If you are reading this, then you are probably wondering if you should watch One Cut of the Dead. Well, if you do decide to watch it, do it without researching/reading too much about it first. I guarantee it will be a much more enjoyable watch that way.
Which honestly puts me in quite a quandary. I don't wish to say anything that will inadvertently ruin the experience for you.
I will have a spoiler section down below to talk about some of the amazing parts in this film. But less is more in this case. If you haven't watched the movie, definitely watch it before reading the spoiler section.
Like me, in the first 30 minutes or so you will probably be so lost and confused. Wondering what the hell is going on. You will look at the time... To see how much more is left of the movie. And sharks, there is still over an hour more to endure.
After all, there are considerable problems with the movie. Some of camera angles are weird, there are long pauses of characters doing nothing, etc.
Then there are stuff happening but it happens off-screen. You hear dialogues and sounds but the camera just doesn't show what the hell is happening. Or you see long scenes of incoherent screaming and characters behaving irrationally all over the place...
But trust me, STAY 'TIL THE END!
If you do decide to watch this movie, make sure you commit the full one and a half hours to it (duration of movie).
I have read some reviewers who ditched the movie at the 30 minutes mark or lesser, claiming it to be a boring affair. Yeah it may be so but people who watched it until the end know something you don't.
Now, is knowing that something worth the extra hour you will have to spend on the movie? Well I can't say for sure. For me, it damn right was worth it. But then again I have very rarely left a movie halfway and not return to it at all. Rarely but it has happened.
Also if you are watching this because you loved Shaun of the Dead, then go watch Shaun of the Dead again. I don't think it's right to compare the two movies even though both fall under the horror/comedy genre.
I watched Shaun of the Dead and it was hilarious. This movie was hilarious for me too. It was really one of the more entertaining films I have watched in recent times. Very unique as well.
I truly believe the film is worth at least a one-time watch. I actually went back to it again to re-watch it but this time with an altered perspective and I was thoroughly entertained all over again.
Enough said. Watch it if you haven't already!
SPOILER Up Ahead!!!!
Don't Read Beyond This Point If You Haven't Watched The Film!!
From the title, you might have already guessed that the movie is done in one long take with no cuts in between.
One would think that it is expected that many problems would arise out of this. Lots of retakes. And honestly, fucking up at any portion in that 30 minutes of long take would require a repeat of the whole process. What a nightmare! For the actors and crew.
And the first 30 minutes of the film was so messy. That is probably the weakest part of the film. A lot of viewers might actually ditch the film at this point. But I honestly can't think about how one could improve on that.
After all that is the story the movie is trying to tell. It is a comedy about filming a zombie movie in one cut and the problems faced by the whole film-making team. The mistakes are intentional, meant to give us all a good laugh.
And that is what's so freaking awesome about the film! At first, we are thinking how low budget and unprofessional everything is. The acting over the top. The story not even a very good one. Probably the least frightening zombie flick we have all ever watched.
Then as we watch on, everything started to change before our eyes. Because we are finally let in on the joke and it becomes one heck of an enjoyable ride.
What an amazingly, fresh movie! This gem deserves a greater reach and I am more than happy to help with that.
**Have you watched One Cut of the Dead? What are your thoughts on it? Do share them.
If you're into foreign language after this, try the Korean movie Parasite that won the 2020 Oscar for Best Film. Truly a gem of a movie. Do read my post on Some Thoughts of the Film Parasite.
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