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AUTUMN (2009)

Directed by Steven Rumbelow.
Written by Steven Rumbelow (screenplay), David Moody (screenplay & novel).
Starring Dexter Fletcher, Dickon Tolson, Lana Kamenov, David Carradine, Anton Brejak, Tricia McMurtry, Jody Willis, Marisa Zaza

Based on a novel by David Moody of the same name, AUTUMN is a pretty cool little zombie film. Rather than diving into flesh eating ghoul territory, Moody’s AUTUMN takes a more patient and scientific approach. In many ways, this is a thinking man’s zombie flick with some fun performances and decent effects.

The definite highlight of this film isn’t the scope or the effects, though filmmaker Steven Rumbelow does a decent job with both. The real draw is AUTUMN’s handling of the dead as evolving creatures. Though these are aspects of the living dead that are only hinted at in Romero’s DEAD films, in AUTUMN, it’s not only noted, but illustrated in a damn fine way as the dead at first appear catatonic, then somnambulistic as they appear to be walking with little or no threat to the immune survivors, then finally beginning to regain senses and starting to act primally. One might think that, given time, they might even become human again, but the story doesn’t really have time to go there.

A lot of the stuff in this film wouldn’t be possible without 28 DAYS LATER. There are a lot of similarities when looked at side by side, but with great performances by LOCK, STOCK & TWO SMOKING BARRELS’s Dexter Fletcher, newcomers Lana Kamelnov and Dickson Tolson, and an especially creepy cameo by David Carradine in what I believe is his final performance, AUTUMN stands on its own.

Though I haven’t read Moody’s book, I have to assume it’s a smart read as this story unfolds in a very intelligent manner. The effects are great here too, depicting the zombies as brown oozing disease-riddled pustules rather than the zombies we usually see. Sure, there are scenes that mirror issues of THE WALKING DEAD comic or 28 DAYS LATER or ZOMBIELAND, but when done with technical skill by the director Rumbelow and innovative idea-filled scripting by Moody, AUTUMN makes for a damn fine zombie experience.

Check out the trailer here!!