A Review by Ian P.E.
Zombies! Yeah…right, we’ve seen them before. They chase and bite and crowd around in groups, waiting to get their heads lobbed off by an Afro-American hero. But in Jean Claude the Gumming Zombie, we have a parody on our hands…not in the sense of a genre re-visit, in fact – it’s really not a zombie film at all, and tends to revel in the creative impulse rather than relying on plot points, staid suspense and bloodthirsty GORE.
Although there’s enough blood flying around to satiate a devil-worshipper, it’s mostly of the PG variety…part of a jaded skit or CG (de)enhanced humor effect rooted in style. And style is exactly what local Cleveland filmmaker Johnny Wu has delivered in his latest effort. The visual landscape is varied – sometimes layered into modern video-game-like settings, but also hitting classic 50’s saturated film effects as a counterpoint.
Throughout its 34 minutes, we get to know the gumming zombie known as Jean Claude – a lovable Frenchman…like Pepe Le Pew – only decayed, toothless, and docile. The gumming zombie gets rescued from the streets and taken in by an All-American 1950’s family who has just lost their dog under very peculiar circumstances (the real hard-core actions are left to the imagination – off camera).
From the first opening tongue-in-cheek narration to the final non-punch-line, this flick really delivers on the kitsch…clock wipes and all. Jean Claude the Gummy Zombie is a true “indie”…an auteur having fun, taking artistic risks, making casual social comments, and getting the maximum impact from a minor budget.
- IPE
