Pro Wrestlers Vs Zombies - Review

is, like others in the neo-B Movie revival, exactly what it says on the tin. Several big names from the professional wrestling stratosphere, including Rowdy Roddy Piper and 'The Franchise' Shane Douglas, are faced with a nightmarish apocalyptic scenario in which the living dead roam the earth with a penchant for lycra-clad flesh.

The recent spate of outlandish creature versus natural phenomena/ another outlandish creature films can broadly be lumped into two categories: so bad they're good, and so bad they're really bad.

However, there's always room for a fresh twist on a tried and tested formula. Pro Wrestlers Vs. Zombies is, like others in the neo-B Movie revival, exactly what it says on the tin. Several big names from the professional wrestling stratosphere, including Rowdy Roddy Piper and 'The Franchise' Shane Douglas, are faced with a nightmarish apocalyptic scenario in which the living dead roam the earth with a penchant for lycra-clad flesh.

With many films in the movement - and make no mistake, artistic integrity or no, it is a movement - the kitschy, low-budget feel is eschewed by the special effects. The very fact that there are effects, no matter how many decades out of date they appear, does bring the authenticity of the rest of the low rent features into question.

That isn't the case with Pro Wrestlers, however. There's no flash effects, the camera work is that of a small, dedicated crew rather than dozens of hands, and there's plenty of director and crew cameos filling in multiple roles.

That isn't to say it's all low-rent fare - the stars, although not particularly well-known and not on the same level as wrestling's most famous movie export, Dwayne Johnson, are recognisable to most wrestling novices; the makeup is excellent throughout, both on the deceased and the increasingly-beleaguered fighters; the soundtrack is perfectly suited to the frenetic subject matter and pacing.

First and foremost, Pro Wrestlers Vs Zombies is clearly a passion piece, made by people who love film and professional wrestling in equal measure, and it's this love that shines through the blood and guts.

Pro Wrestlers Vs Zombies is being toured in theatres across the US and is available on DVD from the 26th March

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