Listening to this episode, you might get the impression that I’m really hooked on the phrase, “zombie Nazis.” I am. I really am. Look at it this way: Two of my favorite film titles of all time belong to the Troma releases SURF NAZIS MUST DIE and CHOPPER CHICKS IN ZOMBIE TOWN (although, to pronounce the latter correctly, it needs to come out as, “CHOPPER CHICKS IN ZOMMMMMBIE TOWNNNNN!”). So if you take Nazis and zombies and bang ‘em together into one movie, from where I stand you’ve whipped up an amalgamation as irresistible as a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. (”Hey, you’ve got Nazis in my zombies!” “Well, you’ve got zombies in my Nazis!” “It’s two great atrocities that go great together!”)
So to strip this down to its basics, Tommy Wirkola’s DEAD SNOW is about a bunch of ski vacationers in an isolated cabin being assaulted by, you guessed it, zombie Nazis. Violence, gore, and flying body parts ensue, not to mention entrails being used as bungee cords. If you’re of a particular dispostion, it’s horror comedy at its most infectious. (Neither Ben Lyons nor Ben Mankiewicz were of that disposition. Your loss, guys.)
Wirkola is breaking out of his native Norway to direct — with Will Ferrell’s backing — an adaptation of Hansel and Gretel that envisions the siblings as grown-up witch hunters. I’m in love already. In the meantime, here’s my interview with the director, as well as the continuation of the great S-Horror/D-Horror debate!
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