Yee-Haw! It's a Gore Film (Actually Video)

Redneck Zombies has to be, quite simply, the most horrifying shot-on-video film I’ve ever seen. But maybe that’s got to do with the fact that I was raised in the genetically-deficient belt of the United States (although this could explain my preoccupation with Troma films in the first place). I grew up around tobacco-chewing, gun-loving, pick-up truck drivers, so Redneck Zombies hits close to home. Much like the characters in this film (can you call a movie shot on video a film?), escaping from the plague-like influence of ignorance and defeated alcoholism was a constant concern. Also like the film, I had to watch many of my friends get taken over by the disease of Redneckism.

I have to admit that I have serious misgivings when it comes to watching shot-on-video features. They usually smack of half-hearted amateurishness. And, although Redneck Zombies is by no means a modern trash classic, it still has energy to spare and tries hard enough to warrant a recommendation. Especially now that Troma has decided to release the UNCUT DIRECTOR’S PRINT.

As usual, the short-sighted and negligent military (in this case, a surplus jeep with a couple of non-regulation goofs in fatigue) is the ultimate cause of mayhem. While transporting a load of chemical re-agent of some sort, the boozing soldiers lose a fifty gallon drumful. The drum is found by a clan of dangerously unhygienic moonshiners who use it to build a still. Of course, once the toxic batch of ‘shine gets out to the locals, a whole mess of green ooze spills forth. Enter our heroes, a politically correct group of campers from the city who picked the wrong weekend go on vacation. A hundred gallons of blood, green spewage, and severed flesh later, only one human survives . . .

As stated before, I’ve got to give Redneck Zombies a thumbs up for spirit at the very least. What director Pericles (just his name alone is worth one star in the review) Lewnes lacks in budget he makes up for in sheer gusto. Shot in "Entrail-Vision" Redenck Zombies has enough (primitive) splatter and joyful nihilism to make me overlook the less-than-stellar acting and production values. A few gags verge on brilliant: The "Tobacco Man" - the backwoods equivalent of the ice cream truck - is a cancer addled drooler with an Elephant Man burlap sack over his head that does a booming business in chewin’ tobaccy sales despite his gruesome tales of facial tumor removal. Another great moment comes when one of the campers medically dissects one of the grit-fed undead . . . about two hours after he eats a hit of acid! Truly inspired and quite possibly the only psychedelic zombie autopsy ever filmed!

A truly bleak and downbeat ending is also a reason to recommend Redneck Zombies. More kudos to Lewnes for taking what is in essence a comedy/spoof and still giving it a gruesome and depressing end. A funny story regarding the ending: I had seen R.Z. years ago and walked away from the experience thoroughly unimpressed and somewhat confused. Because I had seen a SEVERELY cut version of the film. The lone surviving human is raped by a zombie at the end of the film! The last shot is of her, locked up in an asylum, with a mutant redneck zombie gestating in her womb! None of this was apparent in the original video release! I’d estimate that at least 8-10 minutes were removed! So, for those of you who have seen Redneck Zombies and are questioning my critiquing prowess, check out Troma’s new uncut version available on tape and DVD.