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Juan of the dead (2011) review

Juan of the Dead movie poster 2

(A.k.a. Juan de los Muertos)

Starring:  Alexis Díaz de Villegas, Jorge Molina, Andrea Duro, Andros Perugorría, Jazz Vilá, and Eliecer Ramírez
Directed by:  Alejandro Brugués
Written by:  Alejandro Brugués
Running time:  92 minutes
Rated:  Unrated (For language, adult situations, nudity, drug use, comical graphic violence)

These days, zombie films are a dime a dozen, they’re everywhere.   Zombie comedies on the other hand are rather sparse.   It’s very hard to pull off a horror/comedy hybrid especially with zombie films, only a handful have managed to pull it off over the years, like Evil Dead 2, Dead Alive, Zombieland, and Shaun of the Dead.  Cuban filmmaker Alejandro Brugués has managed to make a film that makes the short list of best zombie comedies.  Juan of the Dead (a.k.a. Juan de los Muertos) has the distinction of being the first horror movie ever shot in Cuba.   This film has a lot going for it, great story, likeable characters you actually care about, cool zombies; laugh out loud humor, and tons of blood.   You are probably thinking that with a name like Juan of the Dead, it sounds as if it’s a rip-off of that other zombie comedy, you know, the one with a guy named Shaun.   Let me tell you, it has an obvious homage to that flick, but it is definitely its own film.  Juan-of-the-Dead1Aside from the name, it blazes off in its own direction.

Juan (Alexis Díaz de Villegas) is a slacker, in every sense of the word.  He doesn’t have a real job and he doesn’t do much.  Life in Havana, Cuba is working out well for him; he hangs out all day drinking and being lazy, he fishes occasionally, and he avoids work at all costs.  He supports himself however he can by making a quick buck whenever the opportunity arises, with the help of his best friend Lozara (Jorge Molina), and the rest of his crew.

One day, people begin to act strangely, turning violent and biting each other.  The ones that get bit start acting violent as well.  They are told by the government, that they are “dissidents” paid by the U.S., but Juan knows better.   These “dissidents” are dead and eat human flesh.   Juan comes up with a plan to earn some quick cash, so he starts his own business called “Juan de los Muertos”, where he offers (for a price) to take care of your undead loved ones for you.   With the aid of Lazaro and the rest of his colorful crew, they dispatch zombies for profit.  Juan’s estranged daughter Camila (Andrea Duro) happens to be visiting and gets caught up in all the madness.   Despite all of Juan’s shortcomings, he’s got a heart of gold and is trying to rebuild a broken relationship with his daughter Camila.  The hilarious hijinks begin as they set out to strike it rich amongst hordes of the undead.

juan-of-the-dead-02Juan of the dead is a fun, fun film to watch.  It’s a great zombie romp with tons of laughs thanks to the amazing cast.  Since its Cuban, it’s hard to tell if there is anything lost in the translation, but I doubt it.  I would’ve found the movie just as hilarious even if there weren’t any subtitles at all.  The cast is what makes this film; Alexis Díaz de Villegas turns in a memorable performance as the unlikely hero.

The rest of Juan’s crew provides much of the film’s comic relief.  Lazara’s son, Vladi California (Andros Perugorría) is a slick, smooth operator who serves as Camila’s love interest.  How could I forget the duo of China and El Primo?  China (Jazz Vilá) is a transvestite, with a wicked slingshot he uses to dispatch zombies.  His partner El Primo (Eliecer Ramírez), is a huge bodybuilder brute of man that faints at the sight of blood.  When the group goes out to kill zombies, El Primo has to wear a blindfold so as not to see any blood.  Then there is Camila who really doesn’t want much to do with their operation but has no choice in the matter if she wants to survive.

The zombie kills are pretty inventive, there are some really outrageous gags in the mix, one involving a baseball and bat and another with a harpoon gun and mass carnage.  The zombie make-up FX are great, more than you would expect for ajuan-of-the-dead-03 Cuban zombie flick.  There are some cool underwater zombie scenes, reminiscent of Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean and Fulci’s Zombie.

The filmmakers make great use out of the Cuban locations, using the picturesque beaches and many sites throughout Havana.  Scores of locals were used as extras, aiding the film to have a much bigger scope than it really had.

Director Alejandro Brugués has written a witty and humorous take on a zombie outbreak in the already impoverished and problematic Cuban society.  The characters in the film don’t seem to be phased by a zombie outbreak in their country; they take it in stride as just another problem to deal with in Havana.

I have one issue with the movie in that it’s almost entirely humorous, even though a zombie apocalypse is happening, there’s not really any suspense or horror.  It would’ve been better if the horror was more equal to the humor, in my opinion.   That withstanding, Juan of the Dead ranks in my book as one of the top zombie/comedies I’ve seen in quite a while, it’s better than Zombieland, but not quite equal to Shaun of the Dead, only because Shaun had more horrific elements to it.   If you get the chance to see this one do it!  Highly recommended.

Watch the trailer for Juan of the Dead,

Michael Juvinall

I am a Horror journalist, producer, ravenous Horror fiend, aficionado of the classic Universal Monsters, Hammer Horror, Werewolves, and all things Horror.

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