Legion of the Dead’s stakes are high, but not always clear, in this chaotic, gore-soaked “Robert Rodriguez–style” fever dream by German makeup master turned writer/director Olaf Ittenbach.
Shifting between different pairs of characters, the movie opens with two bumbling mercenary brothers—argumentative Jeff (Hank Stone) and accident-prone Nicolas (Harvey J. Alperin)—using a door-to-door salesman approach to gather souls for the Devil’s Legion.
On the other side of town, we find William (Michael Carr) and Luke (Russell Friedberg), two dimwitted buddies hitchhiking their way through the California desert. Unfortunately for them, the only person willing to give them a lift is Psycho Mike (Christopher Kriesa), a local serial killer who has his own problems with foaming at the mouth and spastic fits that happen when he’s behind the wheel.
And just when you think things can’t get worse for the duo, they escape the serial killer only to be thrust into more drama, where we meet Geena (Kimberly Liebe), a kindhearted waitress with her own past connections to… of course, the Devil. A gory saloon-style showdown between good and evil erupts when a tall blond man (Matthias Hues) and his freshly undead legion arrive, with brothers Jeff and Nicolas demanding Geena, and all bloody From Dusk Till Dawn hell breaks out.
“Just as William and Luke escape the serial killer, they’re thrust into a gory saloon-style showdown between good and evil.”
Now that should have been the climax of the film, but we meander a bit for some confusing backstories and a twist ending. By far, the film’s saving grace is its elaborate practical effects, including the gag-worthy foam Psycho Mike spews.
There are some standout performances revolving around the brothers, though their scenes are a tad long once the off-color jokes have landed. I found these characters fun to watch and, honestly, would have preferred the whole story centered on them and their unlucky hijinks.
The film has a certain ridiculous humor that almost hits absurdity, especially in the brothers’ goofy, crude dialogue. It’s shot with a nice, gritty stylistic tone that gives the film weight and captures the cool sets, over-the-top creatures, and gross-out grindhouse gore. This horror gal was down for all that, but the confusing storytelling, overstuffed plots, and long-winded monologues slowed the pacing for me.
If you love splatter cinema with a dash of camp, killer practical effects, and don’t mind some extra acts in the plot, Legion of the Dead offers a fun ride.
"…This horror gal was down for all that..."
