Zone of the Dead, (2009)

AKA "Apocalypse of the Dead

     Ken Foree, (from Dawn Of The Dead!) is once again a cop-amidst-a-zombie-plague, as well as Associate Producer of Zone of the Dead..., (which also went by "Apocalypse of the Dead" here in the states.) 

     Toxic waste is the culprit here, as Interpol agents attempt to transfer a (very knowledgeable) prisoner from Serbia when the outbreak occurs. Aside from the police and prisoner, a few Serbian reporters and an errant professor join up for undead fodder and an abandoned police station becomes their stronghold.

      Dawn of the Dead, Aliens, and Assault on Precinct 13 comparisons abound, but so do some decent zombie effects. Plus, Zone provides an interesting twist in an attempt to answer the age-old question, "Why are some zombies fast and some slow?" Both speeds are plentiful here, and the film's pace is of the quick variety!

      Mr. Foree gets to give us a  whole new "When hell is full, the dead will walk the earth" type of story, and that isn't the only nod to the genre's past. A reference to "securing a mall" and an "Agent Savini" among others, make for fun Easter Eggs.

      Some elements could've been edited out without the movie suffering much, but their inclusion doesn't do enough damage for me to hold a grudge.

       I found this to be a very watchable, enjoyable, action-style zombie flick in the Dawn of the Dead vein. The Zombie Movie Rubric scored it a 2.75, out of 4.0, so read into that what you may! 

       I see that many have slagged this film off on IMDb as awful. Me? I liked it and found it a LOT better than many other offerings in the zombie movie field, (and trust me, I have seen quite a few.) 

There is a good trailer on YouTube to help whet your appetite: Zone of the Dead

A misleading DVD case cover!