there are two ways to make a zombie movie:
1. round up a bunch of people. cover them in oatmeal and red corn syrup. have them wear dirty clothes. . and tell them to go "UUUUUUUAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!" over and over again. oh, and one last thing: throw away the story. it'll just get in the way of making an unoriginal, mediocre zombie flick that we've all seen a million times.
or
2. set out to make an original movie with compelling story telling that just happens to also have zombies thrown in the mix.
Harold's Going Stiff falls into option #2. this is by far one of THE most unique zombie movies ever made. there's strange bit of irony with most zombie movies. i'd say about 90% of all zombie movies are pretty much the same thing. it's like people don't really care about making a good and original movie. they do the same thing over and over again. tell the same story over and over again. use the same 'zombie' effects over and over again. over and over and over again. it never stops. the filmmakers become mindless zombies making a movie about zombies. over and over and over again.
but it's worth it. it's worth enduring the monotony of non-stop mediocre zombie movies to have something like this come along. the hordes of zombie movies that are out there are a reflection of how generic something can get when milked dry, and cashed in.
it seems to me, those involved in the making of this movie aren't doing it because it's a hip and easy way to make a movie. they're doing it because they appreciate the craft that goes into storytelling and put it to good use to make a great film.
calling this a 'zombie movie' is like saying Forrest Gump is a movie about some guy who's a little slow. this movie embraces storytelling. those involved with telling this story used their brains to do it in a creative, fresh manner. to put meaningful thought behind what they're doing. and not go for the usual(often typical) milling around and doing the same ol' thing using very little brain activity. as little as, say, zombies.
