“Dead Snow”: Nazis, Zombies, and Skiers — Oh My!
With the summer months now upon us, the perfect cinematic refreshment for the impending heat wave has just hit theatres: “Dead Snow,” a Norwegian horror flick directed by Tommy Wirkola. Premiering in the United States at the Sundance Film Festival, this Nazi-zombie fiesta of gore is the perfect cure for the heatstroke-inspired blues of horror fans everywhere. And yes, you read me correctly: Nazi zombies.
As seen throughout cinematic history, some of the most classic (and sometimes overused) of all movie villains are Nazis and zombies. Both represent the twisted depths of the human condition, playing on our primal fears of brutality and barbarism. We hate nothing more than to be shown what we’re capable of when out humanity goes horribly awry. “Dead Snow” gets all of this absolutely right by ingeniously fusing Nazis and zombies together, a concept that alone makes this movie worth seeing.
“Dead Snow” tells the story of a twenty-something group of youths who find much more than they ever bargained for on a skiing trip in the Scandinavian mountains. The nonexistent plot is standard when considering the typical fare of the horror genre, and the best plot points of the movie are stolen from far better films before it: “Evil Dead” and “The Pirates of the Caribbean” to name two. But once the slightly-too-long buildup is over, the blood starts to flow and “Dead Snow” shows its true colors as a spatteringly terrific rollercoaster ride. And the old-school special effects caused me to reminisce of the simpler times when CGI didn’t rule the world.
Like any good horror film, “Dead Snow” doesn’t take itself too seriously. The movie’s corny moments run in stark contrast to the scenes stained in blood from all of the brutal violence — all too great effect. The human characters are not very sympathetic, and as far as I was concerned, they were fair game for the undead feeding frenzy. The acting and dialogue were as subpar as possible, but the violence was so explicit and the would-be skiers so bland, that you may find yourself waiting in anticipation for the zombies to eviscerate another unfortunate victim just to see how they make the kill. This is one movie that will have you cheering for the bad guys, despite the fact that they are undead fascists.
“Dead Snow” is a must-see for fans of European horror films and the zombie genre alike. If you are not faint of heart, this limited release will keep you entertained for all of its 90 minutes of runtime. After all, what more could one ask for from a zombie Nazi?
Tony Joseph
Staff Writer
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