WYRMWOOD: ROAD OF THE DEAD
Australia, 2014, 98 minutes, Colour.
Jay Gallagher, Bianca Bradey, Leon Burchill.
Directed by Kiah Roche- Turner.
With an outt-and-out zombie movie, it is not too helpful to compare to other movies, especially mainstream, except other out-and-out zombie movies. Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead is definitely and out-and-out zombie movie.
The surprising thing is that it is an Australian film, made in and around Sydney for a small-budget by two brothers, who wrote the screenplay, with Kiah Roche- Turner directing and doing all kinds of technical things including editing, with his brother Tristan producing, doing all kinds of things as well, and even turning up as a zombie extra. The other surprising thing is that Screen Australia also contributed to the production. And, if the response of the fans is any indication, the film should make its money back – and then some…
For a lot of the time, as we focus on the hero, Barry (Jay Gallagher) as he takes the road fighting off the zombies, experiencing his wife and daughter turning, hoping to rescue his sister, Brooke (Bianca Bradey), he is certainly reminiscent of Mel Gibson as Mad Max. It seems that the brothers were keen to make a Mad Max film and they have succeeded. They have also declared an interest in films by George A.Romero, like Dawn of the Dead and wanted to incorporate that with Mad Max.
It takes very little time to introduce the audience to the zombies, no explanations, they are just there, looking their ugly best, on the rampage to destroy humans. There is also a group of military men in masks, who seem to be on the side of good, but throughout the film a fairly aggressive, the suggestion being that they are cautious about the spread of the plague.
As might be expected, there is quite a lot of firepower, up close and personal, as the zombies attack, are repulsed, are slaughtered.
But, there are some personal aspects of the plot. Brooke is involved with some artists but the studio is invaded and she is the only survivor, captured, put in a van with a number of characters, some of whom have turned, with a scientist, a scientist with the touch of the mad, who is keeping her alive and doing tests on her. it takes a while, but she does escape and meet up with her brother, Barry, the mechanic. He seems to have been leading a happy life at home and at work, loving wife and daughter, but when somebody is in the house at night, he evacuates them, goes on the road, only for them to turn and for him to try to survive first with his car which breaks down, then with a truck which, it is revealed, runs on zombie energy and requires a live zombie (so to speak) as an engine to keep the vehicle going!
Barry meets up with some anti-zombie fighters, but they are dubious characters and there is more Mad Max action on the roads. Barry is relentlessly tough and withstands a lot of fighting, slashing, bullets.
Then he meets up with an aboriginal character, Benny (Leon Burchill). Benny had appeared early in the film with some aboriginal friends who are chased through the bush by zombies, and he lives to tell the tale. Despite initial appearances, Benny has survived, and joins with Barry with the pursuing zombies turning on them (perhaps the first zombie film with aboriginal characters!).
This is a film for zombie fans only, audiences coming in from the outside may find it too much fairly early in the piece and bow out. But, for those who are fans, it is well done of its kind, given the limited resources, and it is a more imaginative turn on the zombie genre than usual.
