Braindead (a.k.a., Dead Alive) (1992).

The Scoop:
This has been billed as the goriest film of all time, and for once, the hype does not lie. Early on, it manages to out-gross (and I don't mean box office here) everything that came before it, and it doesn't let up. The gore is pounded into you, becoming the ultimate parody of the genre. Reducto ad absurdum. By the end, when the hero is cutting down zombies left and right with a lawnmower, the gore has reached new comic heights. You gotta have a strong stomach for this one. (The movie has a strong stomach of its own, in fact -- and strong intestines that attack and devour anything that cross their path.)

Those New Zealanders are weird people.

But there's more to this early film by Peter Jackson than just the gore -- there's also a wonderfully funny script, a swashbuckling visual style and a bunch of head-long performances by a group of unknown actors. This one is a must for every horror aficionado, and a real eye-opener for those latecomers who only know Jackson for "Lord of the Rings" or "King Kong."

Best Line:
"I kick arse for the Lord!"

Side Note:
There are a few edited versions of this floating around which cut out the best parts, so double-check the box and accept nothing less than the full, uncut version.

Companion Viewing:
"Bad Taste" (1987) or maybe that helicopter scene from "28 Weeks Later" (2007).

Links:
IMDb.
Peter Jackson Online page.
Peter Jackson Fan Club page.
The Movie Cynics drinking game.

Take a Look:
Messing around in graveyards at night is always a bad idea. Shouldn't these kids know that by now?


Look out for that man with the lawnmower!