It doesn’t need to be said that George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead is one of THE most influential independent films of all time. The various strands of its web reach far and wide in the world of film – not just horror. What might not be as well-known however, is that Romero wasn’t the only bona-fide filmmaker of the crew that brought Night to life.
One such individual is the “Cemetery Zombie” himself, Bill Hinzman. Aside from playing what is arguably the most important zombie in modern horror film history, Hinzman was also a camera operator on Night of the Living Dead and became a regional filmmaker of his own.
Wanting to revisit the Cemetery Zombie in some fashion, Bill Hinzman wrote, directed, edited and starred in Flesheater in 1988 – his sleazy ode to Romero and Night of the Living Dead.
Just like Night, Flesheater was shot locally in rural Pennsylvania with friends, family, and local talent. Regional horror is known for its flavor of authenticity despite working with miniscule budgets, and Flesheater oozes that charm from scene to scene. There is no story to speak of – a zombie once buried in some kind of satanic ritual (the film only mentions satanic shenanigans once in an off-handed way) is accidently freed from his special coffin and proceeds to much and crunch any warm body in his way, thus creating an ever-growing zombie horde in his wake.
There is something about that Pennsylvanian countryside that makes for a spooky backdrop to your low budget zombie epic. The sky is always overcast in steel grey cloud cover and the hills seem to roll on forever and ever; creating a true sense of isolation to the proceedings.
Despite the acting talent in the film being universally, well, amateur to say the least, Bill Hinzman is able to imbue Flesheater with a creepy sense of dread he sustains for a breezy 80 some odd minutes of undead fun. What struck during my first viewing of the film was how Hinzman actually managed to surprise me with the mean-spirited tone of the film. Flesheater starts off one way with a certain set of characters and you think you know exactly how it will go from the opening minutes. But no, Hinzman pulls the rug out from under you.
Nobody is safe. Once the titular Flesheater of the title is free in the opening minutes, the film barrels from one gory set piece to the next and never bothers trying to be anything more than a good time. There are no central characters. There are morals and lessons or themes. Flesheater is Bill Hinzman having fun and making a movie his friends and family.
The special effects were handled by Jerry Gergley, who has credits such as Babylon 5 and the remake of My Bloody Valentine under his belt. I think it’s safe to say that the real star of the film is the gore. We get plenty of icky bites, a zombie punching its arm though a stomach, ripped out organs, splattery zombie kills, and a few other odds and ends I won’t spoil.
The gore isn’t as epically grotesque as say, Romero’s Day of the Dead; but it won’t leave you wanting.
As mentioned above, Flesheater is indeed a low budget, regional, indie horror film. Depending on people’s taste and preferences, their mileage may vary when it comes to embracing what the film is offering. Flesheater is very competently made. Hinzman is no hack, but the cast being comprised of non-actors is a treasure chest of awkward dialogue delivery and laughable performances. We’re horror fans though; these things are often a feature, not a bug.
Flesheater is one of those modest little horror gems that makes you want to share it around with all your pals so they can enjoy its homegrown delights. It’s a perfect “beer and pizza” flick. There is something refreshing about watching a horror film as absolutely unpretentious as this one. It’s not trying to be clever. It’s not trying to be subversive. It’s not even trying to say anything. It has one goal: to be as entertaining as possible.
As a work of no-frills zombie entertainment and as a tertiary piece of the legacy of George A. Romero, seek out Flesheater. It’s a hoot. You can grab it on 4K from Vinegar Syndrome!
The post ‘Flesheater’ – The Gory and Sleazy Pleasures of Bill Hinzman’s Ode to ‘Night of the Living Dead’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.