A Plague so Pleasant, Living with the Undead

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Finally a different kind of Zombie movie that, although low budget, really has a different kind of plot. It’s called A Plague so Pleasant and tells a wild and weird tale of surviving in a different kind of setting than the usual. Nicely acted and directed the movie treats the viewer to all the guts and gore, but adds a twist. The horror thriller is only available on DVD starting today.

The world has gone mad and after an outbreak of zombie killings the government has called the war against the undead over and has made new laws. The first law mandates that no human can kill a zombie. They must live in harmony among the death walkers and avoid any kind of confrontation. In return the zombies will adhere to the same rules. In fact, each human shall sign an acceptance of the “Undead Awareness Safety Program” that states the following. Step one: Hide! – Preferably in a small area like a trash can or barrel. Step two: Wait! – Take shallow breaths and be quiet. Step three: Listen! – Stay hidden until the sirens end.

Clay (David Chandler) goes to the woods looking for Gerry
Clay (David Chandler) goes to the woods looking for Gerry

Now the story. Clay (David Chandler) and Todd (Max Moody) have been living together sharing an apartment. Todd has made it big and has acquired great wealth, while Clay ekes out a living. One morning at breakfast Todd says to Clay that he would like to start dating his sister Mia (Eva Boehnke). Clay likes the idea because he would be able to take care of her with style. But it’s only been a short while since Mia lost her boyfriend Gerry (Gerry Green) to the Zombie Apocalypse and she still hasn’t gotten over him. When she rejects calls from Todd, Clay comes up with an idea to get her to change her mind.

Clay (David Chandler)  tries to avoid a blind zombie
Clay (David Chandler) tries to avoid a blind zombie

So begins a tale of woe and a challenge to Murphy’s Law; if things can go wrong they will. But in this case it may even become apocalyptic. Director and writer Benjamin Roberds does a good job of bringing his weird science fiction tale to the screen. He even uses the technique of black and white film to show a calm accord with the zombies, then uses color film to deal with the situation Clay causes. His zombies are nicely made-up by Tylar Carver who shows how to do ugly in many ways. He even works magic on Clay who finds himself in the middle of Murphy’s Law.

Clay (David Chandler) runs for his life after a fatal mistake
Clay (David Chandler) runs for his life after a fatal mistake

The acting here is very good and beyond the amateur level by the main stars. Performances by the leads David Chandler, Max Moody and Eva Boehnke make humans a continuous breed of the ordinary. Living the good life the three feel superior to the zombies although the breed of the undead are becoming a class to be reckoned. Chandler carries the biggest load on his shoulders as he takes up most of the camera time and rightly so. He’s finds himself in a pickle and there are not many ways out, but where there’s a sliver of hope life can still survive in a crazy mixed up world.

The cinematography in A Plague So Pleasant takes viewers right into the heart of the new age of humans avoiding confrontations with zombies to stay alive. Combined with some very special make-up “treats” and digital effects the film reminds me of the good sci-fi of years past like Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) and Night of the Living Dead (1968), but with a better storyline.

Zombies try to escape from fenced area
Zombies try to escape from fenced area

The two bonus features include a Domestic and International promotional trailer. In addition check out the trailers you can play from the main menu. They are a hoot; “Ebola Zombies”, “Blood Soaked”, “Disco Exorcist”, “Jonah Lives”, “Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated”, “A Zombie Exorcism” and “Frankenstein’s Hungry Dead”.

A Plague so Pleasant has not been rated by the MPAA but contains violence, language, gore, nudity and underage drinking. Be cautious when deciding to allow immature children see the DVD as it does have many scenes that are inappropriate for adolescents.

FINAL ANALYSIS: A nice production by an indie company with a zombie story that’s really creative. (B)

Specifications and additional video information:
Cast: David Chandler, Max Moody, Eva Boehnke, Kaylee Bridge, George McDonald, Mandy Carver
Director and writer: Benjamin Roberds  
MPAA Rating: Not Rated, Contains language, violence, nudity, underage drinking
Genre: Drama, Horror, Thriller
Running Time: 1 hr. 16 min.
Video Release Date: September 29, 2013
Language: English
Reviewed Format: DVD
Audio: Unspecified
Video: Widescreen, 16×9, Aspect Ratio 1.75:1
Subtitles: None
Number of Discs: 1 Disc
Distributed by: Wild Eye Releasing

Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com