Horror Movie Review: A Cadaver Christmas (2011)

Zombies & Christmas…not always something that goes well together. There have been very few seasonal zombie flicks & considering the state of the zombie sub-genre it’s hard to get excited when one does turn up.

A Cadaver Christmas is about zombies but in a surprising turn of events, it’s actually a good movie. Well, once you get past the awkward opening not helped by the quality of the acting (there is some questionable performances here).

A blood-soaked janitor arrives at a bar with a story to tell. A bunch of dead bodies got up & started attacking the students of a college. No-one believes him though & facing arrest, he agrees to go back to the building & prove his innocence.

Shot like a grindhouse movie (flickering lines etc), A Cadaver Christmas grabs your attention early on then promptly loosens its grip as the opening segment drags on for ages. It’s not as though the plot is difficult to follow so why it takes so long to get from the bar to the college is head-scratching stuff.

Once there though, things ramp up & the real horror comes out to play. As well as some really smart black comedy. A Cadaver Christmas is a fun movie, one that embraces the silliness of the situation & ups the absurdity with clumsy characters.

A lot of effort is made in making these zombies a viable threat. They’re the slow shambling type but in classic style, they’re deceptively sneaky & quick to grab a hold. Like all zombies the fear comes the sheer number & their unrelenting nature. Action scenes, while brief, are fun & the climactic battle is worth waiting for. Gloriously silly & gleefully gory, the zombie slaying to the tune of Silent Night will have you chuckling along.

Look harder at A Cadaver Christmas & its flaws are more recognisable. Its plot is paper-thin, the characters often stupid beyond belief & even some of the jokes can wear thin. Still, there is fun to be had & it’s not only a good Christmas zombie movie but a good zombie movie overall.

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