Goal of the Dead (2014)
Olympique Des Paris turn up in a small town to play a cup tie against a lowly fourth tier team. However as the game gets underway a genetically engineered zombie style virus leaks out and a football match turns into a fight for survival.
Hyped Here in the UK as Shaun of the Dead at a football match, this is a lazy depiction of the film. If i was to describe it i would say it was a horror film produced in the style of the excellent Taxi movies from the Luc Besson stable. Serious subjects broached with a certain type of laugh out loud humour which has a French twist rather than the lads down the pub approach to the English Simon Pegg film.
The success of the film lies solely with the writing as it certainly isn't a conventional zombie film - there is no flesh eating for a start. The script is so well written that even very minor characters appear to be well rounded and therefore memorable during the brief scenes in which they pop up. Billed as a film of two halves which is a play on the old football cliche of a game of two halves, the film makers don't disappoint. The first fifty or so minutes is all getting to know you chat among the team, fans and a couple of really funny tv pundits, this half boasts some blackly comical humour and is a pleasure to watch. Once the match is over the film stops and the second half begins. It's totally unnecessary, but wholly original and a fun idea.
The second half of the film is a little run of the mill as various characters we already met in the first half, hole up in a bar and the fight for survival against the infected begins. Whilst still fun and darkly funny the horror aspect is upped and in a way it really isn't anything new to seasoned horror fans, the odd moment of laugh out loud humour aside.
On the whole Goal of the Dead is a wickedly, funny and most importantly original horror comedy. Highly recommended, to football fans especially.
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