I was given an advanced copy of this movie for review not too long ago I was pretty excited about this since Anthem pictures contacted me directly about it. After a few emails back and forth between Anthem Pictures and the director Gary Ugarek, I was pretty excited about seeing this film. I’ve done a lot of reading about this movie and Mr. Ugareks film history. Getting to know a little about the director and his style gave me an appreciation for his work even before I started watching the movie.
At the beginning of the movie we a good old fashion Elvira / Rhonda Sheer type introduction from Helena the Hussy of Horror. It took me a little by surprise in a good way. Took me back to when I was younger and stayed up late watching some of the now cult classics. Helena doesn’t disappoint either. Hot goth girl in a skimpy outfit holding a chainsaw is a great way to introduce a movie. It was really fun seeing the into, and, gave a great feeling of nostalgia while leading us into the main feature.
Deadlands starts off with a well known, and, over all effective beginning. Military or the government trying to play God with a new experimental serum, bio weapon, or other. The first 20 mins or so we see the different characters and a little bit about their personalities. Jack, Shelly, and Sean are out having some fun until they stop to help someone that falls in front of their car. Jack, trying to help, gets bitten by the woman and we all know now that he is screwed. Looking for the nearest place to get help, they catch Chris and Casey locking up the theater. Then, all rotting hell breaks loose. There isn’t much of any build up leading to the horde of walking dead, they come pouring down the street looking for their next meal. While in the theater, they come across a little girl scared and now stuck in the same place as the rest. It doesn’t take long for the group to find out calling 911 isn’t going to help them much at all either. They then receive a strange phone call, from one of the people responsible for the zombie out break, they’re hopes are smashed even more when their plea for help is denied. So its pretty much confirmed that the military is very aware of what’s going on. Annnnd, don’t seem to care much about our friends in the cinema. To top it all off.. Jack isn’t getting any better and if you’ve seen one zombie movie where someone gets bitten. You’ve seen them all. No matter what the movie is, I’ve always been surprised that people don’t catch on to this until pretty much too late.
There isn’t a whole lot about this movie that hasn’t been done before here and there. But, you don’t really watch a zombie movie for original plots and new concepts. I was VERY impressed with this film. I have to admit going into it I was a little worried. I was hoping that the years of being bombarded with millions of dollars in special effects and mainstream films would keep me from fully enjoying this movie. Very glad I watched it. If you’re a fan of zombie genre like I am. I would check it out. If you’re not into, or have a part of you that can appreciate the indie films. This might not be for you. Its a diamond in the rough without a doubt. Gary Ugarek is a genius on a budget. He knew what he wanted to do and accomplished it with Deadlands 2. If you check this movie out, also check out the trivia on IMDB. Full of interesting info about the director and making of his movie. Trapped is not a directy sequel to his first Deadlands movie. If you haven’t seen the first one, you can watch this one first like I did. Can’t seem to find the movie around here at all. I was wondering if it had a smaller release for DVDs even.
OVERALL SUMMARY
Deadlands 2 is well worth the watch. I’m one that doesn’t like a shaky camera when its not suppose to be. I like steady clean shots. Especially when they are suppose to be stationary shots. Also, some of the dark areas where too dark. A little touching up with the lighting would have been nice as well. But, it surely didn’t take away from the bigger picture. That being how well this movie is put together and how good Gary did with the final product. I think Gary Ugarek is on a roll and we are going to be seeing great things from him in the coming years. He has a really good vision and seems very dedicated to what he is doing. I’m really glad I got the chance to pre screen this movie for him and Anthem pictures. I will be looking forward to his next Deadlands release!
