Zom-Coms
are a lot like Rom-Coms; most of them are crap and you can’t pay me enough to
waste time watching ‘em. For every
‘Shaun of the Dead,’ ‘Fido’ or ‘Zombieland’ we get five ‘Zombie Strippers,’
‘Zombeavers’ or ‘Navy SEALs Versus Zombies’ that couldn’t even get a proper
theatrical release. So when I decided
to check out the unheralded ‘Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse,’ I kept my
expectations low accordingly for good reason. And
this is how I found SGTTZA to be a rather entertaining diversion.
SGTTZA is the story of Ben,
Carter and Augie, three best buds since childhood who are now high school
sophomores but still members of that storied American institution, the Boy Scouts
of America. Upon return from what was to
be their last camping trip, they found that the world has gone to shit and the
much dreaded “zombie apocalypse” has begun in their sleepy little town. Such is the ridiculous and often funny
premise of SGTTZA, which I’m somewhat ashamed to confess is quite the guilty
pleasure of the year.
Growing up during the golden age
of B movie zom-coms such as 'The Return of the Living Dead,' 'Re-Animator,'
'Night of the Comet,' Night of the Creeps' and 'Dead Heat,' perhaps I'm
naturally inclined to give SGTTZA a break, but SGTTZA does possess that certain
‘80’s je ne sais quoi with hints of
‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High,’ ‘Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure’ and all those
endearing John Hughes movies, except with rotting zombies of course. Puerile and packed with crass adolescent
humor, SGTTZA is what a zom-com might be like if Kevin Smith wrote and directed
it. There are slow zombies that seem to
evolve and move faster as the movie progresses (consistency, you say?
Sooo overrated), a “hot” zombie cop with a nice rack, a nasty and mean zombie
old lady, her horde of zombie kitty cats and a zombie scout leader (David
Koechner) who simply doesn’t know when to quit.
SGTTZA is an edgier, racier ‘Zombieland’ and I’m frankly shocked and
appalled that I laughed so hard throughout this sorry excuse of a B movie.
Grade: B (plus)
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