Juan of the Dead

You HAVE to see this zombie movie.

It's the finest in post Castro Cuban cinema.  But that doesn't mean much.  It's Cuban cinema and it is actually GOOD.

It's sort of a take off on Sean of the Dead.  But I forgive them that indulgence considering the source.  It's just the broad concept, not plagiarism.  Plus all the Cuban flare, and on shoe string budget it seems.  By our standards.

You think it's hard for an average Joe to get an effective firearm in Britain?  Be a civilian in Cuba.

You got a feeling the filmakers are winking at you all the time.  Like when the news man blames troubles on US disidents.  "sure sure... riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight..." seems to be the subtext throughout. 

But forget the subtext.  The Text is decent furren zaniness in a zombie package.

It follows the usual tropes.  "Like what T-bolt?"  Well, this is Cuba.  They don't have the rich zombie tapestry to draw from.  At least of the diseased shamblor variety.  So, like most movies, the protagonists have to luck out in their discovery of the ins and outs of zombie combat.  There is the usual "Ah-HAH!  A shot to the head does the trick!  Hand me that baseball bat and stop stabbing them in the heart."  In a horror movie, this is done to frighten.  The discovery is milked for laughs, invariably in a comedy.  Like this.

This character's angle?  It's Cuba.  In a crisis, charge neighbors money.  It's a way to bankroll his Angola hand to hand skills.