Boy Eats Girl

[MontagMOI]

I just dropped into my local Blockbuster to check out the bargain bin films to see if i could get something cheap to watch tonight when i came across a film called Boy Eats Girl. Does anyone know anything about this film. I looked at the credits but as soon as i saw the words 'starring Samantha Mumba' i started to feel like i do when i read the words 'starring Ving Rhames' which almost always induces a feeling of wanting to leave the store quickly. This film may have been discussed in here before but i have never heard of it. It would seem to be a UK production and i am guessing it is a Shaun Of The Dead cash-in.

[capncnut]

I never saw the movie but it seems to have a general 'thumbs up' from most reviewers. Boy Eats Girl may be a little too late to be Ireland's first zombie movie - Dead Meat has already been released, and more than a few video efforts have been made in people's back gardens - but it is just in time to be the first Irish zombie romantic comedy. The title might lead you to expect more of a spoof, but this is a zombie movie with laughs, rather than a parody. The central characters are Nathan (David Leon) and Jessica (Samantha Mumba), two friends who would secretly like to be more. But then there is a misunderstanding, which indirectly leads to Nathan being put in a position where he has to be brought back from the dead. Fortunately his mother (Deirdre O'Kane, playing a more vulnerable part than usual) has been nosing about in a secret burial place for missionaries involved in voodoo. With the help of borrowed book she reanimates Nathan without telling him. At first the signs are not obvious: no pulse, no sense of taste or pain, and by the time he realises there's something wrong with him he's already started to spread the zombie virus. Going back to the voodoo roots of zombies is a nice idea, and gives the movie a different spin, as does the idea of a protagonist who knows he's turning into a zombie and is trying not to endanger people. The misunderstanding between the two leads doesn't seem entirely necessary - I mean, if they're such good friends, why don't they just talk about it? - but that's a minor quibble; teenagers, after all, aren't known for being great communicators. The acting is generally good, hitting few false notes, and the characters, if not intricately layered, are at least consistent and entertaining. The zombies themselves aren't as scary as Bryan Murray, playing Samantha Mumba's dad (a character who could have been made more of) or as creepy as the priest guarding the surprisingly accessible crypt of the voodoo missionaries. The version of secondary school is a fairly typical movie portrayal, and oddly enough it's the only thing that risks seeming artificial, though there are certainly elements that ring true: the unrequited crushes, the 'My door is always open' type of teacher who thinks he's everyone's friend. And, of course, people always seem artificial when you're in school. The look is mostly naturalistic; the effects subtle at first, but slowly build up to all the spurting blood and dismembered body parts you've been waiting for. The build-up to the appearance of actual zombies is gradual, giving plenty of time to get to know the characters. The effects are good, not over-the-top and not too slick. It's also funny, which is a big help; a straight zombie movie is pretty hard to pull off these days. Boy Eats Girl may not be on quite the same level as, say, Shaun of the Dead, but it's still good fun.

[DEAD BEAT]

hum.... i thought this was a porno thread!

[prettycorpses]

I saw it awhile ago, its ok but the 'zombies' are probably more like 28 days later then proper zombies! It was good for a few giggles....not to spoil it but my one hope that a certain something would happen to a certain someone in this movie didnt happen.....bummer.........did that make sense?

[MinionZombie]

I thought it was alright, a good enough distraction, not great, but not bad either. It's an Irish zombie film if memory serves, not GAR zombies though. There's some decent gags thrown in and some decent gore here and there, worth a look anyway. If you wanna see a good low budget horror Brit-flick, I'd recommend "Evil Aliens", I saw it a while back and I really enjoyed it, there's some excellent gore thrown in there - and Emily Booth, mmmm ... tasty. And there's a great scene involving a combine harvester.

[capncnut]

Emily Booth, mmm... tasty. Personally I preferred the other two chicks from 'Bitz' but I'll look out for the movie anyway.

[MinionZombie]

It's directed by the bloke who did Razorblade Smile, a Brit. I was reading about the film recently in the Guerrilla Filmmaker's Handbook, and it sounds like he really put the effort in and had a lot of fun in the process. It's not superb or jaw dropping, but it's a solid chunk of indie Brit horror fun.