Hey gang, Valkor here. So I was taking a walk down memory lane, taking a look back at all the films I reviewed and I have to say, I review a lot of horror… and yet I don't consider myself a horror buff. I enjoy a good scare but I'd reach for a comedy or action flick well before I do horror. And there are tons of filmmakers who walk this road and I wonder why? Is it easier to try and scare someone rather than make them laugh? I don't know... Regardless, this next film to reach my media player (PS3) is called GermZ. What does the Z stand for? Well it should be called "zoinks" from all the Scooby-doo running around in this film. And yet the film isn't all that funny. Beware spoilers!
In the film GermZ, a satellite, after getting smacked by an asteroid, crash lands on into the heart of a small mountain called Preacher Mill. This particular satellite was one that the military was planning on destroying regardless. Unfortunately for the folks in Preacher Mill, the satellite brought back something extra in the form of a virus that turns the townspeople into stark raving cannibals. Ultimately those cannibals are either killed by the townsfolk or their heads suddenly explode. The army sends in their people to contain the situation, but that pretty much fails. And now it becomes survival of the fittest for those who haven't been exposed.
In the midst of all the chaos, there's a bit of a love story between the town's deputy Max (Michael Flores) and his jump off (casual lover) Brooke (Marguerite Sundberg). Max wants to take things to the next level, but Brook isn't feeling it. However at the end of the film, the two lovers confront their feelings for one another before they either join the infected or die trying to survive.
The original title for this film was "Germ " and I'm guessing the Z was added for "zombie". However the infected in this film, while they do have a taste for human flesh, they aren't really zombies. So I believe the film should have used its original title. In any case, GermZ is your typical, paint by the numbers horror. But is it worth checking out?
The Good:
Though I have a few qualms with GermZ, overall I was pretty impressed with the film. The story is dark, gorey, well paced, with lots of action. Though the action kicks in at the jump, it takes a little time for the full story to settle in and once it does, it does an excellent job of holding your attention with a nice balance of story with savage eatery. From a guy who's not a fan of these types of films, I'd have to say GermZ was a pretty decent experience.
The Bad:
Sure there's a lot of running around, people eating people and others trying to escape the savagery… and yet there's no real tension, no sense of urgency. This small town is being swarmed by people infected with… whatever virus this is and most of the main characters just run around aimlessly. I feel it's the acting that's holding things back and while I wasn't expecting anything Academy Award worthy, I simply wanted to see more panic. And that's something I didn't feel within this movie. Next, that love story – well it's not as romantic as it should be, it's almost forgotten about until the end. Brooke and Max aren't really trying to find one another – they just happen to find each other, or rather Brooke just happens to find Max, who is slowly turning into one of the infected after being bit. This is a missed opportunity because I think Max should have become infected, Brooke finds him, and she's impacted by the fact that this guy who truly cared for her is gone. That would have been heavy. Finally, because of how the film ends, we're left to wonder about the outcome of the virus and the infected townspeople; we know that those who were infected, will eventually experience head explosion and die. But we don't know if the military was properly reached, if one of the infected survived long enough to make it out of town and infect others. Will the germ mutate? GermZ ends leaving us the viewers with too many unanswered questions and that might unnerve some people.
It's Cheesy:
The cheesiest moment in the film is when Deputy Max faces a swarm of infected. The film cuts just as the swarm reaches him and when we cut back, he's alive struggling under a pile of dead bodies. Come on, son!
The Ugly:
Poor Chad (Brendan Nagle)! Some folks simply had chunks taken out of them. They chewed through him to the bone.
GermZ is available now and while I have some hefty negatives mentioned up top, I still found the film to be pretty entertaining and gruesome. Is it good enough for repeat performances? I probably wouldn't watch it again, then again I'm not the biggest zombie or zombie-esque fan. Still, out of TOV 5 stars, I'm gonna meet Germ Z halfway and give it a 2.5.
