Dead Meat (2004)

Perfect cast and a good story

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

When I was attending a horror convention with a friend we bought together this flick, the man who sold it had a big laugh on his face just to give the statement, you've been ripped off but it costs only 2 euro's so we couldn't be ripped off I guessed. Was I right, this is an excellent zombie flick. Of course it's low budget and it shows but it gives something extra on it. I mean, the night scene's are a bit too dark so you don't really see what is happening so by that way you can't see the cheap effects, but again, they are well done. Just watch out for the end when the zombies really attack. There are decapitations, pitchforks going into bodies and everything else you would like to do to a attacking zombie. That's all done very well but the make up of the zombie's faces are really bad. But don't hesitate to go search for it, is will well worth your money. The only thing I could say that was a bit annoying was the Irish language, I have nothing against that but it is sometimes hard to understand and sadly there were no subs on it.

The plot was an interesting and entertaining twist on zombie outbreaks. I was going to rate this 5 stars due to the low budget production and the occasionally incomprehensible Irish accents. However, I realized there was also some significant directing being done on a shoe string budget. The actors were for the most part better than average. I got the required minimum few scares. The blatant attempts for laughs were down played to a minimum, like the music. And the shots of the low budget effects were not enough to become laughable. I also liked the closing song. And who doesn't love a good cow turned meat eating predator? "What was that?" "That was a cow." "It couldn't be." "Why not?" "They're all dead." ... and then ... the bad news. Bon apetit!

Helena (Marian Araujo) and her boyfriend Martin (David Ryan) are traveling in the Irish Country for the weekend. When they hit an man by accident on their car but what seems to be accident, this man attacked them and he bite Martin in the neck. After Martin kills this crazed man, Martin becomes increasingly weak. Helena tries to find help for her boyfriend but suddenly he attacks her. While Helena is running for her help, she finds help from a mysterious gravedigger Desmond (David Muyllaert). Helena finds out from Desmond that it all started with some several farmers are been serving dead meat to the call. Which the meat is been infected with an Mad Cow Disease. When these cows get sick, they bite and kill several adults by infecting them. Which they become mindless zombies and affecting others in the country side of Leitrim, Ireland.Written and Directed by Conor McMahon made an decent, somewhat imaginative low-budget effort horror film. I read many reviews of this film saying this is a Horror/Comedy. But i don't see the comedy in this movie but it certainly tries hard. Dark Comedy element failed in this picture, which i thought, it has many unintentional funny moments. Also the make-up effects are amateurish at best but i felt the digital video camera work in the film by Andrew Legge is good, however. Perphas what's truly missing in this effort is the lack of real scares.DVD has an fine anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1) transfer and an good Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD also includes an behind the scenes featurette, an short film titled "The Braineater" and trailer. There's decent performances by Araujo and Muyllaert but don't quite feel something for these characters. Although the premise is good, since in the old days Farmers did feed dead meat to their cows. Which it's illegal now, which Farmers are not supposed to do. The movie is watchable but it's hurt by failed black comedy and an unsatisfying conclusion. Although, Horror Fans will find some enjoyment here. (***/*****).

When a movie is categorised as Horror/Action/Comedy you can be forgiven for assuming it will make you recoil in fear/marvel at the action/laugh at the funny bits. The scariest part of this film was the idea of being stuck in the Irish countryside for the night with a bunch of inbreds who speak some rural off shoot dialect not dissimilar to Brad Pitt's pikey in 'Snatch'. The action comes in the shape of an old woman trying to change the tyre on her husbands land rover and some suspense shots, er, borrowed shall we say from 'The Evil Dead'. I must admit though we did get one good laugh at the end of the film, as the credits rolled to the sound of one of the directors mates band's I turned to my friend Steven and asked "So how much did you pay for this?".