Considering the title and the presence of “adult entertainment” star Jenna Jameson, you might not be surprised to see equal amounts of nudity as in a late-night Skinemax movie. I wonder if the grand plan of writer/director Jay Lee was to make a soft-core porno but include zombies to increase the sales potential. Through the poorly attempted satiric prologue, we learn that George W. Bush is President for a fourth term, public nudity has been banned, and science has created a virus to reanimate fallen soldiers. When the virus is unleashed, an infected “soldier” makes his way to the most conducive place to work off a zombie bug: an underground strip joint run by Robert Englund. The soldier (ironically named Birdflough) bites Jameson, turns her into a zombie, mayhem ensues.
If Lee had intended for his movie to be taken seriously, it would have been a disaster. Fortunately, he takes the low road and creates a story that is incredibly dumb and illogical, yet in a strangely fascinating way. We never really get a good reason why normal people bitten by zombies turn into the normal undead yet the strippers when bitten are able to retain their memories, personality (or lack thereof in some cases), and the ability to talk. All these questions are momentarily forgiven though when the new undead exotic dancers proudly exclaim “I’m gonna dance!”
I haven’t been impressed with his output over the past few years but Robert Englund does a decent enough job as the flamboyant, germaphobic club owner. Even though he brings his familiar Krueger vibe, he has some pretty funny lines especially as he goes way over-the-top later in the movie as more zombie carnage occurs. Jameson and the girls are okay but to be honest, are we really expecting Oscar-worthy performances out of them? The rest of the acting though is pretty much garbage especially the clichéd Russian stripper wrangler who keeps getting American idioms wrong and Paco, the cappuccino-skinned cleaning guy who is only around for Hispanic stereotype purposes.
The comedy in this movie was all over the place from odd but still funny lines (“Get away, you walking herpe”) to visual gags like the recoil of the nudie bar as Jameson performs her first dance with half of her throat missing. Sure, some of it falls flat but what doesn’t is primarily due to the delivery which too is wildly inaccurate. And for some reason, Lee thought it necessary to include homages to other completely random movies like Blazing Saddles (twice!), Warriors, and … Starship Troopers? Whatever. For a movie that was budgeted pretty low I would assume, the production values were okay but I enjoyed the effects as they too are pretty absurd but mostly all practical. It almost reminded me of Dead Alive in that aspect but then again I feel that is sacrilegious to Peter Jackson.
The story though and especially the pacing needed work as the movie starts and stops at a moments notice and lingers on ideas not bad to begin with but awful when drawn out (i.e. ping pong and billiard balls shot from a dancer’s … wahoo). Honestly, the entire concept is notable but pretty thin and would have been more satisfying with a short 70 or 80 minute movie. While I cannot in good faith recommend you watch it, chances are if you do, there will be something to your liking.
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