a mischievous cannibalistic zombie baby that comically wreaks havoc throughout the duration of the film. By the film’s climax the protagonist plows his way through rows of zombies with his lawnmower strapped to his person and is left in a puddle of blood, so much blood that he’s barely able to stand without slipping.

Dead Alive even finds time through all of its gore infused calamity to even bring closure to the film’s protagonist as he finds out that his domineering mother isn’t the saint he thought she was. Jackson even hints towards an extreme bout of symbolism as he shows Lionel being “born anew” for Lionel gets absorbed into his mother’s womb and has to tear himself out to be free of her, and gain his freedom.

This film is by far one of the most entertaining films I have ever seen. I love these corny forays into gore, it really let’s the imagination run free without having it be sadistic. I know however, that this film’s content isn’t for everyone since not many can take its subject matter seriously enough to enjoy, if that makes sense to you…

3.5/4

-DK

Quenta Endor on Twitter

Rest in peace Christopher Tolkien, and namárië.

On this day in T.A. 3019, Gandalf the Grey is separated from the Fellowship of the Ring and confronts the Balrog Durin’s Bane alone on the Bridge of Khazad-dûm.

Artwork by Gonzalo Kenny

On this day 20 years ago, Ian McKellen arrived in New Zealand and joined the cast on January 10, 2000 to begin filming Peter Jackson’s epic the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Thank you for all the magical and wonderful memories.

Quenta Endor on Twitter

I post lots of Tolkien content on Twitter. If you have an account on there and want more Tolkien in your life, I seriously suggest checking my page out!

“Now the thought of Morgoth dwelt ever upon Turgon; for Turgon had escaped him, of all his foes that one whom he most desired to take or to destroy. And that thought troubled him, and marred his victory, for Turgon of the mighty house of Fingolfin was now by right King of all the Noldor; and Morgoth feared and hated the house of Fingolfin, because they had the friendship of Ulmo his foe, and because of the wounds that Fingolfin gave him with his sword. And most of all his kin Morgoth feared Turgon; for of old in Valinor his eye had lighted upon him, and whenever he drew near a shadow had fallen on his spirit, foreboding that in some time that yet lay hidden, from Turgon ruin should come to him.”

Credit to the artist

- [For Lord of The Rings] I had to do huge battle scenes, and in Hollywood films when it gets to big crowds it’s really only at most two thousand people. But Tolkien writes about Helm’s Deep and ten thousand Uruk-hai, and the only way to do that was in a computer. So we created the “Massive” software, where each of the computer people makes its own choices. At the first test screen we had 30 CGI people running at each other and half of them turned and ran away, so we had to dumb them down and tell them to stay fighting.

- You don’t know how the battle is gonna turn out?

- No. If you have orcs fighting elves, you teach CGI orcs how to fight like orcs and CGI elves to fight like elves. You’re literally not in control. You have this huge battle scenes with horses for and that renders for about three days and we don’t know what it’s gonna be like, so we wait and see.

- [Per il Signore degli Anelli] dovevo fare scene di battaglia enormi, e nei film di Hollywood quando si tratta di grandi folle in realtà al massimo ci sono duemila persone. Ma Tolkien parla del Fosso di Helm e diecimila Uruk-hai, e l’unico modo di farlo era a computer. Quindi abbiamo creato il software “Massive”, dove ogni “persona da computer” fa le proprie scelte. Ai primi screen test c’erano 30 persone CGI che si correvano addosso, e la metà si è girata ed è scappata via, quindi abbiamo dovuto renderle meno intelligenti e dirgli di rimanere a combattere.

- Quindi non sapevate come sarebbe andata la battaglia?

- No. Se hai degli orchi che combattono gli elfi, insegni agli orchi CGI a combattere come orchi e agli elfi CGI a combattere come elfi. Non li puoi controllare. Hai queste scene di battaglia enormi con i cavalli e le fai andare per circa tre giorni e non sai come verrà, quindi attendi.

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