Dead and Breakfast

Dead and Breakfast is a horror comedy in the vein of the Evil Dead series, Feast, Night of the Creeps, Shaun of the Dead, and Slither. I had pretty low expectations going in, but I was pleasantly surprised with how good and silly it was.

Dead and Breakfast has a bunch of college kids in a Winnebago traveling through Texas on their way to a wedding. They stop overnight in Lovelock, TX and end up in David Carradine’s bed & breakfast. He of course oozes Kung-Fu greatness just by standing there being the proprietor in his few scenes. Unfortunately, it’s also the night something escapes and causes the entire town to turn into zombies, and even David Carradine, Kung Fu master, can't save the day.

What did I really like about this movie? Throughout the opening credits and interspersed in the film are comic panels that help move the story along. I really liked the style used in the panels; it added an element of style to the film. I don’t expect a zombie comedy to have too much of a plot or character development to be funny. Dead & Breakfast has the required fake blood spurts; in fact the chainsaw scene is just priceless. You don’t really care about any of the characters. They are nowhere near as developed as they were in Shaun of the Dead, but this being a straight to video flick, I didn’t really expect them to be terribly developed. Everyone did okay with what they were given, but no one was particularly stand out either. I do like Gina Phillips though; I have ever since seeing her in Jeepers Creepers. The conversation between the sheriff and the doctor about the cow chip competition is quotation-worthy.

What was mediocre? The story has a Chorus in the form of a country band, much like Something About Mary. It’s funny, but it can pull you out of the story too. Their lyrics are just silly. Portia d Rossi’s character was unnecessary, and there wasn’t a whole lot of chemistry between any of the actors.

I’d say if you are looking for a zombie comedy and you have already seen Shaun of the Dead, you should rent Dead & Breakfast. It’s straight-to-video, but the gore and acting is better than you might expect. It’s no Shaun, but no much is.

Rating: 3 Purrs