There are a surprising number of short films about zombies out there, far more than I would've expected, which has made it a lot easier to find movies for a project of this scope. One thing I've noticed (and it's a big one) is that they're all frustratingly one-note; even the ones that are well-made on a technical level come up woefully short story-wise. Today's selection--David Pope's GASOLINE BLOOD, from 2007--is no exception.
Three filmmakers show up at an abandoned warehouse for a location scout. In the inkling of character development we get, we learn that the director plans on becoming the next Scorsese, though after he describes his artistic vision he'll be lucky to be the next Ed Wood. But before his cinematic dreams can be realized, they're beseiged by a handful of zombies (some of whom, in a nod to Tarantino, come dressed RESERVOIR DOGS-style); you can guess what happens next.
Pope does show a nice visual flair and could probably produce a solid feature if given the chance; he also does a good job of artificially aging his film, giving it the appearance of a well-worn print from the '70s (though unlike some of his GRINDHOUSE-inspired peers, he thankfully doesn't overdo this). Pope does toss in a kinda-neat "twist" at the end, but he really ought to invest a little more time in his screenplay for his next directorial outing.
Perhaps it's a constraint of the form, but I can't help but feel there's more to do in a zombie short than shot them in the head or get eaten. Brevity and depth aren't contradictory terms; let's see something a little more thought-provoking, huh, guys?
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