[Gangs Of The Dead]
Plot:Two warring gangs become trapped inside a warehouse after a horde of the undead set upon the place during an illegal arms deal.

Cast: Enrique Almeida, Reggie Bannister, Stephen Basilone, James C. Burns, Christine Conradt, Rocky Costanzo, Ethan Ednee, Terrence Evans, Janine Foster, Corey Foxx, Dave Gist, Noel Gugliemi, Geraldo A. Iglesias, Dayana Jamine, Thaddeus Jaworsky, Ryan King, Danny Martinez, Cazimir Milostan, Michelle Perdue, Krissann Shipley.

My Thoughts:One of the lesser "horror in the hood" films.

Review:"Gangs Of The Dead" (formerly known as Last Rites) sets a new low as far as hood horror films go. The movie follows two rival gangs, one black the other mexican...who end up at the same place at the same time (a funny coincidence when it's explained why in the film), buying illegal arms from a dealer named Mitch (Reggie Bannister). The two gangs have major beef with each other, and are ready to settle the score. But soon....more important matters arise when the undead, brought about by an asteroid crash, show up looking for some nourishment, in the form of human flesh.

If you've seen alot of horror films, or zombie films for that matter....it's not difficult to see what kind of direction "Gangs Of The Dead" will take. A group of people who despise each other, will have to try and put that aside in order to deal with a greater threat. However this film sets up this scenario with all the wrong players. Gang members in particular, who due to their lifestyles aren't exactly the types to put personal issues aside with their rivals for any reason...including a zombie plague. Which is pretty much how the whole film breaks down, with both rival organizations cursing at each other, beefing with one another, threatening one another, etc. for a majority of the picture. Sometimes as the viewer, you wonder if they forget that zombies are lurking just outside the warehouse looking to make them their next meal.

But seriously, if you've seen those tough talking gang movies or urban dramas, "Gangs Of The Dead" pretty much plays out like that. Just confined to one particular area, and with zombies added to the mix. This is one of the few movies where I couldn't really tell if the acting was good or bad, because the dialogue wasn't really much beyond profanity and street slang, which pretty much anyone who's black or mexican or ethnic in general can pull off with ease. I will give this film credit for coming up with a pretty cool intro for the zombies however. The way it all goes down, from the asteroid crash landing to what takes place before it does is a pretty awesome series of events to watch unfold. But the zombies themselves aren't used much in the film once it gets past it's first 6 minutes.

They're basically used from time to time in certain shots just to let the viewer know they're still out there, or to bite someone who wanders off alone...but the whole "gang member conflict" takes a front seat for a large portion of the picture. And that's it's major problem, considering there's nothing really interesting about these characters and you can only watch people pull guns on each other and threaten serious violence against one another so many times before you feel like you're trapped in an endless loop.

While writer/director Duane Stinnett may not be very good at creating interesting characters, or fully utilizing his films undead antagonists, he sure as hell does know how to end a film on a powerful note. The ending to "Gangs Of The Dead", as absurd as it was, was hilarious at the same time. "Gangs Of The Dead" is a film strictly for the hardcore zombie fan who can appreciate zombies in just about anything, and really isn't a movie the casual zombie movie fan would like that much. Overall, it's a good attempt at something new in the zombie subgenre...but ultimately, a failed attempt.

Positives:A striking ending, decent amounts of blood and gore. A few scenes which manage to shock and surprise.

Negatives:Bad script, not enough use of the zombies in the film, uninteresting characters.

Overall:Worth a watch if you're really curious about it.





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