This Special Edition Blu-ray is currently available from Arrow Video (www.arrowvideo.com – www.facebook.com/ArrowVideo/).
Most of the planet is now familiar with Bong Joon Ho, the South Korean filmmaker behind the Academy Award-winning Parasite (not to mention other great titles like The Host, Snowpiercer and Okja). However, it’s important to note that the entire country is filled with cinematic talent. While Zombie for Sale aka The Odd Family: Zombie on Sale has a more comedic slant and didn’t receive a wide release in this part of the world, it was another recent hit in its homeland that adapts a well-worn genre and adds in a sprinkling of humor and satire.
Recently, Arrow Video premiered the film on Blu-ray in North America. This debut feature from Lee Min-jaw is a very fun horror/comedy and an excellent disc that will provide plenty of thrills and entertainment to genre fans, in addition to those who would simply like to enjoy more cinema from other parts of the globe.
The movie opens with news that scientific experiments by a big pharma company have resulted in the mysterious deaths of several test subjects. When one experimental-figure-turned-zombie (Ga-ram Jung) climbs out of a grave and wanders into a rural village, he is initially taunted by children and called a hobo. However, the disheveled corpse eventually finds his way to a gas station/garage owned by an eccentric family of scam artists, including a pair of bickering brothers (Jung Jae-young and Kim Nam-gil) and a pregnant, tough-as-nails spouse (Uhm Ji-wo).
When the protagonists determine that the visitor is undead and the family patriarch (Park In-hwan)is nibbled on, they become fearful of what will follow (and even watch flicks like Train to Busan to find out more about zombies). However, instead of the old man turning into a monster, he becomes a picture of health and feels revitalized. Even more strangely, the walking corpse seems to prefers cabbage to human flesh. In fact, the clan decide to keep him and name him Jjong-Bi. Word soon spreads around town about what has happened to the elderly figure and the family see a financial opportunity. They begin to charge elderly locals to be briefly nibbled on in order to feel younger.
Early on, the movie takes great strides to differentiate itself from other undead features. As they become aware of the danger and the fact that their dad might turn violent, it also presents plenty of comic situations. Despite being charlatans and crooks, these characters have a hard time doing harm to people, even when their lives are threatened. The zombie itself is a little unique as well. He’s initially treated like a mere nuisance. Gags like an irritated family member swatting the zombie with a plunger are fun to watch. As the story progresses, he almost comes across as sweet. In fact, he develops a crush on younger family member Hae-gul (Lee Soo-kyung) and follows her around like a puppy when he isn’t devouring cabbages (it’s assumed that the walking corpse must have been a vegetarian when he was alive). The town cops are also entertainingly baffled by the situation and even charge one of the leads with kidnapping after finding the living carcass tied up and incapacitated.
Overall, the screenplay gets a lot of comedic mileage out of the dynamic between the relatives, as well as their varied takes on how to deal with the unusual predicament. The idea of this condition desirable and therefore marketable is a fresh take on the genre and it results in some great moments, particularly as the zombie becomes welcomed like a new family member simply because of the money he’s bringing to the household.
Eventually, things do get out of hand and events begin to veer closer to a traditional genre film. In fact, there are obvious and direct references to Shaun of the Dead, Land of the Dead and a few other famous zombie pictures. It’s all well-handled and fun to watch, even if these later bits aren’t quite as sharp and original as earlier sections of the feature.
Horror fans will also be impressed by the photography. This is a great-looking widescreen feature with scenic locations. After the gas station gets gussied up due to the sudden cash flow and threatening zombies arrive, there are plenty of impressively lensed gags at night involving lights and fireworks. It’s also hilarious to see family members run from packs of the undead, all captured using slow-motion tracking shots (at one point, the characters expel subtitled comments out of their panicked, slow-moving mouths).
While the film might have been better off not paying homage to so many other familiar flicks during its final act, Zombie for Sale offers a very enjoyable take on the undead that presents enough new material (especially in its first two-thirds) to entertain and make a lasting impression.
Because this is an Arrow Video release, the Blu-ray arrives with plenty of extras. It includes a festival Q&A featuring director Lee Min-jae in which he describes how the idea for the film came to him and discusses working with his wife (who wrote the screenplay). There is a making-of featurette and behind the scenes footage that details aspects of the production, as well as a commentary featuring film critics who discuss the movie in detail and how it fits into the South Korean film model.
Perhaps the most helpful bonus for viewers in this part of world is the video essay about South Korean cinema and the common motifs found in these pictures. It’s explained that many of these features satirize authority figures and focus on leads on the fringes of society who are struggling to make ends meet. The approach allows the filmmakers to subtly comment on the suffering of the lower classes and how hard done by many families are by the government and upper classes. The segment includes discussions and examples of the family-in-peril/anti-authority films like The Host, Going by the Book, Castaway on the Moon, Train to Busan and Parasite. It does an excellent job of detailing all the familiar themes and satirical elements of South Korean cinema. If films from this nation are new to you, this is an enlightening piece.
Zombie for Sale is another effective title from the region. It delivers plenty of laughs as well as some deeper subtext that leaves one with more to think about after the credits roll. It’s an excellent debut feature and one looks forward to future titles from this filmmaker. Arrow Video’s release is wonderful as well, with a beautiful transfer and some excellent extras that may even inspire viewers to seek out more titles from this part of the world.