Guest Author - Andy Boxall

Director: J.R. Bookwalter
Starring: Peter Ferry, Jon Killough, Scott Spiegel and Michael Grossi
Region 0, Crypt Keeper release.
Out Now

The Dead Next Door was shot on super 8 back in 1985 and released in 1988. It has a 4:3 screen ratio and one of the darkest, dirtiest prints I have seen. The film stock changes throughout the movie, making some scenes very tiring on the eye and the acting, script and plot are below standard. On paper, it is pretty bad.

Well ignore all that, because if you like zombie movies, have seen the important entries in the genre and admire the way that some individuals are motivated enough to get their dream accomplished no matter what, then The Dead Next Door is well worth seeking out. No, it’s not expensive, challenging or even that good, but it is fun, amusing and in a strange way, a little innocent!

It feels this way because although gory, there is no exploitation, no scenes that sicken and surprisingly little swearing! It is also packed full of references to other horror and zombie movies, making it feel very ‘friendly,’ for want of a better word! It is actually unsurprising that the film has gained such a following over the years if this is a common initial impression.

J.R. Bookwalter was 18 when he wrote and directed the movie and Sam Raimi, the director of Evil Dead, financed it. In The Dead Next Door, the world has been taken over by zombies (a la Dawn of the Dead), created by a man made virus. Human life has fought back with the Zombie Squad, a crack team of undead slayers. On a mission the run into a crazy cult, hell bent on saving the zombies and ultimately replacing all life with undead life!

Reportedly shot for about $75,000, a large amount of this budget was obviously spent on the effects. These range from very simple squibs and long-shot make up to some impressive throat ripping and zombie munching. Although they are bloody, they are so obviously effects that they just add to the fun feeling the film has. A beer or two and a few horror literate friends would be the perfect accompaniment to the film.

Disc:

For a relatively unknown film made for almost nothing 15 years ago, The Dead Next Door gets a nice set of extras. A director’s commentary is the masthead and is quite an informative little chat. The man behind some of the special effects joins J.R. Bookwalter, but his input is considerably less than the enthusiastic director. Towards the end he flags a little, even admitting he doesn’t know what to talk about next. This does echo what the viewer thinks in a way, however fun the movie maybe, it can be slow and a little uninteresting in places.

A 15-minute documentary features interviews with many of the cast and crew and is a fascinating look into no-budget film making. The selection is rounded off with a music video, photo gallery and a short visit to Frightvision 2000, a convention where the movie was shown.

As stated earlier, the picture is pretty bad with lots of dirt and grain. It is also a little to dark in places to make out exactly what is going on. The sound is considerably better, as it was re-dubbed long after the film was shot. The picture issues are understandable considering the original format, just don’t be expecting a fully restored version.

Conclusion:

There is no doubt that The Dead Next Door is a fan-boy film. Characters named Raimi, Carpenter and Dr Savini, homage’s to Evil Dead and Bruce Campbell himself over-dubbing the lead character (ironically named Raimi) are just a few of the nods. For these reasons, it will only be the horror fan that enjoys the movie. If you haven’t seen Night/Dawn of the Dead or Evil Dead then sitting through this will be only slightly more preferable to an extended dental visit.