The Sadness & Virus-32

I don't normally combine reviews, however these felt so closely linked that I thought it just makes sense. 

If you are into Zombie movies, please continue. If not, you can skip this. So, let's talk zombies. I'm going to quote myself from my review of "The Dead Don't Die."- "Since George A. Romero's 'The Night of the Living Dead,' zombie has equaled social commentary about society's pressing issues - whether it be race relations in 'The Night of the Living Dead' or consumerism in 'Dawn of the Dead' - the zombie motif is usually a fun way to talk about all different aspects of humanity's cruelty and ignorance which we inflict upon one other and the Earth. Jim Jarmusch isn't traditional and we could certainly use a conversation about climate change. " I wrote that in 2019. It's now 2022. The world endured four years of Trump, two years of a pandemic, the environmental crisis is worse than ever, and inflation is at the highest point it's been in decades. Plus the Russian invasion of Ukraine. People, I think it's fair to say, are mad, like really really mad. What does that give us in terms of zombie films - it gives us fast and pissed offed zombies, and in the case of "The Sadness" violence and blood like I've never seen before. This Taiwanese film is actually written and directed by a Canadian,  Rob Jabbaz. McPherson's Movie Marquee is still hoping to hear back from Rob about his movie. Anyway, in "The Sadness" the virus which infects people, it doesn't just turn them into your standard zombie, no, this turns them into homicidal axe wielding maniacs (with a slight zombie head tilt). If you are into zombie films, blood and guts B-horror movies, then "The Sadness" is blood-curdling screaming for you. 

Then there is "Virus-32," a zombie film out of Argentina and Uruguay! This one isn't nearly as violent but it does have the same manic energy to it and the zombies are also running full tilt. There is the same sense of chaos, a society gone mad - a sign of the times I think. What's this one about? A woman and her daughter find themselves under undead siege in a sports complex. As far as B-zombie films go, this one has tasty brains.

If you are in Ottawa, catch "The Sadness" at the Mayfair Theatre this week and then soon on streaming and blu-ray. Catch "Virus-#2" streaming on Shudder.