The Dead stars Rob Freeman and Prince David Osei; Howard J. Ford and Jonathan Ford co-direct.
The Setup: Nothing says "I love you" like watching zombies tear helpless humans from limb to limb, so this Valentine's Day forget the flowers, forget the chocolate -- give your significant other The Dead. Not your typical zombie flick, The Dead is a road film set in Africa. Brian (Rob Freeman), an American soldier, is the only survivor of a plane crash. He eventually finds Daniel, an African soldier (Prince David Osei). Together the two men try to find their way to safety while dealing with an ever-growing, increasingly violent army of zombies.
The Execution: The Dead plays well as a buddy film, as a road film, as a horror film. The Ford brothers, writer/producer/director Howard J. Ford and writer/co-director/director of photography Jonathan Ford, wisely only try to tackle one genre at a time. Aside from the beauty of the setting, the emptiness of rural Africa adds to Brian and Daniel's sense of isolation. During one scene, Brian has found a shortwave radio. He puts out a distress call, but as he's describing his situation, he realizes how hopeless it is. He's about to broadcast his physical coordinates, but decides not to, saying, "Never mind. I've got to keep moving."
The Extras: Deleted scenes, Unearthing The Dead: Behind the Scenes featurette and audio commentary by writer/producer/director Howard J. Ford and writer/co-director/director of photography Jonathan Ford.
Human Centipede II: Full Sequence stars Laurence Harvey and Ashlynn Yennie; Tom Six directs.
Still looking for some V-day entertainment? Human Centipede II: Full Sequence hits the shelves today. So does Nude Nuns with Big Guns, starring Asun Ortega and David Castro, Joseph Guzman directs. (We really don't have to explain either of those films, do we?)