Juan Of The Dead Like all great zombie movies, Juan Of The Dead is not just about the dead rising up and infecting the living. While George A Romero may be the undisputed King of the sub-genre using his movies as metaphors for race relations, capitalism and the need for society and human contact, Alejandro Brugués clearly aims to follow in the same tradition. The idea of a Zombie apocalypse in Cuba is something new, the way the news report the incidents is as much a part of the story as the blood and guts. The story involves Juan, a deadbeat scavenger, who after witnessing the dead taking over the city of Havana, realises that there is money to be made from the situation. After arming himself and a loyal group of buddies, Juan sets up a business designed to dispose of civilian’s relatives who have turned and they can’t kill their own family. Aiming to impress his estranged daughter, Juan and his associates travel around Havana looking for business or liquor. Juan Of The Dead owes a great deal to the many Zombie movies that came before it. Juan, like Tallahassee from Zombieland, couldn’t find his lot in life until the end of the world arrived. Like Shaun, he does what he can to impress a girl he loves (different kind of love) and like the characters of Day of The Dead, Juan has a history in the military. Juan Of The Dead definitely relies more of the comedy than the horror, Juan’s zombie killing collective range from a huge, hulking man who can’t stand the sight of blood and has to fight blindfolded to his best friend Lazaro who wields butcher knives to hack through the undead hordes. Various set pieces lead to brilliantly comedic scenes, Juan trying to communicate in English is a particular highlight. There is also a Zombie Kill Of The Week that far surpasses Sister Cynthia Knickerbocker’s cartoon piano disposal of the undead. Juan’s best joke is by far the reference to media control in Cuba, zombies are labelled dissidents and the attacks are blamed on the US. Certain set pieces are only eerie rather than scary, the sight of the zombie masses travelling under water is creepy and Juan walking through the streets of Havana with only screams soundtracking it is creepy. The problem is that there is no threat that comes from the Zombies, while they may stumble across the road aggressively and we do see a number of deaths, they could always have been avoid-
ed. Juan destorys zombie after zombie solely with the use of an oar, possibly an obscure reference the Shaun’s bat. All in all, Juan of the Dead is a delightfully light hearted romp. Juan may be an unlikely hero, but he certainly is that and his comrades are equally affable and brave int heir own way. Some of the jokes fall flat but the jokes about being Cuban are a refreshing delight. Certainly not a horror, but it is entertaining enough. Juan Of The Dead is a film much like its titular character, an underachiever that manages to surprise everyone at least a few time. If only it could have been scarier. JH