Whether audiences like them or not, zombie films have been around for almost a century. Rest assured that likely means that they’re here to stay.
A quick glance at Google.com tells us that Hollywood’s first attempt to reanimate the dearly departed was aboard White Zombie (1932), a Bela Lugosi chiller adapted from a 1929 Horror novel. Of course, there were a few more in the years between then and now, but perhaps the single greatest contribution was George A. Romero’s Night Of The Living Dead (1968), the thrill ride that still resonates with audiences today. 2004’s Shaun Of The Dead and 2009’s Zombieland heavily shrouded their walking dead with some much needed humor, proving that such undead antics could, would, and should always find an audience ready, willing, and able to go face-to-face with things that go bump in the night.
2023’s All You Need Is Blood loosely tries to broaden the comic application by trending a bit toward younger fare. At first blush, its laughs feel best suited for audiences of Nickelodeon or even Walt Disney’s daytime after school schtick: none of it is ever meant to be taken seriously, and its zombies – while hungry – still come across as a bit more cartoonish than they do truly frightening. Written and directed by Cooper Roberts, the genre outing stars Logan Riley Bruner, Emma Chasse, Neel Sethi, Tom O’Keefe, and Mena Suvari in prominent roles in the tale about a budding young filmmaker who gets his shot at stardom if and only if he can throw together a zombie flick for the Hollywood producer who just so happens to be in town for a festival.
To the film’s credit, All You Need Is Blood has played to some modest acclaim on the film festival circuit; and, frankly, I don’t find that all that surprising. Having taken it in, I can tell you that it’s that kind of mildly quirky comedy about more than just the Undead that festival types tend to embrace. Stories within a story rarely go out of style – as, it would appear, zombies features don’t either – so it’s understandable why this one drew blood where others tried and failed to rise from the dead.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come, then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“An aspiring teen filmmaker casts the perfect lead for his breakout zombie film: his undead dad.”
A quick glance at Google.com tells us that Hollywood’s first attempt to reanimate the dearly departed was aboard White Zombie (1932), a Bela Lugosi chiller adapted from a 1929 Horror novel. Of course, there were a few more in the years between then and now, but perhaps the single greatest contribution was George A. Romero’s Night Of The Living Dead (1968), the thrill ride that still resonates with audiences today. 2004’s Shaun Of The Dead and 2009’s Zombieland heavily shrouded their walking dead with some much needed humor, proving that such undead antics could, would, and should always find an audience ready, willing, and able to go face-to-face with things that go bump in the night.
2023’s All You Need Is Blood loosely tries to broaden the comic application by trending a bit toward younger fare. At first blush, its laughs feel best suited for audiences of Nickelodeon or even Walt Disney’s daytime after school schtick: none of it is ever meant to be taken seriously, and its zombies – while hungry – still come across as a bit more cartoonish than they do truly frightening. Written and directed by Cooper Roberts, the genre outing stars Logan Riley Bruner, Emma Chasse, Neel Sethi, Tom O’Keefe, and Mena Suvari in prominent roles in the tale about a budding young filmmaker who gets his shot at stardom if and only if he can throw together a zombie flick for the Hollywood producer who just so happens to be in town for a festival.
To the film’s credit, All You Need Is Blood has played to some modest acclaim on the film festival circuit; and, frankly, I don’t find that all that surprising. Having taken it in, I can tell you that it’s that kind of mildly quirky comedy about more than just the Undead that festival types tend to embrace. Stories within a story rarely go out of style – as, it would appear, zombies features don’t either – so it’s understandable why this one drew blood where others tried and failed to rise from the dead.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come, then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“An aspiring teen filmmaker casts the perfect lead for his breakout zombie film: his undead dad.”
A great number of filmmakers got their start making ‘shorts’ in their very own backyard, and Bucky Le Boeuf (played by Logan Riley Bruner) aims to be no different. Along with his pal Vish (Neel Sethi), they make use of a family camcorder to spin yarns chiefly for their own entertainment but never lose sight of the fact that – should Hollywood call – they’ll be ready to craft an award-caliber drama for inquiring minds. In fact, their desire to tell serious stories for serious audiences might just be their ticket to fame: unlike their competitors, they’re not interested in the usual visual schlock of bargain basement Horror.
When opportunity finally knocks by way of a local film festival, Bucky and Vish are understandably thrilled … only then to learn that all entries to the shindig are restricted to the usual bloody thrillers and chillers. Just about their time when they’re willing to hang up their shoes in exasperation, Bucky’s father Walter (Tom O’Keefe) comes down with a case of the Undead; and it’s this development that sets their creative juices flowing. Not only can they make a killer zombie movie but also theirs just might be the only one ever to star an authentic zombie!
Thankfully there’s a local actress Vivien Vance (Mena Suvari) who gives them a fast track to stardom on the film festival circuit. She’s just met (or slept with) studio producer Dick Boeing (Louis Mustillo), and she volunteers bringing him by to watch the production one evening in hopes that it’ll give them the exposure to get them over the top. Alas, Boeing is everything but impressed, and yet not all is lost: the producer lets slip that famed filmmaker Hans von Franz (Ronald Guttman) is also in town for the festival, so the team – along with their assistant June (Emma Chasse) – now realize that they could be destined for great things if they can corral the critical darling and convince him that their zombie drama could be the next big thing.
It should be perfectly clear at this point that – ahem – logic has left the building, and All You Need Is Blood essentially turns into a modern take of the classic screwball comedy not unlike those of The Three Stooges, Abbott and Costello, and Laurel and Hardy. Except for the practical effects work (which is quite good), there isn’t an ounce of realism near any of this, and that’s perfectly okay. Horror comedies being what they are, some of the very best were steered in the direction of giving children something to laugh at; and Blood works almost entirely on this level. A few of the jokes veer more tongue-in-cheek toward adults, but the endless retread of Bucky spewing chunks at the sight of blood forever puts this thing back in perspective.
All that can go wrong does go wrong as that's the very cloth from which such a picture gets made. The camcorder gets roughed up, requiring that everything get shot in zoom mode. Walter's disappearance from the workforce eventually draws some unwanted attention from the authorities, a development that only has Bucky coming up with less and less plausible explanations to account for the man's delinquency. Just about the time one figures it can't get any worse, Vish gets bitten -- and then so does his mother -- a twist that forces the filmmaker to merely grow his cast and expand his story to include a few other willing (or unwilling) participants. Such is the life of your average Spielbergian wannabe!
When opportunity finally knocks by way of a local film festival, Bucky and Vish are understandably thrilled … only then to learn that all entries to the shindig are restricted to the usual bloody thrillers and chillers. Just about their time when they’re willing to hang up their shoes in exasperation, Bucky’s father Walter (Tom O’Keefe) comes down with a case of the Undead; and it’s this development that sets their creative juices flowing. Not only can they make a killer zombie movie but also theirs just might be the only one ever to star an authentic zombie!
Thankfully there’s a local actress Vivien Vance (Mena Suvari) who gives them a fast track to stardom on the film festival circuit. She’s just met (or slept with) studio producer Dick Boeing (Louis Mustillo), and she volunteers bringing him by to watch the production one evening in hopes that it’ll give them the exposure to get them over the top. Alas, Boeing is everything but impressed, and yet not all is lost: the producer lets slip that famed filmmaker Hans von Franz (Ronald Guttman) is also in town for the festival, so the team – along with their assistant June (Emma Chasse) – now realize that they could be destined for great things if they can corral the critical darling and convince him that their zombie drama could be the next big thing.
It should be perfectly clear at this point that – ahem – logic has left the building, and All You Need Is Blood essentially turns into a modern take of the classic screwball comedy not unlike those of The Three Stooges, Abbott and Costello, and Laurel and Hardy. Except for the practical effects work (which is quite good), there isn’t an ounce of realism near any of this, and that’s perfectly okay. Horror comedies being what they are, some of the very best were steered in the direction of giving children something to laugh at; and Blood works almost entirely on this level. A few of the jokes veer more tongue-in-cheek toward adults, but the endless retread of Bucky spewing chunks at the sight of blood forever puts this thing back in perspective.
All that can go wrong does go wrong as that's the very cloth from which such a picture gets made. The camcorder gets roughed up, requiring that everything get shot in zoom mode. Walter's disappearance from the workforce eventually draws some unwanted attention from the authorities, a development that only has Bucky coming up with less and less plausible explanations to account for the man's delinquency. Just about the time one figures it can't get any worse, Vish gets bitten -- and then so does his mother -- a twist that forces the filmmaker to merely grow his cast and expand his story to include a few other willing (or unwilling) participants. Such is the life of your average Spielbergian wannabe!
There’s a goofiness to the procedure that, yes, can be intoxicating here and there. While it may not necessarily go down as the finest flick to put on for the chilluns, there’s no denying the harmlessness of so much of it. A few of the antics do turn a bit gruesome in the second half – chopsticks through the head along with a pair of spouting eyeballs might have some parents throwing a hood over their five, six, or seven-year-olds. Perhaps it’s best that the adults view it first and make up their own mind rather than going on my assessment: while I think it’s perfectly acceptable, I’m unwilling to usurp anyone’s authority as the head of their household. But, yes, I think this was intended for young’uns as I think its sensibilities will likely register strongest with them.
All You Need Is Blood (2023) was produced by Yale Productions, Post Film, and Snakebyte Productions and Entertainment Group. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Allied Vaughn. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can still assure audiences that the film both looks and sounds fantastic from start to finish. As for the special features? The disc boasts an audio commentary track along with some behind-the-scenes footage, some VFX shorts, and a film photo gallery. It’s definitely a nice assortment for folks who get into these things.
Recommended.
As a Comedy, perhaps All You Need Is Blood’s greatest weakness is the fact that it’s entirely predictable. Some would tell insist that isn’t a bad thing – a good number of cult films rely on such probabilities – but would it really have hurt anyone to throw the narrative a curveball here or there? That complaint aside, Blood is still best absorbed by the youngest amongst us as its sense of humor truly gravitates toward those who ingest cartoon schtick heavily, never wishing for the real world to invade on their private spaces. Thankfully, the cast gets it, and they ride all of it out until the final scene, delivering that closing moment as a reminder that life might never look better than it does on the silver screen.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Allied Vaughn provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of All You Need Is Blood (2023) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
All You Need Is Blood (2023) was produced by Yale Productions, Post Film, and Snakebyte Productions and Entertainment Group. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Allied Vaughn. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can still assure audiences that the film both looks and sounds fantastic from start to finish. As for the special features? The disc boasts an audio commentary track along with some behind-the-scenes footage, some VFX shorts, and a film photo gallery. It’s definitely a nice assortment for folks who get into these things.
Recommended.
As a Comedy, perhaps All You Need Is Blood’s greatest weakness is the fact that it’s entirely predictable. Some would tell insist that isn’t a bad thing – a good number of cult films rely on such probabilities – but would it really have hurt anyone to throw the narrative a curveball here or there? That complaint aside, Blood is still best absorbed by the youngest amongst us as its sense of humor truly gravitates toward those who ingest cartoon schtick heavily, never wishing for the real world to invade on their private spaces. Thankfully, the cast gets it, and they ride all of it out until the final scene, delivering that closing moment as a reminder that life might never look better than it does on the silver screen.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Allied Vaughn provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of All You Need Is Blood (2023) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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