Zombie Honeymoon
Encyclopedia
Zombie Honeymoon is a 2004 independent
horror film
produced by Hooligan Pictures. The New York Times described it as, "Not quite the campfest its absurd but undeniably catchy title suggests, Zombie Honeymoon is actually an emotionally driven blend of romance, comedy and horror." The movie won a Chainsaw award in 2006 for best low-budget film.
) and Danny (Graham Sibley) Zanders, whose honeymoon is disrupted by an attack that turns Danny into a zombie. Denise is torn between her desire to protect her husband and her revulsion at what he is becoming.
American newlyweds Denise and Danny have just begun their month-long honeymoon by the ocean in New Jersey
when Denise witnesses a ragged man, fully clad, emerging from the water. She screams to rouse her sleeping husband, but it is too late; the zombie
attacks. Holding Danny down, he vomits a black, viscous fluid into Danny's mouth before collapsing. Rushed to the hospital, Danny cannot be revived, but as the doctor is telling Denise that her husband is dead he reanimates on his own. Soon after his release, it becomes clear to Denise that all is not well. The vegetarian Danny is craving meat. When Denise finds that her husband is struggling with compulsive cannibalism, she is horrified, but compelled by love and pity to clean up after him and protect him. Her efforts to help him overcome his urges prove futile. Danny's body count mounts while his willpower deteriorates as quickly as his decomposing flesh. Though Denise has not been able to bring herself to flee her husband, even as he kills their closest friends, the remaining bonds of love that have held Danny back from killing his bride seem to have dissolved. He attacks her and forces her down, beginning to produce the viscous fluid that had transformed him. Just before infecting Denise, he turns his head, sparing her his fate. He apologizes to her as he finally dies. Denise, after tenderly disposing of his body, goes back to the beach, where she remembers better times between them and looks to the tickets that the pair had purchased to start their dream life in Portugal
.
DVD release. Shortly after Gebroe completed his first feature film, The Homeboy, in March 2002, his younger sister's husband died in a surfing accident. Many of the details in the movie mirror his sister's story, including his sister Denise's art and her plan to move to Portugal with her husband, Danny. Gebroe was inspired by her experience to write a movie which, in his words, is "[a]bout how terrifying it is to dedicate yourself wholly and completely to a relationship in the knowledge that one day that person might be taken from you just like that." Gebroe told horror fansite Hollywood Gothique in 2005 that "Above everything else, [the film]...was kind of a valentine to her strength, her ability to get through her grief and keep moving in life." His choice of zombies to represent "the cruel hand of fate" was inspired both by the psychobilly
music which his sister and her husband enjoyed and by the 1979 film Zombie
by Lucio Fulci
, which he and his sister saw as young children. He also cites as influences Roman Polanski
's Macbeth
, David Cronenberg
's The Fly
and Paul Morrissey
's Andy Warhol's Frankenstein.
, which described it as a "strong, well-thesped pic", indicated that it "scores simultaneously as romantic, tragic, grotesque and screamingly funny." Salon.com
, which characterized it as "a highly disturbing combination of gruesome gore and earnest, tragic romance not encountered since David Cronenberg's "The Fly," if ever", singled out for praise the acting and the script, summarizing that "the film's strange blend of tragedy and surreal gore, à la Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci, is surprisingly effective." New York Times notes that the film betrays its low budget, but though finding it "never truly engaging or frightening" suggests the movie is partially salvaged by "solid performances (especially Ms. Coogan's) and capable direction by Dave Gebroe, whose script is infused with some wickedly funny lines." The Village Voice
found the story derivative, if sometimes funny, but also singled out Coogan, stating that "if this silly retread works at all, it's because of Coogan, who comes at the creaky premise with almost Streepian commitment and who is destined, it would seem, for better things."
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
produced by Hooligan Pictures. The New York Times described it as, "Not quite the campfest its absurd but undeniably catchy title suggests, Zombie Honeymoon is actually an emotionally driven blend of romance, comedy and horror." The movie won a Chainsaw award in 2006 for best low-budget film.
Plot
Zombie Honeymoon centers around legitness and the doomed love story of Denise (Tracy CooganTracy Coogan
Tracy Elizabeth Coogan is an Irish actress most widely noted for her leading role in the 2004 independent film Zombie Honeymoon.-Career:Coogan was born and raised in Trim, County Meath, Ireland, one of five children of Michael and Ann Coogan. She first acted in many theatrical productions at school...
) and Danny (Graham Sibley) Zanders, whose honeymoon is disrupted by an attack that turns Danny into a zombie. Denise is torn between her desire to protect her husband and her revulsion at what he is becoming.
American newlyweds Denise and Danny have just begun their month-long honeymoon by the ocean in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
when Denise witnesses a ragged man, fully clad, emerging from the water. She screams to rouse her sleeping husband, but it is too late; the zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
attacks. Holding Danny down, he vomits a black, viscous fluid into Danny's mouth before collapsing. Rushed to the hospital, Danny cannot be revived, but as the doctor is telling Denise that her husband is dead he reanimates on his own. Soon after his release, it becomes clear to Denise that all is not well. The vegetarian Danny is craving meat. When Denise finds that her husband is struggling with compulsive cannibalism, she is horrified, but compelled by love and pity to clean up after him and protect him. Her efforts to help him overcome his urges prove futile. Danny's body count mounts while his willpower deteriorates as quickly as his decomposing flesh. Though Denise has not been able to bring herself to flee her husband, even as he kills their closest friends, the remaining bonds of love that have held Danny back from killing his bride seem to have dissolved. He attacks her and forces her down, beginning to produce the viscous fluid that had transformed him. Just before infecting Denise, he turns his head, sparing her his fate. He apologizes to her as he finally dies. Denise, after tenderly disposing of his body, goes back to the beach, where she remembers better times between them and looks to the tickets that the pair had purchased to start their dream life in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
.
Production
Writer/director David Gebroe has discussed the genesis of the film in several interviews and in a "Behind the Scenes" feature on the 2006 Showtime EntertainmentShowtime Networks
Showtime Networks, Inc. is the corporate division of media conglomerate CBS Corporation.The company was established in 1983 as Showtime/The Movie Channel, Inc. after Viacom and Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment merged their premium channels, Showtime and The Movie Channel respectively, into one...
DVD release. Shortly after Gebroe completed his first feature film, The Homeboy, in March 2002, his younger sister's husband died in a surfing accident. Many of the details in the movie mirror his sister's story, including his sister Denise's art and her plan to move to Portugal with her husband, Danny. Gebroe was inspired by her experience to write a movie which, in his words, is "[a]bout how terrifying it is to dedicate yourself wholly and completely to a relationship in the knowledge that one day that person might be taken from you just like that." Gebroe told horror fansite Hollywood Gothique in 2005 that "Above everything else, [the film]...was kind of a valentine to her strength, her ability to get through her grief and keep moving in life." His choice of zombies to represent "the cruel hand of fate" was inspired both by the psychobilly
Psychobilly
Psychobilly is a fusion genre of rock music that mixes elements of punk rock, rockabilly, and other genres. It is one of several subgenres of rockabilly which also include thrashabilly, trashabilly, punkabilly, surfabilly and gothabilly...
music which his sister and her husband enjoyed and by the 1979 film Zombie
Zombi 2
Zombi 2 is a 1979 zombie horror film directed by Lucio Fulci. It is the best-known of Fulci's films and made him a horror icon. Though the title suggests this is a sequel to Zombi Zombi 2 (also known as Zombie, Island of the Living Dead, Zombie Island, Zombie Flesh Eaters and Woodoo) is a 1979...
by Lucio Fulci
Lucio Fulci
Lucio Fulci was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is perhaps best known for his directorial work on gore films, including Zombie and The Beyond , although he made films in genres as diverse as giallo, western, and comedy...
, which he and his sister saw as young children. He also cites as influences Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski is a French-Polish film director, producer, writer and actor. Having made films in Poland, Britain, France and the USA, he is considered one of the few "truly international filmmakers."...
's Macbeth
Macbeth (1971 film)
Macbeth is a 1971 British-American drama film directed by Roman Polanski, based on William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Macbeth, about the Highland lord who becomes King of Scotland through treachery and murder. It features Jon Finch as Macbeth and Francesca Annis as Lady Macbeth...
, David Cronenberg
David Cronenberg
David Paul Cronenberg, OC, FRSC is a Canadian filmmaker, screenwriter and actor. He is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror or venereal horror genre. This style of filmmaking explores people's fears of bodily transformation and infection. In his films, the...
's The Fly
The Fly (1986 film)
The Fly is a 1986 science fiction horror film co-written and directed by David Cronenberg. Produced by 20th Century Fox, and Brooksfilms, the film stars Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis and John Getz. It is a remake of the 1958 film of the same name, but retains only the basic premise of a scientist...
and Paul Morrissey
Paul Morrissey
Paul Morrissey is an American film director, best-known for his association with Andy Warhol.Morrissey attended Ampleforth College, a private Roman Catholic boarding school and Fordham University, both Roman Catholic schools, and later served in the United States Army...
's Andy Warhol's Frankenstein.
Critical reception
The film has had mixed critical reception, but the writing and acting have been widely singled out for praise. VarietyVariety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
, which described it as a "strong, well-thesped pic", indicated that it "scores simultaneously as romantic, tragic, grotesque and screamingly funny." Salon.com
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
, which characterized it as "a highly disturbing combination of gruesome gore and earnest, tragic romance not encountered since David Cronenberg's "The Fly," if ever", singled out for praise the acting and the script, summarizing that "the film's strange blend of tragedy and surreal gore, à la Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci, is surprisingly effective." New York Times notes that the film betrays its low budget, but though finding it "never truly engaging or frightening" suggests the movie is partially salvaged by "solid performances (especially Ms. Coogan's) and capable direction by Dave Gebroe, whose script is infused with some wickedly funny lines." The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
found the story derivative, if sometimes funny, but also singled out Coogan, stating that "if this silly retread works at all, it's because of Coogan, who comes at the creaky premise with almost Streepian commitment and who is destined, it would seem, for better things."
External links
- Interview with director David Gebroe
- Zombie Honeymoon at Rotten TomatoesRotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...