BIO-ZOMBIE [1998]

Take a nice stroll through a neon graveyard in BIO ZOMBIE. Woody and Bee are just a couple of restless punks employed at a record store in a shopping mall. The two young men are constantly on the lookout for thrills, big and small, and they waste a great deal of time instigating confrontations with random passersby. One night, the boys are sent out to a repair shop to retrieve their boss’ Jaguar. During their trip in the luxury car, they inevitably run over a pedestrian frantically crossing the road. Rather than contacting the authorities for assistance, Woody and Bee carelessly toss the body in the trunk. Back at the mall, in the parking garage, the guys hesitantly lift the partially open lid further, revealing a steaming hot mess of slime…but no body. Their lackadaisical attitude permits them to brush off the panic and move on with their delinquent merriment. Time only tells the extent of disarray they’ll have to manage. A biochemical soft drink has transformed the town’s citizens into brain-munching crazies, and the boys must unite with the few uncontaminated mall shoppers and workers in the fight for their lives.

BIO ZOMBIE is a limitless excursion of amusement offering full-fledged zombie glory. Instantly, you’ll feel the corners of your mouth turn up, because the gut-busting dialogue and one-liners shooting like rapid fire from the very beginning are absolutely unforgettable. The Tokyo Shock flick contains charming humor that can easily be compared to the more well-known SHAUN OF THE DEAD, which hit theaters six years later. Characters Woody and Bee are the most wonderfully obnoxious dynamic duo, producing obscene laughter with their “bad boy” facades. While the hilarity is introduced from the get-go, patience is a virtue in the wait for heavenly carnage. A minor scene of gory action provides a jolt early on, but the mass zombie slaying occurs much later in the film. There is a wealth of entertaining situations to chew on in the meantime, as Woody and Bee initiate a robbery, only to then get mixed up with the petite Hong Kong beauty they mug. The vicious zombies produce thrilling violence and bloodshed, and heaps of sickening scenes will get your stomach turning. BIO ZOMBIE is a horror-comedy that hits the mark and is undeniably worth a watch. 

Rating: 8/10
Director: Wilson Yip

Cast: Jordan Chan, Sam Lee, Emotion Cheung
Country: Japan