(Exploring the often bizarre filmography of velvet voiced man-about-town Billy Zane!)
Our family trips always ended up with us lost and spending the night in places that we were told to avoid. The methadone patients loved meeting us, though. Years later, I’m still not so sure…
As Dr. Jason Hunt in the 2007 zombie style mayhem of The Mad, the ever cool, always reliable Billy Zane, also, discovers that a mini-family vacation can be a bloody hell for more reasons than one. While the squabbling between his controlling fiancé and his rebellious daughter may be bad – it’s nothing compared to the insatiable carnage that occurs at the small town bed and breakfast that they end up at. Soon that quaint retreat is overrun by folks infected by a tainted batch of local beef.
An amusing variation on the undead theme and a mild social statement on the paranoia caused by the outbreak of Mad Cow Disease, director and co-writer John Kalangis provides rapid shot humor and plenty of head splattering, body smashing mushiness, here. A zany 80s punk style soundtrack by Toronto band Half Past Four, also, adds to the squishy rambunctiousness.
As an unsure widower who has lost his cool, Zane nicely plays against type, as well. Infusing everything with a sense of bewildered understatement, his Dr. Hunt is believably influenced by his seductive yet overbearing partner (a tart Shauna MacDonald) and his moody, vegetarian daughter Amy (the perfectly pouty Maggie Castle). All involved, thankfully, realize this is a goofy romp and infuse it with the appropriate energy, ultimately making this a fun, low budget time waster – and a perfect reason to go TOTALLY IN-ZANE!!!!
Until the next time – SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan
Big Gay Horror Fan 