Feeding the Masses (2004)

First, a little summary. This reporter named Torch is basically trying to get out the story of a zombie outbreak and finds the military & government censoring him. Nice message, government censorship and all that, but the way they DID the movie was, well let me explain.This movie is beyond description. The idea that somebody holds it in higher regard than anything by George Romero is justification enough for the reviewer to be committed to a mental institution. The script is atrocious on its own, like it was written by a sixth grader.As for special effects, I understand that independent films have low budgets, and some gore effects looked acceptable, but if you want a scene with fire, here's a tip: buy some nonflammable material, have an extinguisher ready, and get a fire going! Don't digitally add it in and make it look like an explosion from a Nintendo 64 game. The acting, well let's put it this way. In my summer theater program, a cold reading of the script is, compared to this, The Godfather. I won't even go into the inconsistencies. Find them yourself.What disturbed me the most, though, was when everything was finished after shooting and editing, somebody might have said, "Okay, this looks good. Let's release it." It sends a chill down my spine to even think about it, to think somebody felt that this was good enough for DVD release. This isn't DVD quality. This isn't Sci-Fi channel quality. Hell, this isn't even film school quality. If you were to submit this in for a project at a film school, you would get an F. No, not even an F, more like an F-. I wouldn't be surprised if he would try to get you expelled.I felt used after I saw this thing. Blockbuster and the makers of this movie have my money right now, and I'd prefer not to think of what they're doing with it. I have been the pawn of some elaborate, nefarious scheme at legalized theft, and it doesn't feel good to think that I walked right into it, looking at the back cover with pleasant memories of 28 Days Later only to find a film Ed Wood would watch and say afterwards, "I didn't much care for this." This film is the single most terrible movie I have seen. I have not seen anything by Ed Wood, but I have confidence this is worse. If you are looking for serious cinema, so much as being within ten feet of it will probably give you a bad headache. If not, I still recommend that you personally write the director and ask how he sleeps at night. However, if you are the kind of person who get a laugh out of really bad stuff then I recommend you check this out. You won't be disappointed.

Set in Providence, Rhode Island, Feeding the Masses tries to be a satiric look at the role of the media in government. At best, it could be applied to how the US try to control media during the Iraq War, but it ends up feeling hollow. There's never any really tension in the story and the acting never very good. Worst, the direction of the movie is atrocious, focus more on odd camera angles that fail to convey anything beyond "Isn't this an odd way to hold the camera." Special effects are pretty bad...at one point video of an explosion is green screened over the city, and it's laughable at best.The film does have a couple bright spots...namely the advertisements for post-zombie services (including a reclamation service and a party bus). But it's far too little to make the film worthwhile.For a better zombie film, try Hide and Creep. It has the same weak production value, but there's much more wit, humor and talent behind it.

This is perhaps the worst attempt at a Zombie film I have ever had the misfortune to see. Terrible, terrible, terrible. Any review found on this site is obviously the work of either the filmmaker, the filmmakers family, or a friend of the filmmaker. How does this film suck? Let us count the ways...The plot? Incoherent. Dialogue? Atrocious. I will not slam the effects/gore, as I understand that this is low budget. But was there even one zombie that was not obese? C'mon! And for a film set in Rhode Island, why did that truck sport a Massachusetts plate? Continuity, find some.The Girl dancing while the soldier "Stands at attention". Please, don't put your ex-girlfriend or buddy's sister in your movie naked. This was an ugly movie filled with ugly people, and has no business even mentioning Romero on the cover. Next time you decide to make a movie, don't.

Just to-day my wife and I watched three modern zombie movies in one day. I am about to discuss one of them now.FEEDING THE MASSES has "amatuer" written all over it but that is not synonymous with "bad"; don't forget THE DEAD NEXT DOOR turned out to be a decent film which surprised a lot of people. I thought I had seen the last of the "The Government can't be trusted" subgenre when the 70's ended but I guess questioning authority will always be with us.The plot? Oh yes, the plot! Something called "The Lazarus Virus" has gotten out of hand (yes, again!) and the recent dead are returning to life as . . . let's all say it together . . . flesh eating zombies! This time though the Government is trying to put a positive spin on the whole thing by taking over the news media and telling people everything is going to be "just fine" when actually things are going to Heck in a handbasket more each day. A TV station is forced to run such obvious bullbleep as a "public service" message telling you that if zombies attack just fall to the ground and play dead! Shady corporations are still out to make a quick buck by offering to track down, re-kill and respectfully re-bury walking dead loved ones. Self empowered militias of shotgun toting rednecks are cruising the streets blasting down zombies left and right and yet another group extols people to come out and join its "End of the World" party!Into the midst of all this stands a young reporter who fancies herself the next Diane Sawyer and sees the zombie attacks as her ticket to the Big Time, provided the world does not self destruct first. With her photographer (Billy Gaberina) close by she is determined to expose the official lies and alert people to the danger they are truly in. um . . . not that it isn't bloody obvious to begin with!Zombie makeups are, well, fair. Gore effects, while plentiful, are standard. The budget was so low they could not even afford blank cartridges for the guns. Actors just shake the guns like they are spewing bullets rapid fire while gunshot sounds are dubbed in.Then again, what FEEDING THE MASSES lacks in budget it makes up for in sincerity. The filmmakers have managed to put a new spin on an old subject. We kinda like this movie. Of course we also liked Umberto Lanzi's NIGHTMARE CITY and Vincent Dawn's HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD too.