The Dead (2010) : Creepy man, just creepy.

Creepy.

That's the best word to use to describe "The Dead".  If you're jonesing to watch a Zombie flick with tons of action, big guns, and explosions, this movie ain't it. But if you're in a "make some popcorn, turn off the lights, and get creeped out" mood, then put this one on your watch list.

"The Dead" is filmed in west African locations such as Burkina Faso and Ghana, as well as the Sahara desert. The setting is unique and, quite frankly, where I have always thought the Zombie outbreak would occur when if it ever happens.

From the very beginning, "The Dead" gives you the heebie-jeebies as it introduces its enemy in the (non-living) person of an African native zombie with a disfigured leg. The plot is fairly simple. An American military engineer washes up on the coast of west Africa after his evacuation flight crashes. As the sole survivor he attempts to reach a northern military air field to re-attempt his escape, and runs into an African military soldier who is trying to find his son during the chaos.

I know this film was made with a very small budget, yet they found a way to keep it looking honest and real; nothing in the film looked cheap. Much like "Exit Humanity", this film proves that "less" truly can be "more".

An interesting thing about this movie that it reflects what I believe true life would be like during an outbreak in Africa; moments of sheer terror punctuating long periods of abolutely nothing happening. There are several parts in the movie where I was like "they're right around the corner" or "watch out, they're right behind that truck" and then BOOM! Nothing. It was refreshing.....in a strange way.

Instead of making the Zombie eyes look like cataracts as most do these days they made them sharp white, penetrating and unblinking like Haitian Zombies....maybe even "reptilian" in a way. I liked the directors use of silent, slow zombies that by default move with silence and stealth but can snap and bite quickly when close enough and aroused to it. Running Zombies that growl and groan non-stop are actually not as scary as slow silent movers.

If you can't tell already, I like this film. Mainly because of it's creepiness, but also because its different than so many other Zombie flicks out there.

My verdict? On a "Zombie Movie Scale of 1-10" I'd give this one a 7.

The setting of Africa, combined with the total feeling of being alone in a vast wasteland of Zombies totally works and is completely believeable. It's easy to get lost in this movie.

WATCH IT IF: you're looking for something different from the typical Zombie movie, like being depressed and/or creeped out, or you just like deserts and sand with dead people walking about.

DON'T WATCH IT IF: you like your Zombie-fighting heroes outfitted with super-high-tech weaponry accompanied by a hip-hop soundtrack, a relative of yours once died from Ibola contracted in Africa and you still have a hang-up about it, or you're more in the mood for something way more happy and feel-goody like "Apocalypse Now".

"The Dead" is available for streaming on NetFlix and Amazon Prime.

More info can be found on IMDB here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1386925/

BONUS BEER RECOMMENDATION: If you're looking for a beer to go perfectly with the feelings of desparation and hunger you get from watching this movie, give this one a try: Tröegs Dead Reckoning Porter. A delicious and unconventional porter, it pours a nice smooth chocolate brown color, with some suspended sediment and a foamy tan head. The nose is surprisingly hoppy for a porter, bitter and resinous, almost like a black IPA more than a porter. There is also a big old roasty malt profile that compliments the hops nicely.

Next Week: We take a look at the movie "Quarantine".