Dead Set on DVD (2008)

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Northernsky from Halifax [Highly rated reviewer] , 01/11/2008

Charlie Brookers 'Screenburn ' column in the Guardian is one of the highlights of any week it is actually in the paper . He has forayed into TV before with the hit & miss media satire Nathan Barley( which he co-wrote with Chris Morris) but for zombie apocalypse horror drama Dead Set Brooker takes a solo writing credit . Brooker had alluded to his fascination with the zombie genre( one i share) with his last book of collected writings Dawn Of The Dumb , which it could argued is the titular precursor for this series. Shown on E4 week commencing 27th October Dead Set sees an outbreak of zombiefication strike with the drama centred around the Big Brother house on eviction night.( The eviction for Dead Set was actually filmed on a real eviction night) Studio gofer Kelly ( Jamie Winston ) is being given the run around by obnoxious foul mouthed producer Patrick(Andy Nyamn). She is also on the cusp of cheating on her boyfriend Riq ( Riz Ahmed) - first seen hanging around a train station- with work-mate Danny( Eyles Gabel) but just as she is about to the zombies attack. The habitants of the Big Brother house- the usual array of social nematodes including a crass Northerner(gee thanks Charlie) a flamboyant cross dresser, a neurotic cerebral older chap and the obligatory thick as a whale omelette blonde- are oblivious to the zombies rampaging around at first . Kelly , proving herself adept in a crisis soon acquaints them with the facts and a siege ensues with the contestants barricaded in the house and the producer (callously locking doors behind him as he flees and condemning others to death) in an office with the latest evictee where he gorges himself on canapés and champagne cleverly mirroring the voracious zombies prowling around outside. Meanwhile Riq wants to find out if Kelly is still alive and teams up with no- nonsense gun toting Alex ( Liz May Brice) Many will make a correlation between the zombies and the inhabitants of the house and by proxy the people who watch them and view Dead Set as making some sort if sociological point. Brooker has denied this ,though it seems to me there may have been something whirring away subconsciously . I was expecting more verbal dexterity from the script( though it is very good at times one BB character referring to 'Palastinia' and another wandering into in a office declaring 'It smells of fingering in here') in but Brooker has played in pretty straight , though the high levels of profanity would probably upset some more than the extreme gore - which for a drama commissioned for TV is extreme, though it,s obviously in keeping with the genre. The cast acquit themselves very well with Winston and May Brice both excellent and special mention must go to Davina McCall who throws herself into her role as a zombie with terrific gusto. I cannot deny a certain frisson of pleasure as the usually annoying BB host had her throat ripped out but fair play to her for taking part. Director gives the drama a slightly eerie silvery sheen and doesn’t stint on the gore factor- indeed this must easily be the most gory programme ever made for British TV and it is , as you would expect nowadays, very realistic. Brooker has opted to eschew the usual shambling drooling rotting cadavers of classic zombie fiction and go for the faster screaming maniacal creatures from 28 Days Later. This may upset the purists but there is no doubt these zombies are far more terrifying and dangerous. No explanation for the zombie outbreak is given in the narrative but the characters speculate -terrorist attack, virus , something to with GM crops ( read Sarah Pinboroughs ridiculous novel 'Breeding Ground' for a GM angle on apocalyptic fiction) and given the dramas limited scope this is to be expected. This brings me to the only real problem with Dead Set .Setting it in the BB house means the narrative is pretty static and even though we get to see the effects of the zombie outbreak on the outside world through the eyes of Riq it,s more a tantalising glimpse than anything. Still this is an audacious drama given TV ,s normally conservative nature. If you didn’t catch it on TV( i suspect it will never make it on to Channel 4 or if it does in a graveyard slot -no pun intended) this DVD is a must and the promise of some juicy extras( cast interviews and behind the scenes stuff) makes it even more essential. Dead Set , despite Brookers assertion otherwise seems to me to be a coruscating comment on Britain and it’s 24 hour surveillance and fascination with what other people are doing . The final shots of numerous cameras focusing on the vacuous mass of zombie kind , their empty expressions staring back into the lens is Bookers view of us reflected back at ourselves. Now that really is scary.

  19 out of 21 people found this review helpful

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A customer from Liverpool , 18/11/2008

If you have ever done anything really bad for example not got your nan a present on what could be her last birthday or you know recently been involved in a hit and run and really want to punish yourself? If the answer is yes watch this pile of sh## I cant believe people have given this good reviews its garbage from start to finish it was the scene of Davina McCall doing a bad zombie impresion with slightly messy hair banging on the door which they show again and again and again which draws oout the most hatred for this film. Bad story line, bad acting bad bad bad but then again if your 8 years old you might find this entertaining.

  14 out of 15 people found this review helpful

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A customer from Preston , 28/10/2008

Have just watched he first episode of this on TV and really enjoyed it. Very good for anyone who likes a bit of Gory, zombie acion mixed in with their ever so slightly satirical look at the reality tv phenomena. I very much liked the scene in which the Big Brother housemates, when greeting a traumatised production runner seeking sanctuary in the house, automatically assume her very evident distress and fear and blood splattered state, are some kind of task set by Big Brother. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the series pans out and would reccommend a rental for anyone who missed it!!

  12 out of 13 people found this review helpful

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A customer from UK , 21/11/2008

I was looking forward to watching this as so many have given it such high scores. However, I was really disappointed and switched off this dvd after about an hour.

It just looks like something that was made for tv, dreary and with a very low budget. The 'action' begins when some relatives of Big Brother contestants are stopped on their way to the studio, to help a broken down car. The driver is attacked by a zombie and then turns into one himself. Then he goes to the studio and everyone there is attacked and turn into zombies too.

Overall, this is a dreadful film. The characters are just as boring as you would find in the BB series. The zombies aren't in the least bit scary and there is nothing to create a sense of tension, which can really make for a good horror flick.

The only interesting bit (and I am really trying here, is seeing the real Davina trying to act and later turning into a zombie. This is funny and the reason why I managed to find one star for this disappointing movie.

  5 out of 7 people found this review helpful

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A customer from Ilkley , 15/11/2008

Missed this when it was on the telly recently but as a regular reader of Charlie Brooker.s newspaper column was looking forward to seeing it. And what can I say its very entertaining, very gory and has some very bad language (including the C word). Its also pretty tense - and intense - in places with the fast moving zombies presenting a real and present danger at all times, though fortunately for the charcters they don't seem to be able to use there athletic abilities to climb over fences and other ostacles!

Like many films of this genre it follows an arc of initial confusion as the zombies attack followed by survivors finding/barricading there safe haven only for things to go all to hell in the final reel!

The episodes move at a fast pace and anyone familiar with the genre will see the production littered with references to films such as Dawn of the Dead, 26 days and so on. The best character by far is the shows Producer who really does not have one redeeming quality and is great entertainment to watch. Recommended.

  2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

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A customer from UK , 21/11/2008

I was looking forward to watching this as so many have given it such high scores. However, I was really disappointed and switched off this dvd after about an hour.

It just looks like something that was made for tv, dreary and with a very low budget. The 'action' begins when some relatives of Big Brother contestants are stopped on their way to the studio, to help a broken down car. The driver is attacked by a zombie and then turns into one himself. Then he goes to the studio and everyone there is attacked and turn into zombies too.

Overall, this is a dreadful film. The characters are just as boring as you would find in the BB series. The zombies aren't in the least bit scary and there is nothing to create a sense of tension, which can really make for a good horror flick.

The only interesting bit (and I am really trying here, is seeing the real Davina trying to act and later turning into a zombie. This is funny and the reason why I managed to find one star for this disappointing movie.

  5 out of 7 people found this review helpful

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