Title: The Dead
Director: Howard J. Ford and Jonathan Ford
Cast: Rob Freeman, Prince David Osei and David Dontoh
There’s not much ground covered in most zombie movies. Some of them tackle social issues, others take on notions of conformity, while others are just happy enough with blood and gore. In the new film from The Ford Brothers (Howard J and Jonathan), “The Dead” takes an interesting approach to zombie movies, in terms of setting. It’s a zombie movie set in the deserts of Africa. And what is displayed on the screen, will surely shock, horrify and excite most horror fans.
The film starts with a lone man, wondering the desert, he’s dressed in all black, and when he comes across these slow moving dead walkers, he takes action. We soon learn he is an American Air Force Engineer, Brian Murphy (Rob Freeman), and come to learn how exactly he got in the middle of the desert. A series of flashbacks tell that a group of military personnel, escape the outbreak of zombies in a large aircraft, but when one of the survivors turns into a zombie himself, the plane crash lands back, where it started from. We continue on with the lone survivor, Brian Murphy, as he looks for help and a way out of danger.
The intersecting story of an African army Sergeant, Daniel Dembele (Prince David Osei) searches for his wife and son after a zombie attack on his village, brings these two unlikely pair together. Now together, they must work to survive while trying to get back to their loved ones. Of course there’s a culture clash between them and it’s something they must work through, but the interesting thing about this film is the setting of the deserts of Africa.
This film is dry, warm and isolated from the rest of the world. It suggests that even the worst of western civilization can make its way to the middle of nowhere. We soon learn there’s an epidemic that has taken over the world and despite help from others, we are all alone in this battle. But what springs forth is friendship and, surprisingly, unity, in this post-apocalyptic world.
As far as horror goes, “The Dead” is serviceable, smartly going the route of practical effects rather than CGI. A lot of this movie has no dialogue but is driven by camera movements and editing. This is a good piece of filmmaking from the directors. It manages to keep your attention, while at the same time giving horror hounds, a bang for their buck, or should I say bucket, as in buckets of blood. In conclusion, “The Dead” is a fun movie and gives horror fans and general moviegoers something to hold on to. Although the story and character moments are somewhat thin, there’s enough here to root for.
Technical: B-
Acting: C-
Story: B
Overall: C+
“The Dead” opens in a limited release on October 14th.
by @Rudie_Obias
