 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
THE DRUNKEN DEAD GUY
Produced, Directed, and Edited by John Greff
Written by Tom Duda and John GreffTom - Tom Duda
God - John Greff
Experienced Zombie - Bill Hinzman
Tina KrauseWhen Greff sent me his movie THE DRUNKEN DEAD GUY to review, he sent that time-tested e-mail stating, "best viewed when drunk." I have never, nor will I ever, review a movie while intoxicated. The benchmark for a successful comedy is whether I laugh sober or not. If you need to partake in mind-altering drugs or beverages to enjoy a movie to its fullest then either the movie fails or you should consider a lifestyle change you dirty drunken hippy.
(editor's note: the author's viewpoints don't necessarily reflect those of this website)
Despite its shoddiness, THE DRUNKEN DEAD GUY possesses a fair amount of wit and social satire done Jersey style. Blunt and frank in its toilet humor, the movie opens with a late-night television ad for butt plugs and "big ass" dildos, and from there moves onto a modern day Moses' spinning the 10 Commandments which read "now it places the lotion in the basket" and "we can dance if we really want to". Not exactly high brow art, or hard reaches for the satirist, but director Greff isn't going for art; he's aiming for entertainment and making fun of every bullshit P.C. viewpoint going while mixing in a little pop-culture bashing.
(editor's note: art is where you find it, and B-Indi doesn't condone the harsh treatment of social organizations, P.C. or otherwise)
Tom is an adman, who believes in truth in advertising. He's fired after a promotion for cigarettes that shows a lunger, in a hospital bed, smiling, as he takes his last drag. Tom's day goes down the crapper even further when he finds out that he has a terminal disease. Which disease, we don't know, just "one of those that will kill you," his doctor says.
(editor's note: always get a second opinion when it comes to health issues)
Having been an honest man, Tom ends up in Heaven, where it turns out that God is a senile old coot who throws a kaniption when he hears that The Devil's beat the Rangers. Not able to distinguish between a hockey team and the legion of doom, God sends a miracle to Earth in hopes of renewing faith among man in the form of the walking dead. Meant to be more like Lazarus rather than a zombie, God botches the job and re-animates Tom's year-long rotting corpse.
(editor's note: B-Indi believes in the American right of Freedom of Religion, all bow to The Dark Lord)
Tom spends much of his time lamenting his oust from Heaven, and it's easy to see why. He gets a brand new apartment and two, count 'em two, Victoria's Secret angels who love to jiggle around the house wearing only their lingerie and wings. Looks like God got something right.
(editor's note: B-Indi doesn't side with either creationist or evolutionists, we're a completely neutral organization who imparts just the facts. Send all hate mail to the author)
Tom has no idea how to be a zombie. His first lesson comes in the form of a guardian midget...er....angel, who fits nicely in a trash can. The angel informs Tom that alcohol is a preservative and will keep his body from rotting further if he drinks enough of it. The second round of zombie education comes from Bill Hinzman, still riding that NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD role 35 years later.
(editor's note: B-Indi would never stoop to insulting little people, we love all munchkins, Lilliputians, dwarves, and trolls)
With age comes experience, and old Bill is tired of eating guts. Over the years people have been developing gall and kidney stones, and loads of cancer. Apparently nothing can kill the taste of a yummy, feces-laden colon like a nice tumor. Whoever thought the living dead would be picky eaters? To him, the life of the undead is simply "bullshit, bullshit, bullshit."
(editor's note: B-Indi would never disregard the undead as bullshit poo-poo eaters. We respect a person's freedoms of choice and expression....even if it means being a zombie stool gobbler)
Once the premise is established, Tom spends the remainder of the movie looking for his next drink. You'd be surprised at how cheap some of the bartenders are up in Jersey.
(editor's note: B-Indi would never criticize the capitalist dream; it's one of the founding American principles....unless you're a price gouging oil company...then you can rot in hell)
The locals eventually warm up to Tom, and eventually word gets out that "the dead guy is alright." To earn his keep he starts doing odd jobs that no one else can be bothered with, like dead rat removal or home plumbing (Tom becomes a master plunger operator). Before you know it, Tom has found his place in the world and God finally gets a clue.
(editor's note: B-Indi would never...wait, we already covered freedom of religion...pfft!)
Joining Tom in cameos on his journey of the undead are Tina Krause, Zacherly, and Rudy Ray Moore, the last two appearing in guerilla-style moments apparently caught on the fly at conventions. They serve no point other than to entice fans to check out the movie.
To their credit, Greff and Duda know they aren't making art, but rather something to MST3K on those bad movie nights drunken movie geeks throw every few weeks when they realize that the geekettes want nothing to do with them. I'd go so far as to say that the cat that pulls this movie out as their trump card just might seize the night. Cheap Jersey Video lives up to its name; THE DRUNKEN DEAD GUY is pure z-grade schlock that looks like it's taped on a VHS-C. It's also the type of movie that wears its cheapness like a war medal on a proud general's chest. To its credit, if social commentary in the form of toilet humor is your bag, you'll probably get some laughs, even sober, like I did.
(editor's note: B-Indi has to draw the line somewhere; you movie geeks are on your own with this one).
The self-distributed dvd screener contained no features to review.