Tag Archives: alien horror

Retrospective: Undead (2003)

12 Sunday Dec 2021

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Before the Spierig Brothers would take on what would be their second feature film as their writer, director, producer team with Daybreakers starring Ethan Hawke, and possibly their best movie to date. 

Before they would even attempt to expand the Saw franchise with Jigsaw and then to breathe further life into the Hammer Films productions with Winchester, they would craft their first feature, Undead; a schlocky, low budget, zombie / alien invasion feast set in remote Australia.
The movie has just been released by Umbrella Entertainment as a Blu-ray/Dvd edition for their Beyond Genres collection. Check out the extras at the foot of this article.

The movie itself is not exactly brain fodder, but I remember from its initial release back in 2003 that it was a lot of fun to watch and packed with that unusual blend of Aussie humour that always seems to lift the storyline. There are some iconic moments too, namely from Mungo Mckay’s character Marion, a doomsday prepper who has encountered a paranormal encounter before and has been subjected to being an outcast ever since. His performance channels somewhere between Ash Campbell for sheer resilience and his namesake, James Wayne, with a cowboy like approach to survival and armed with a triple shotgun among his many resources.

Interestingly though, Marion isn’t the hero of the movie, as our lead protagonist falls to meek Rene (Felicity Mason) who has been a downtrodden character most of her life and just wants to get the hell out of Kansas. When push comes to shove though, she soon shows her metal and comes out fighting.

To look at this movie and scorn the performances though which I have seen some people comment on is to miss the style that The Spierig Brothers were going for. Clearly, they wanted to experiment with some visual effects, something that the extras in this release shines a light on. Undead would be their showpiece and a playing field for them to experiment with what they could do through a feature narrative. The problem as always is budget, which there wasn’t a lot of. So knowing this, the filmmakers went with a ramped up melodramatic, pulp style 50’s invasion feel. One that, knowing this beforehand, takes the pressure of applying a highbrow response to and simply letting it flow and enjoying the ride.

The film is packed with a lot of set play, from zombies attacking, survival instincts, seedy characters, bullheaded police officers, aliens, infection and nods to the era that formed the base of these kind of movies, one that comes to mind are some of the earlier scenes in Village of the Damned. There are also elements of Night of the Living Dead at play here, all of which goes to show that The Spierig Brothers are lovers of their craft and with Undead shows a great introduction to the celluloid mainstream with a film that wears its heart on its sleeve. So while it may not be original or groundbreaking, Undead still offers enough to entertain and essential viewing for film lovers who are interested in following the journey of a couple of creatives in the rise.

  • Saul Muerte

Undead is released on Blu Ray and DVD by Umbrella Entertainment.

Details of the extras are listed as follows:

  • Original Soundtrack CD
  • Audio Commentary with Directors Peter and Michael Spierig and Cinematographer Andy Strahorn
  • On the set of the Undead
  • Attack of the Undead – Short Film
  • The Making of Undead
  • Homemade Dolly Video
  • Undead Camera and Make-up Tests
  • Stills Gallery
  • Theatrical Trailer

Movie review: Sputnik (Спутник)

30 Wednesday Sep 2020

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For a directorial feature debut, Egor Abramenko is able to inject a thrilling, psychological piece that despite not necessarily offering anything new, does deliver a solid dramatical experience. This Russian entry into symbiotic alien invasion, creature feature horror plays its strength through grounding the fantastical elements into something that feels real. 

Whilst most people would associate the name Sputnik with one of Russia’s finest achievements in space as the first man-made satellite to orbit the Earth, it’s literal translation into the English language can mean ‘travelling companion’, both interpretations can be closely connected with this film. The film is set in 1983, towards the end of the Cold War, when two cosmonauts encounter a strange experience on their return journey back to Earth; an encounter that leaves only one human survivor, Konstantin (Pyotr Fyodorov). His partner Averchenko is revealed to have had his skull ripped open and Konstantin clearly inhabiting unspeakable ills with an unknown entity harbouring inside his body. At this stage it is unclear if Konstantin is possessed or something far more sinister, but his ‘travelling companion’ will definitely become more clear as the story unfolds. This creature too, could spell a new world for the Soviet Union, with the first human encounter with an alien species. 

What extent could this finding have on the country and the world is part of what fuels the narrative, and we’re led through this paranormal investigation through physician neuro-scientist Tatyana Klimova (Oksana Akinshina), and her controversial hard-hitting approach that brings her before Colonel Semiradov (Fyodor Bondarchuk), the man in charge of finding out what exactly is lurking inside of Konstantin’s human frame. Tatyana is instantly likeable despite her cold demeanor, thanks to Akinshina’s performance offering a glimpse of humanity and frailty beneath the tough exterior. 

Much like Konstantin’s condition, Sputnik holds a cool exterior but buried beneath each character is a warren of emotions and in some cases when unleashed can herald some darkly disturbing truths. Konstantin himself is troubled by abandoning his son to an orphanage and therefore feels that the alien infestation is no more than what he deserves for his past actions. Semiradov also likes to keep things close to his chest and the more we learn about his motives, the more shadowy his methods appear. This is Tatyana’s story though and the biggest twist in her character arc doesn’t rise to the surface until the film’s epilogue, but is worth the wait.

Sputnik must rest on its depiction of the alien and with some incredible visual effects brings a stunning creature that invokes a combination of fear and vulnerability that spreads dread through the hearts of all those that interact with it. Fueling this animosity is much like the human fear of the unknown is that our own interpretations foster at night when we too are at our weakest. 

Sputnik deserves high praise and is worth your time and attention, a journey into the core of humanity, ripping it apart the soul and unleashing cortisol from which fear and our base animalistic minds can feast upon.


IN CINEMAS NATIONALLY OCTOBER 1
*Excluding Victoria

  • Saul Muerte