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| Movie Review |
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Zombie Farm
Directed by B.Luciano Barsuglia
BLB Media
When going into a film called Zombie Farm, you pretty much know what to expect. A low budget splatter fest with a sense of humor and acting that is somewhat hit or miss. All of the ingredients to make a satisfying albeit slightly average zombie flick. It doesnt break any new ground for the genre, but Zombie Farm is an enjoyable romp none the less.
Along with a few other recent zombie flicks, Zombie Farm's zombie attack is the result of a terrorist attack. When the water supply of a small town becomes infected, the zombie outbreak spreads like wildfire. Two FBI agents, an ex-soldier and the lone survivor of a group of teens fight off the horde as best they can before everything falls apart at the end. Any zombie fan knows that zombie films never have happy endings and this film is no different.
One aspect of the film that is a little hit or miss is the use of digital effects. I'm an old school gorehound and enjoy practical effects much more. Certain effects you hardly even notice but some of the blood splats look really fake. I think in part it might be due to the film being very bright. The entire film takes place during the day so everything is right out in the open with no darkness to hide behind. While a squib would have been more satisfying, most of the headshots look quite good with a few excellent holes through the head viewpoints shots used as well. The digital effects do give the film a unique look although a few scenes probably would have benefited from practical effects rather than digital.
The video quality is very clear but still has that raw video feel that doesn't quite feel cinematic. It really doesn't take away from the film but there is a definite shot on video feel although the widescreen transfer is quite nice. The colors are crisp and the lighting, while surprisingly bright, really brings the film to life. The sound effects are quite outrageous and very pronounced. The zombie attacks have very loud and exaggerated chewing sounds added that add a bit of a comedic element to the gore.
Peter Jackson and Sam Raimi are the two obvious influences on display. One of the main characters, Bob, has a very Ash like vibe to his character. There are a few nods to Bad Taste along the way as well although this is obviously a zombie flick while Bad Taste was more of a sci-fi, action, splatter comedy. This is more of a horror action comedy splatter flick. It's funny, gross and filled with big funs, which equals entertainment if you ask me.
While it isn't quite perfect, Zombie Farm is an entertaining bloodbath with enough chuckles and gut munching to please gorehounds and splatstick fans alike. If you are a fan of the less serious side of the zombie genre, this is definitely a farm you will want to visit.
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 UN: How did the original idea for Zombie Farm first come about? Did it take a long time going from script to shooting? Did the script go through many different drafts?
BLB: We had some great locations that we knew about and I wanted to write a movie that revolved around those locations. The script was written in July '05. We started shooting in early '06. Most of '07 was spent screening the movie at festivals and theaters, which was great to experience. The script went through a few changes, most additions of characters to really round out the town of Muerto Verde.
UN: Was it hard to secure the funding to make the film? What would you say was the total budget for the film?
BLB: Funding was never secure. We shot our first scene two months prior to anything else, just to raise additional money. We shot on weekends a month at a time after that, with one 5-day shoot. Overall, it took us about nine months to complete principal photography; that's if you include all the pickup shots and extra tidbits we added. The total budget was under $40,000.
 UN: Was the casting process lengthy? It seems like everyone that chose for the cast has been involved in quite a few different projects, some of them quite big budget.
BLB: It was a lengthy process. We held a number of different auditions and open calls. We also sought after quite a few actors that we were familiar with as well.
UN: Would you say that the character of Bill was inspired by Ash from the Evil Dead movies?
BLB: Inspired, not really. Similar to some degree? Probably. He has a similar arrogance about him and I think Bobby played the part with an over-the-top quality that is reminiscent of Campbell. But the character wasn't written to be like Ash.
 UN: I've always wondered about extras in zombie movies. Was it tough to find people who take being a zombie seriously? Were there any takes that had to be scrapped because of poor zombies in the background?
BLB: We had more than 200 extras participate as zombies ... and it still wasn't enough. For the most part, people were thrilled to be zombies, so it was easy to recruit. We actually were working with the city of Tulare to close down part of the downtown for the day for a final shot in the movie. They were going to recruit 500 or more people. But the shoot never came to fruition because of conflicting schedules. There were certain shoots where we had more zombies than expected and other days where we couldn't gather enough. We even had about thirty zombies shot with a green screen background to plug in where needed too. And, yes, there were shots we couldn't use, but mostly because some of our zombies couldn't stop laughing.
UN: The movie was shot on HD. Was it easier to get the look you were going for? It is an easier format to shot on?
BLB: It wasn't necessarily easier. HD does have limitations, especially when shooting in areas of high contrast. But it is a much more rewarding final product if watched in its full resolution.
 UN: Does the HD-DVD have any different bonus features or is it mainly the same as the standard DVD only with a better resolution?
BLB: The HD-DVD was just the movie, but it has since gone out of print. We have a few "collector copies" available still, but not many.
UN: Any plans for a Blu-Ray release now hat HD seems to have lost the format wars?
BLB: Yes, a Blu-Ray will be released somewhere along the way. I don't know when exactly, but I do want to share the movie in its full, gore-filled resolution.
UN: The film uses a great deal of digital effects. Was it easier than using practical effects? Possibly a bit cheaper as well?
BLB: No, it was not easier than using on-set effects, but it was often more practical. Anywhere you see digital effects, they are almost always used in conjunction with on-set effects. For example, the one armed zombie that runs around could only really be done through digital effects. Sometimes the on-set effects just didn't live up to expectations. When on-set effects don't go right, it can cost valuable shooting time, which in turn costs money -- money we didn't have. So, most the time what we did, was do as much of the effect as possible on-set, and finished many of them later. All the gun barrel flashes, cartridge ejections, holes in heads, and puffs of smoke were digital. The blood effects were usually a combination. We had on-set squibs and blood pumps as well as a lot of digital blood bursts. Some of the more over-the-top effects are very cartoon-ish, but they were meant to be. The movie itself, the characters, and the story are cartoon-ish, so we wanted the effects to be that way.
 UN: Most of the film takes place during the day, which is the opposite of most zombie flicks. What was the motivation behind having the movie mainly bright and during the day?
BLB: I wanted to take advantage of the crisp colors of HD. I wanted there to be a lot of blood and I didn't want to shoot in the dark.
UN: What would you say the chances for a sequel would be? Do you feel like you left it open enough at the end of Zombie Farm that a sequel is possible?
BLB: There's always room for a sequel, but I have a few other projects I want to get to first. Then, maybe, I'll revisit the farm in a few years.
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