Bob Doto [Film Festival 11.14.08] zombies movie review news short



ANTIBODY is a virus-centric zombie short where we are introduced to a woman who is being kept in a decaying cell due to her having been “bitten.” The setting can be described only as sickness. The woman vomits the vomit of not eating. Yellow, bile vomit, which does well to infer her lack of appetite. She divides her time between trying to get to know the person(s) in the cell to her right (they keep changing as they are “put down”) and trying to block out the dying breaths of said prison mates as they are in fact being put down. It’s a grim scene to be sure.

One of the beauties of the film is the respect given to the pace with which the human “turns” into their undead alter ego. While many films focus on the living OR the dead, ANTIBODY hovers around the transitional period. Ultimately ANTIBODY is a film about limbo, or “bardo” as Tibetan Buddhists might call it. It is a film about tension or waiting, the ending seeming to be an homage to waiting itself.


With the exception of some pretty heavy-handed acting, and a lens that just makes me uncomfortable (it seems to argue with the setting itself [high contrast and saturated hues in a hospital?]), overall I found ANTIBODY to work really well as a narrative. The effects are quality, the festering though manic nature of the undead is creepy (a victim of the virus chained to the wall appearing very dissatisfied with his current blood smeared situation sticks out in my mind) all help to make this a strong piece.

You can watch the 20 minute short in full here.

manyun (3 years ago) Reply

Hey. The short looks great. I'd love to see what else this guy does. Good review.

bad dog (3 years ago) Reply

Just watched it. Loved it. Good stuff!

P.S. The girl is going through withdrawal--that's why she's vomiting.

pat (3 years ago) Reply

i think they got their inspiration from that scene in 28 days later when the army guys keep a zombie for observation as well. (tyler, nyler or whadever his name was)

Bob Doto (3 years ago) Reply

Hey pat, thanks for the comparison. I'd be interested in seeing more of the "captured zombie" motif. Not too much more, but a little dash of it here and there can't hurt.

Eric (3 years ago) Reply

28 Days Later borrowed their captive zombie from Day Of The Dead.

And so far as I know, that wasn't a conscious or deliberate influence, though the director and writers are certainly familiar with both movies. It's an interesting comparison, though.

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