Bad Horror Movie Rec - "The Video Dead"

The Video Dead

(1987)

This one's got a spoiler. Sorry. It just pissed me off so bad. It'll be at the end though, and I'll separate that segment. To kick things off, the dialogue is pretty awful. This might just be a deal breaker for you, so keep it in mind. I find that characters in this movie are best when they don't speak. On that note, let's talk about those "Video Dead". There's five zombies, each with their own unique look, gimmick, and (apparently) backstory. They're a lot of fun and manage to get our sibling main characters into some stupid scenarios. Jeff is strung up pinata-style in a forest as zombie bait while wildly swinging a chainsaw. Zoe is forced to have the undead over for dinner! Overall, this is a fun little flick with enough decent moments to keep a viewer entertained until the ridiculous ending (so long as they can excuse some of that dialogue).

"I saw him.

I shot him.

It's only fair that I get to use the chainsaw."

The Dreaded Spoilers Paragraph: Look, if you're going to focus on Jeff the entire movie, what's the problem with leaving him alive? Why switch focus to Zoe? I barely know the girl! And to kill him so anticlimactically? What are we doing? There's a couple 80s horror movies that do this. Guys, I promise there's nothing wrong with having a final boy. If you can't write interesting women or give enough of a shit about them to devote some screen time to their development, keep your boys alive! Become a better writer, of course, but right now? Focus on giving the audience someone to care about. I think giving that ending to Jeff would've been a far more interesting conclusion to his little arc. Or hey, here's another idea: actually give Zoe some agency! I can't stand to see her wasted like that, really.