Vegar Hoel:  Martin
Stig Frode Henriksen:  Roy
Charlotte Frogner:  Hanna
Lasse Valdal:  Vegard
Evy Kasseth Rosten:  Liv

Release Date: November 10, 2009
Studio: IFC Films / Euforia Film
Genre:  Horror / Thriller
Rated: R      1 hr 30 mins

CAST:

Dead Snow

May 4, 2010

Reviewer: Rottenbucher

DIRECTOR:

Tommy Wirkola

*Comments:

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Finally, after an extremely limited US release, the much-hyped Norwegian Nazi-zombie film has been released on DVD.  After several award nominations and even a showing at Sundance, us who find Blockbuster, Red Box or Netflix as the only place to catch foreign films can get our chance to dig in.

A group of party-loving friends decide to take a weekend trip into a remote cabin in the middle of winter.  Somehow one of their friends who would rather cross country ski to the cabin’s location awakens a division of Nazis who disappeared into that region at the end of WWII. A creepy and cantankerous man visits the cabin and gives us that back story while the group finds a bunch of 1942-dated gold coins.  Nazi-zombies eventually besiege the cabin and, well, there you have it.

Aside from the shuffling Nazis and a winter setting, there isn’t anything all that unique about Dead Snow. Yes, it is a foreign film.  Yes, there is plenty of gore and even a quick sex scene. And the gallons of gore against a stark white background is visually stunning. But honestly this is basically Night of the Living Dead meets Evil Dead meets Zombie Lake, one of the first Nazi-zombie films.  There is comedy that will get some laughs and a few moments of actual suspense but if your horror film diet is nothing but zombie films, this is mostly familiar territory.  Except for the machine gun mounted on a snowmobile.

Outside of the fantastic contrasts between blood and blizzard, Dead Snow is a rather so-so affair.  Again we have nubile gals and dopey guys in a cabin that is swarmed by zombies.  This movie, along with the recentOutpost, shows that the typical zombie is now being replaced with thematic zombies in a specific locale.  It’s not bad, but not all that original either.

At this point in the zombie rotation, Dead Snow is entertaining and plenty of fun to watch, but not essential viewing.  Dead Snow is only recommended for zombiephiles or foreign film freaks.   And maybe the next Norwegian zombie flick will have the likes of Gorgoroth or Mayhem instead of Nazis.  Those bands have most of the make-up and the mannerisms already in place.