Film Review: Wasting Away

Review of: Wasting Away (2007)

Film:: Matthew Kohnen

Reviewed by: David M. Brown

Rating:: 3

On May 19, 2013Last modified:May 19, 2013

Summary:

Wasting Away is a funny and refreshingly different take on the zombie horror movie.

More DetailsAbout Wasting Away (2007)When a military bio-weapons truck is involved in an accident, its top secret cargo of toxic green goo finds its way into the self-serve ice cream at a bowling alley. And when four friends enjoy luminous green sundaes, they are transformed into the Walking Dead with a craving for brains! The world looks very different through their eyes as zombies, and it seems like everyone else has gone mad. Confused, scared and convinced they’re the only sane ones in a sea of infected humans, the friends struggle to set things right. In their search for the truth , they may be completely unaware of their rotting un-deadness, but, they do find that life only begins at death….

Starring: Matthew Davis, Betsy Buetler, Tracey Walter, Richard Riehle, Julianna Robinson

Directed by: Matthew Kohnen

Runtime: 90 minutes

Studio: Level 33 Entertainment

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Review: Wasting Away

Matthew Kohnen’s Wasting Away is the latest zombie comedy I have come across and given that previously I’ve enjoyed Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland, it had some hard acts to follow. The film tells the story of a serum that is effectively green goo and has accidentally been unleashed. A group of friends – Mike (Matthew Davis), Vanessa (Julianna Robinson), Tim (Michael Grant Terry) and Cindy (Betsy Beutler) – consume the serum via ice cream despite the unusual colour. They are turned into zombies and begin wandering the city. Sounds like standard horror, right? Wrong. This film has a unique angle that works very well.

The film begins in black and white which represents the perspective of humans. When our four friends consume the ice cream, they quickly turn to zombies but then the film switches to colour. Our friends are normal again yet the world is different. People they encounter talk and move fast, they flee in terror from the zombie group and if cornered fight them. The film switches between the two extremes, showing us humans coming up against the zombies, attacking them with knives, guns, anything they can get their hands on. When we switch to colour the four friends are confused not only by people’s reactions but by the wounds on their bodies, parts of them falling off and even the sudden, inexplicable desire to eat human brains. The group meet Nick Steele (Colby French), a soldier also exposed to the serum who reveals they have become super soldiers, a top secret military experiment to create the ultimate warrior. Going up against the military, heading for the local bowling alley or restaurant, the group try and reverse the effects on them, not realising they are actually zombies.

Wasting Away falls short of the likes of Shaun of the Dead but that unique angle it has makes it a must-see. Zombies are depicted here as confused and vulnerable and it’s their perspective we get to enjoy for a change. There are many laugh out loud moments as the zombies lose various body parts (one in particular raised a big smile), while facing off against the military. Backed by deliberately corny speeches and heroic background music this is 90 minutes of pure absurdity, slapstick with a sprinkling of gore and the end product is great fun.

Wasting Away is a funny and refreshingly different take on the zombie horror movie. Telling the story from the zombies’ perspective and having them believe they’re something other than the undead was genius. It can’t match up to other zombie comedies but if you enjoy an evening with friends watching a silly but well thought out film then this one is worth your consideration.

Verdict: 3/5

(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)

About the Author:

I was born in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England and have always been a bookworm and enjoyed creative writing at school. In 1999 I created the Elencheran Chronicles and have been writing ever since. My first novel, Fezariu's Epiphany, was published in May 2011. When not writing I'm a lover of films, games, books and blogging. I now live in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, with my wife, Donna, and our six cats - Kain, Razz, Buggles, Charlie, Bilbo and Frodo.

David M. Brown – who has written 672 posts on Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave.

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