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The First Great Postmodern Horror Flick

Murry D. | Boca Raton, FL | 03/04/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a sadly misunderstood film because everyone is taking it too literally; it is actually a powerful and deliberate statement about postmodernism. A critic might say, "Why does a movie called 'Vampires Vs. Zombies' have no fighting between vampires and zombies?" The decision to use this title is a brave indictment of marketing and how it affects our preconceptions; it proves the postmodnernist thought that everything is relative to one's viewpoint. It is not well known, but auteur Vince D'Amato originally considered the title "Lesbian Vampire Boogaloo" but eventually settled on its current title to emphasize his point. And speaking of lesbianism, the film is also a bold statement about relative sexuality, since every last woman in this movie is a lesbian. Critics say the cars are driving at 5 kph (it was filmed in Canada) due to a limited budget and filming locations, however, this was a deliberate choice to show the relative passage of time and distance according to one's perception. The incomprehensible flashbacks are an ingenious way of showing the fickleness of human memory, and the ambiguousness in the mental hospital scenes is a shining example of the distrust we should exercise over our own senses. The existence and under-utilization of the few zombies in the movie with no explanation at all or even surprise by the characters is a striking portrait of how events outside our control--even events as large as a zombie apocalypse--are beyond meaningful comprehension. I could try to explain more of the meanings behind the interactions of the main characters, but there is none--and that is the point! For instance, when the father of the converted lesbian vampire has a wooden stake through his shoulder and is soaked in blood, she calmly asks, "Is everything all right?" I was simply blown away by the postmodern implications of this statement. You'll just have to see this movie for yourself.

With such a philosophically challenging film I can see how its greatness has yet to be recognized. I believe that within a few years this will be hailed as the first great postmodern horror flick. But that's just my viewpoint."