Undead

At this point, it’s beyond challenging to craft something fresh within the “zombie-holocaust” genre. But leave it to a pair of wacky Australian brothers (Peter and Michael Spierig) to bring something new to the table in a big way. For starters, their blood-spattered budget is astoundingly low; the brothers rendered Undead’s 300-ish surprisingly pro-looking visual effects themselves on a slightly souped-up home computer. They push the story envelope as well, adding a sci-fi twist to the non-living, brain-eating mayhem. And while their script may not always succeed, one has to respect the Spierigs for trying. What comes out isn’t quite greatness but it is a good time, a rollicking mix of Mars Attacks!, The Return of the Living Dead and Evil Dead 2.