Cast: Wilson Wong , Wil Yee , Anders J. Svensson
Director: Blaine Wasylkiw
Country: Canada
Genre: Action | Comedy | Horror | Short
Official Trailer: Here
Editor’s Notes: This review of Rotten Shaolin Zombies is a part of Matthew Blevins’ weekly series Cult Pics and Trash Flicks
Once upon a time… In Canada. A guy and some friends had a crazy idea and formulated one of the greatest titles in cult cinema, Rotten Shaolin Zombies. Once you have a title like that the rest kind of writes itself! Blaine Wasylkiw and friends put in a tremendous amount of effort and love to come up with an unforgettable tale of “brotherly love, bad sushi and ass-kicking zombies”, and this little cult gem is always (ok, maybe not so much with the wives) a crowd pleaser. So grab some beers and invite over some friends, because it’s Rotten Shaolin Zombies time!
It’s a heartfelt tale of two brothers whose fate is forever changed by the (un)deadly bite of a dirty lung fish, and eventually their lifelong bond will be torn asunder by their main course’s insatiable and deadly hunger for sweet sweet eye meat. Nothing can prepare him for the battle that must come, as no new sparring partner could ever take the place of his dead (ish) brother. How would the guy in the zebra costume or the annoying kid train him for what is to come? He must face his zombie brother alone, as no one else has the martial arts training to face the undead, and no one else can put “Brother” to rest and finally end his torment.
It’s a heartfelt tale of two brothers whose fate is forever changed by the (un)deadly bite of a dirty lung fish, and eventually their lifelong bond will be torn asunder by their main course’s insatiable and deadly hunger for sweet sweet eye meat.
It’s ridiculous, campy, endlessly fun, and captures the true spirit of DIY filmmaking. These guys went out without permits and got the shots needed to tell Blaine’s tale of epic brotherly love. Film needs people that go out and write their story, shoot, edit it, compose music for it, and put so much dedication and love in to telling a silly story with no promises of payoff or superstardom. You don’t have to get caught up in fear of the minutia, just jump in feet first and hope it all works out. It will probably be some of the hardest work you will ever do, but with a group of friends with the right attitude it will be an unforgettable good time. If you have friends in local bands you might be able to leverage their help for scoring and soundtrack. If you know some guys that practice martial arts then work the story around that. They might not have the acting chops of an Olivier, but they’re sure to have a few moves. If you need locations then go out and shoot in the streets, it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than it is for permission if you keep enough of a low profile. (Editor’s disclaimer: We assume no liability whatsoever for results obtained or loss or damage incurred if you get your ass thrown in jail) If you know somebody that owns a sushi restaurant just make sure you put plastic on the tables to protect them from the corn syrup and guts because plastic totally won’t reflect light… Just go out and make some art. Film needs perspective from outsiders and fanatics, and you might be able to find an audience for your particular brand of crazy.
If you know somebody that owns a sushi restaurant just make sure you put plastic on the tables to protect them from the corn syrup and guts because plastic totally won’t reflect light…
If you have any interest in independent filmmaking, then try and snag yourself a copy of this DVD. This thing is loaded with extra features, including five commentaries and four featurettes, and it is a wealth of knowledge on going out and making “Your Own Damn Movie”. If you pop this in at a party you are guaranteed to get some laughs, and its 23 minute runtime makes it a quick and fun diversion at any social gathering. It’s campy and goofy, but it is a tremendous labor of love. Rotten Shaolin Zombies shows what you can do with a camera and a group of dedicated friends. If you put enough heart in to it, remember to labor over editing, and don’t skimp on the sound design, then you might have a decent little film in the end. Even if it never launches you in to film superstardom you will have done something that many would love to do but few have the courage to go out and try.
[notification type=”star”]FILTHY DECOMPOSED ASSKICKERS! Rotten Shaolin Zombies shows what you can do with a camera and a group of dedicated friends. If you put enough heart in to it, remember to labor over editing, and don’t skimp on the sound design, then you might have a decent little film in the end. Even if it never launches you in to film superstardom you will have done something that many would love to do but few have the courage to go out and try.[/notification]
