Zombies. They really are the hardest working men and women in the mass murdering business. All day long they’re on their feet; crawling, climbing, following…and getting pile-drived through tables. Sadly, zombies also catch the most flack! Humanity as a whole has a big gripe with the legion of the undead, but in recent years select groups have really been on the forefront of zombie-oppression. Strippers and midgets, Hell even Abraham Lincoln and Marilyn Monroe are pro-head shots. The latest group to jump into the fray – wrestlers – are taking a particularly entertaining job…I mean jab…at the walking dead. You can read my review of Pro Wrestlers vs. Zombies below!
Pro Wrestlers vs. Zombies is written and directed by Cody Knotts, the man also responsible for Lucifer’s Unholy Desire and Breeding Farm. The cast is made up of real life former/current WWE/WWF/TNA stars including Shane Douglas, Roddy Piper, Kurt Angle, Matt Hardy, Reby Sky, Jim Duggan, and many fantastic independent ring performers.
“The Franchise Shane Douglas accidentally kills a wrestler in the ring. The wrestler’s brother Angus seeks revenge by surrendering his soul to an ancient demon to gain the power to raise the undead. Angus then pays for a private show at an empty prison to lure Douglas and his friend Rowdy Roddy Piper into a death trap.”
Based on what I know about Pro Wrestlers vs. Zombies behind-the-scenes, I think I can accurately say that it is an independent feature, which means it comes with all the bumps and bruises of a movie that wasn’t financed on a seven figure budget. This means the picture quality isn’t crystal clear and some shots make me cringe as a reviewer with a background in film. Why, why, why would you choose to film a movie with that camera and with those angles? A few audio problems and risky camera work aside, there is still a lot more to this movie than meets the eye.
Please excuse my language, but Pro Wrestlers vs. Zombies is entertaining as fuck. Seriously, from the very beginning shots of the movie when a zombie swan dives off a balcony after her prey to the very end of the movie, it is non-stop action, laughs, and gore. I described it to a buddy of mine as, “An episode of WWE Monday Night Raw, but with better storylines and zombies.” To be honest, I wasn’t expecting too much enjoyment out of this movie, but I was surprised and absolutely blown away!
The marketing factor alone really works for this movie. Forget the fact that Pro Wrestlers vs. Zombies is an independent production because it has the possibility to reach millions of fans. Start with the pro wrestlers – professional wrestling already has an audience of millions worldwide. Zombies have been a worldwide staple since the 60s and are even more popular now than before. Add in the action, gore, little bit of sex appeal for both sexes, and a little humor and this movie crosses the border of almost every film genre. I believe that any wrestling fan, horror fan, or movie viewer from the age of 13 to 23 will get a huge kick (to the face?) out of this movie.
Great concept with production flaws, but overall an above average horror flick with great stunt choreography and talented actors. An action packed feature that was more entertaining to me than the WWE Studios features. It’s got everything you’d want in a fun, late night horror film, and more! I’m crowning this the Intercontinental Champion of zombie flicks. I’m rating it an 8.1 out of 10.
