Let me go on-record again for saying: I totally support independent filmmaking! I've spent many years on both sides of the camera and I sympathize with the plight that such filmmakers must go through. When it comes to making a low budget horror flick, it can be even more difficult. Not only does a filmmaker need imagination, but has to be certain that the special effects and make-up look good also. And this time around, THE DEAD NEXT DOOR delivers exactly what it promises. Filmed locally in Ohio, by the young writer/director J.R. Bookwalter, it depicts the outbreak of a zombie epidemic. Years have gone by and now a special zombie squad is sent to find a possible solution to the outbreak. However, things don't go quite as planned as a nearby zombie-worshiping cult make matters worse. The premise is fresh and original, never before or since have I seen a zombie film with a Jim Jones-like cult. As an interesting side note: Was this the inspiration for a similar cult in the video game Dead Rising? The gore and zombie effects are awesome for such a low-budget flick. All the major characters are named after famous horror directors. I loved the well-timed humor as well. My personal favorite moment is when the zombies attack some pro-zombie supporters. Clearly everybody involved had a blast! A cult following has developed around this one, and justifiably so in my opinion. Place this one right up there next to the other great zomedies, make some popcorn and get ready to roll in the aisles with equal amounts of laughs and shrieks!

This is a clever and pretty straight foreword zombie flick shot on 8mm (think of the first evil dead). J.R. Bookwalter was able to create a gory and entertaining zombie flick with a relative low-budget and local actors. Unlike hack job Todd Sheets (see Zombie Bloodbath trilogy), Bookwalter created a zombie film that gives you everything you want...Heaps of low-budget gore, a satanic occult, the "zombie squad", an unresolved ending, "Evil Dead" references, and Bruce Campbell dubbing over the main actors role(?). The Dead Next Door's video quality is somewhat poor, but looks like the first "Evil Dead" basically. Kinda grainy and low-budget, but not unwatchable like "Zombie Bloodbath". Many of the characters are named after horror directors or writers and there are some pretty cheesy dialog scenes. But overall, the movie works and keeps you satisfied due to the gore and somewhat innovative scenarios. This is an odd little zombie flick that is clever and interesting. Sam Raimi backed the film and later disowned it having his named removed from the credits. I have no reason why he would do that, considering it's pretty cool and as entertaining as the first "evil dead". The "making of" on the DVD is good and the commentary is worth listening too.

When I first approached this, I was not half expecting something more crude and nasty, but instead I found this to be mildly entertaining and an inoffensive ode to the classics of the genre, e.g. 'Night of The Living Dead', 'The Evil Dead', et all.Something about this I particularly enjoyed was the tongue in cheek, often self-mocking sense of humour, with such things as a zombie frequenting a video store, and its subsequent choice selection of tapes to rent, and there is a plethora of other in jokes which should please real fans. Other more satirical things like protesters congregating for the civil rights of zombies, and also a religious cult of fanatics which believe it is Gods' will that the un dead becomes the successors to the human race. I suppose many of these little touches go to lengths in characterising the movie.As for the acting here, every player gives Oscar winning Jack Nicholson style performances, um, er, . . . I jest of course, seriously though, all of these willing unknowns do try, and seemingly give their best, and granted the somewhat underdeveloped threadbare script to work with, I think in most case's make up for general lack of natural talent with more gumption and enthusiasm. The director\producer\writer here gives many of the characters names of established horror directors, like calling the main protagonist Raimi, and another one is called Doctor Savini. , And so on. On a side note, Fred Dekker took a similar approach with 'Night of The Creeps' released a couple of years later.One of the problems that pull the rug from under this movie is that there is just too many characters, and none are really fleshed out properly, and there isn't really anything under lying the story to get your teeth into (sorry) making this rather chaotic and boring at times.Effects wise, this has a few good moments, with occasional scenes which sport a zombie that has proper prosthetic makeup, which does look quite good taking into account the minimal resources. Also, some limited special gore effects, such as blood squirting and twitching body parts, which are done here in the style of Sam Raimi's aforementioned sleeper. Other than this however, most effects constitute just extras running around with some green paint smeared on their faces, as you might come to expect.Overall, 'The Dead Next Door' remain a fairly decent zombie outing, and given the production values and time spent in development, can be looked at as a sort of achievement in its own right. Some chuckles and decent effects save it from being a complete waste of time, and I think it is more worthwhile than many modern horror efforts. I can't recommend this one to everybody, but non-discriminating horror movie goers, and real splatter aficionado's will most likely get a bit of a kick out of it.

It's not to bad, you can tell the movie is old just by the effects and the picture and the acting, but actually it wasn't all that bad. The zombies were more funny that scary, and it almost made me chuckle a few times because they act sort of funny, running around mumbling, the gore was good, I like when the guy got his throat bitten out, and when the one police officers fingers got bitten off reminded me of a scene from the remake of Wes Craven's "The Hills Have Eyes" which was my favorite part in that movie, so it was kind of cool to see a similar scene in this movie. To be honest I'm not done watch the movie right now, and it seems nothing will really change my review on this movie cause it's almost over. But if you like horror movies, and zombies and gore, then check out this movie, I'm not got promise you'll like it because everybody's taste in movies in different, but all I know is I enjoyed it. So feel free to check this movie out.