Review by Peter Syslo
ZOMBIE HONEYMOON (2004) is probably one of the best, if not the best, mixtures of romance and horror that I have ever seen. I was very impressed by this film and was totally taken by surprise; I was expecting a low-budget, campy horror/love-story (not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I like my horror on the more serious side). I have never even heard of this film, until a few months ago and I wonder why it slipped under the radar. It really is a fine film and it does have a lasting effect (at least, it did on me). I can see why some people may not like it, especially zombie “purists” – this film does not play by the traditional “zombie rules” and some may be turned off by that. But, if you are looking for that “something different”, then ZOMBIE HONEYMOON may be just what the doctor ordered.
ZOMBIE HONEYMOON is written and directed by David Gebroe and it stars Tracy Coogan, Graham Sibley, Tonya Cornelisse, David M. Wallace, and Neal Jones.
The film is about a newly-wedded couple, Denise and Danny (Coogan and Sibley), who are on their honeymoon. While spending time on the nearby beach, Graham is attacked by a sickly-looking man who emerges from the water. After being seen by a doctor and pronounced dead, Danny revives, all of a sudden. The couple then continues with their honeymoon, after Danny “sleeps off” the whole incident. However, Danny doesn’t seem to be quite the same. He begins acting very strangely and when friends visit, the former vegetarian requests a steak at dinner time. Denise realizes that something is wrong and things just spiral out of control from there. Danny quickly falls into the zombie behavior of eating human flesh and once he starts attacking people, Denise fears what must be done.
This film is a very heartfelt love story which has an equally strong horror element, within it. To say that it is more of a love story or more of a horror film, would be inaccurate; it is a perfect and equal union of the two. It is just so tragic and you can really identify with Danny and Denise – they are you or they are people whom you know. It’s also the kind of movie where you place yourself in that predicament; actually, this predicament is at the heart of a lot of zombie films – how do you deal with it when your loved ones turn into zombies? ZOMBIE HONEYMOON explores that issue, fully, and it does so with much style, humor, and sadness. The real twist of it all is how Denise reacts to Danny’s transformation – I don’t want to spoil it, but it does go against a lot of the stereotypical female roles in horror films (most women wo uld abandon you for leaving the toilet seat up, long before you turned into a flesh-eating zombie). Another interesting aspect of the movie is how Danny still appeared to have the loving bond with Denise, after turning into a full-fledged zombie. These themes have been present, at times, in the zombie genre, but I have never seen them dealt with, at this level. That is part of the greatness of this film.
Again, the zombie element differs, somewhat, from the traditional “Romero” zombie and that may or may not affect your enjoyment of the film – it depends on the viewer. One difference is that the zombie transformation is a gradual one, which takes place over a few days. Another difference is that Danny appears to gradually decay over the course of his transformation – it always seemed like, once the person was dead they were “preserved” in a sense (unless they were shot, burned, or really an old zombie). The final difference is that a gunshot to the head really doesn’t kill a zombie. All of these elements took a little getting used to, but I don’t feel that they are crucial details which affect the power of this film.
Cutting to the chase: ZOMBIE HONEYMOON is a great twist on the traditional zombie picture. Quite honestly, we need films like this in the horror genre to mix things up and take things in a new direction. I know that people like to see their “monsters” in the traditional way, but a new approach can sometimes lead to great things. This film is a love story (which a guy can get into) and it is a horror film, with all of the usual zombie gore, violence, and humor. If you like out-of-the-ordinary zombie films like FIDO or SHAUN OF THE DEAD, then you may like this movie. Also, if you like horror with a strong romantic element to it, this may be right “up your alley”. However, if you are a zombie traditionalist or if you like a more humorous zombie pic, this film may be more challenging. But, if you are willing to try it, do so. ZOMBIE HONEYMOON is an overlooked film that is definitely worth checking out.