Scream Team Releasing has been putting out some good films like “The Sleeper”, “10/31” and “The Barn. So when I heard that they were putting out “Bong of the Living Dead”, I figured I check that film since the label has had a good track record with their releases.
The film’s about five stoner friends who love smoking pot and hoping for a zombie apocalypse. Then one day, it happens as the dead come back to life. All their hopes for smoking weed, having fun and bashing zombies don’t come true as it not what they dreamed it would be. Instead, it bring their friendship with each other to the test as they struggle to survive and keep their bond intact.
Going into this film, I was expecting that “Bong of the Living Dead” would be one of those silly films that would be forgettable or barely leave a mark with me because the title made me think that it would be one of those horror films that focuses more on the comedy aspects. But I was wrong, this is a very good film as this is one of the best indie horror films that I’ve seen all year.
The direction in this film was very good. One of the things that I liked about the film was the fact that director Max Groah does a very good job making sure that this zombie film is very entertaining from start to finish. From the way he directs the action to some of the film’s most gory effects to even having the title credits feel the end credits of the film, this gives this film a different feel compared to some of the other zombie comedies that have come out since “Shaun of the Dead”. It made this film very different from other zombie comedies. The other that I liked about this was the way that Groah directs his cast. He does a great job making sure he get the performances that he needs to make this film work as the performances here were very good. It helped make the film entertaining and keeping my interest throughout.
Speaking of the performances, I thought they were very good. The cast has great chemistry with each other which is always is a good thing when watching a film like this. When you notice that a film has that intangible, you know you’re having a great time watching it like I did here. The film also has very good performances from Tiffany Aspin, Daniel Alan Kiely and Eric Boso as the performances make the film a very fun and entertaining film.
The film’s screenplay written by Groah and Tim Mayo was very good. One of the things that I liked about this was their ability to balance the comedy and horror aspects. By doing that, it allowed the story and characters to develop which is key to making a horror comedy work. It made everything interesting and fun to watch. The other thing that I liked about this film was the fact that the characters were well written and how the story changes gears. Everything felt engaging enough to make that they come off as interesting while having a story that provides laughs and keeps you on edge especially towards the end. It’s something that makes this screenplay and film worth watching.
If you’re going into “Bong of the Living Dead” thinking that it’s just going a completely silly film like the “Evil Bong” series, then you’re going be disappointed. But if you’re looking for a film that has very good humor, gore filled action and fun story, then this is definitely worth checking out as I truly loved this and is one of my favorite indie horror films of the year. That’s why “Bong of the Living Dead” earns The Horror Chamber’s Seal of Approval.
You can order the film on DVD/Blu-Ray at: https://screamteamreleasing.com/products/bong-of-the-living-dead-special-collectors-edition-blu-ray-dvd-combo-pack
or VHS at: https://screamteamreleasing.com/products/bong-of-the-living-dead-vhs-signed-green-vhs
