Automaton Transfusion (2006)- The "best zombie movie in decades?" Okay...

[Joe the Destroyer]

Very seldom do I buy a movie simply because it has zombies, especially after I purchased Children of the Living Dead.  You thought I would have learned my lesson. 

Going into this movie, I didn't know what to expect, except for the blurb on the back from Bloody-Disgusting hailing this to be the "best zombie movie in decades."  I'm sure there haven't been any others in recent time that would fall into this category *coughshaunofthedeadcough*

The film is your basic horror flick set up: cookie cutter teens outrun fast moving and somewhat intelligent zombies with an acute sense of smell.  Call me crazy, but when I watch zombie movies I generally tend a cast of characters I actually like and hope for the survival of, rather than a menagerie of basic teenage characters that I would really prefer to just die.  That was the first ding on this movie. 

Let's also not forget terrible acting and the one indie cliche that just won't go away: pointless heavy metal music.  When Dario Argento did Opera, the heavy metal music in it seemed to accentuate the feeling of chaos in the film.  In this flick, it just feels like someone wants to plug some of their friends' unknown metal bands.  If you're from the area that this film was made, you might smile in recognition and nod your head.  If you're from anywhere else, you'll probably shrug your shoulders and wonder why the hell this obligatory and very badly placed musical plug is in the film to begin with.  Okay, maybe a couple times in the film it's okay, particularly when someone's listening to a stereo or a radio, but at transitions it just makes the film feel way too amateur. 

But, there are some good things to behold about this flick.  I really liked the cinematography.  I'm a sucker for any unrefined or cheap looking forms of filming, not only because of the stylization, but because of the way that grainy, jumpy, or flawed film gives a horror movie that feel like you're watching a nightmare.  In this case, the film is a little jumpy; the frame rates on the  characters are somewhat low, like someone filmed it with a cell phone.  On top of that, given the small budget this film had, unlike many of its completely inept competitors like Zombie Chronicles or damn near anything else cranked out by Brain Damage and Dead Alive, the gore effects in this film were actually very, VERY well done.  Those two aspects alone, as well as nice direction, kept the film from being an utter disappointment. 

Though I didn't totally like the film, I find myself actually wanting to see the sequel, which is slated for release in 2009 called Automaton Transfusion: Contingency.  Yeah, someone's getting a little happy with the big words... As to the declaration of this being the best zombie movie in decades?  I would say not by a long shot.  For being a next to no budget film with bad acting and weak characters, it's slightly enjoyable, and definitely shows some of the other failing indy horror flicks that are dime a dozen on Sci-Fi Channel or polluting video stores how to truly do good gore effects at a cheap cost. 

All in all, 58%.  This is one of the lowest scores I've given to a movie that I kept.  This fact still says more for this film than I can say for many others.

[hellbilly]

I've seen zero budget zombie flicks with more impact. Automaton Transfusion was ok for one watch but I doubt I'll re-visit anytime soon. Didn't know about the sequel though, kind of peaked my interest.

[Torgo]

I thought that this one was pretty awful. Whoever put that review quote on the front had to have been paid to do so.