Although “Shaun of the Dead” billed itself as a zom/rom/com, some people were perhaps confused as the zombies were not the ones falling in love. I mean, zombies need love too, don’t they?
Well, to prove that I’m not alone in my position along comes “One Hot Rotting Zombie Love Song”, the tale of a kind hearted zombie and his quest to find love, become a vegetarian and realize his dream of being a singer/songwriter. Jonas (Jackson Rock) is dissatisfied with a lifetime of eating brains and scaring the crap out of people. After a discussion at the bar with his friend Ritchie (Derick Lengwenus), he decides that it’s time to stop dreaming and realize his potential to be like Ed Robertson of the Barenaked Ladies. Jonas’ mission is not without challenges, but with the help of his human girlfriend Cheryl (Cristina Rosato) he just might be able to overcome prejudice and teach the living a thing or two about tolerance.
Director Christophe Davidson has fashioned a sharp, witty film that manages to be both a parody and a heartfelt ode to the classic zombie films. It is to his credit that the film is careful of being too pun driven and it manages to wrap up well before the joke gets tired. Davidson’s background in standup comedy is evident in the careful timing of the jokes and the filmmakers love of zombie movies shines through, making what could be a tedious gag fest a truly charming short. One of my favourite bits is the zombie echo of “brains” every time Jonas says the word in the zombie bar.
Destined to be a festival hit (it’s already won the bronze prize at this year’s Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal), “Zombie Love Song” is the feel good zombie movie of the year.
