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Dead Alive

Original title: Braindead
  • 19921992
  • RR
  • 1h 44m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
96K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,919
390
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Braindead (1992)
  • Comedy
  • Fantasy
  • Horror
A young man's mother is bitten by a Sumatran rat-monkey. She gets sick and dies, at which time she comes back to life, killing and eating dogs, nurses, friends, and neighbors.A young man's mother is bitten by a Sumatran rat-monkey. She gets sick and dies, at which time she comes back to life, killing and eating dogs, nurses, friends, and neighbors.A young man's mother is bitten by a Sumatran rat-monkey. She gets sick and dies, at which time she comes back to life, killing and eating dogs, nurses, friends, and neighbors.
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
96K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,919
390
  • Director
    • Peter Jackson
  • Writers
    • Stephen Sinclair(story)
    • Fran Walsh(screenplay)
    • Peter Jackson(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Timothy Balme
    • Diana Peñalver
    • Elizabeth Moody
Top credits
  • Director
    • Peter Jackson
  • Writers
    • Stephen Sinclair(story)
    • Fran Walsh(screenplay)
    • Peter Jackson(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Timothy Balme
    • Diana Peñalver
    • Elizabeth Moody
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 610User reviews
    • 164Critic reviews
    • 54Metascore
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 14 wins & 7 nominations

    Videos1

    Dead Alive
    Trailer 1:47
    Dead Alive

    Photos134

    Braindead (1992)
    Braindead (1992)
    Braindead (1992)
    Braindead (1992)
    Timothy Balme and Diana Peñalver in Braindead (1992)
    Braindead (1992)
    Braindead (1992)
    Braindead (1992)
    Braindead (1992)
    Braindead (1992)
    Diana Peñalver in Braindead (1992)
    Timothy Balme in Braindead (1992)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Timothy Balme
    Timothy Balme
    • Lionel Cosgroveas Lionel Cosgrove
    Diana Peñalver
    Diana Peñalver
    • Paquita Maria Sanchezas Paquita Maria Sanchez
    Elizabeth Moody
    Elizabeth Moody
    • Mum (Vera Cosgrove)as Mum (Vera Cosgrove)
    Ian Watkin
    • Uncle Lesas Uncle Les
    Brenda Kendall
    • Nurse McTavishas Nurse McTavish
    Stuart Devenie
    Stuart Devenie
    • Father McGruderas Father McGruder
    Jed Brophy
    Jed Brophy
    • Voidas Void
    Stephen Papps
    • Zombie McGruderas Zombie McGruder
    Murray Keane
    • Scroatas Scroat
    Glenis Levestam
    • Nora Mathesonas Nora Matheson
    Lewis Rowe
    • Mr. Mathesonas Mr. Matheson
    Elizabeth Mulfaxe
    • Ritaas Rita
    Harry Sinclair
    Harry Sinclair
    • Rogeras Roger
    Davina Whitehouse
    Davina Whitehouse
    • Paquita's Grandmotheras Paquita's Grandmother
    Silvio Famularo
    • Paquita's Fatheras Paquita's Father
    Brian Sergent
    Brian Sergent
    • Vetas Vet
    Peter Vere-Jones
    Peter Vere-Jones
    • Undertakeras Undertaker
    Tina Regtien
    • Mandyas Mandy
    • Director
      • Peter Jackson
    • Writers
      • Stephen Sinclair(story) (screenplay)
      • Fran Walsh(screenplay)
      • Peter Jackson(screenplay)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The movie is said to be the bloodiest of all time (measured in amount of film blood used during the production).
    • Goofs
      Despite being absolutely drenched with blood during the zombie massacre, Lionel's sweater and pants are completely dry in all the following scenes. His pants are amazingly clean, too.
    • Quotes

      Father McGruder: I kick ass for the Lord!

    • Alternate versions
      Originally released in the USA as 'Dead Alive' in an unrated 97-minute version, which later cut down to 85-minutes to ensure a R-rating. Both versions are available on video and DVD.
    • Connections
      Edited into Cent une tueries de zombies (2012)
    • Soundtracks
      The Stars and Moon
      Composed by Peter Dasent and Jane Lindsay

      Performed by Kate Swadling

      Published by Mana Music/Central

    User reviews610

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Perhaps the best horror comedy of all time
    Peter Jackson's gore-fest "Dead Alive" - AKA Braindead- is a very funny, very bloody film. The story is pretty simple, but includes some ingenious plot elements - such as a budding romance between two very likable characters (Balme and Penalver), a psychologically distressing relationship between Balme and his mother and well scripted dialog.

    Balme plays Lionel - a troubled, more or less housebound young man who has been forced to spend most of his time taking care of a domineering and psychologically damaging elderly mother. Penalver plays Paquita - his romantic destiny. Paquita is a charming young woman for whom English is (perhaps) a second language. Soon after they meet, Paquita notices some odd quirks in Lionel's behavior, and slowly begins to realize that there is something besides the usual male fear of commitment. Perhaps Lionel's cannibalistic zombie mother is to blame? Soon enough Balme is babysitting a whole family of living dead who he has to constantly inject with animal tranquilizers, and trying to fend off a despicable uncle who is trying to muscle in on his inheritance. Then the fun really starts. It's the Dead Alive Series with extra gore, infused with brilliant slapstick and just a pinch of Monty Python.

    Balme is amazing! - an excellent physical actor with great slapstick pacing and manic anxiety. And Penalver is delightfully pretty and sincere yet gives a nice campy performance. Dead Alive is one of the films in which Jackson began to blend detailed ecstatic and fantastic elements into his plots and cinematography - later culminating in the disturbing Heavenly Creatures and the spectacular LOTR trilogy. In Dead Alive, he finds his formula and makes it work without a tremendous budget. The film is well shot and grotesque, but remarkably amusing.
    helpful•26
    7
    • mstomaso
    • Mar 3, 2007

    FAQ9

    • Wait, isn't this movie called "Dead Alive"? What's with "Braindead"?
    • Is this really the "goriest" movie ever made?
    • Does the Sumatran rat-monkey really exist?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 12, 1993 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • New Zealand
    • Official site
      • NZonScreen listing
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Dead-Alive
    • Filming locations
      • Botanic Garden, Wellington, New Zealand
    • Production companies
      • WingNut Films
      • New Zealand Film Commission
      • Avalon/NFU
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $3,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $242,623
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $23,765
      • Feb 15, 1993
    • Gross worldwide
      • $242,623
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 44 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.66 : 1

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