MY FAIR ZOMBIE

THE SETUP

2013’s “My Fair Zombie”, Written and Directed by Brett Kelly (Jurassic Shark and Murder In High Heels), comes to us courtesy of Camp Motion Pictures. It’s an independent Horror/Comedy/Musical set in an alternate early 1900’s England in the midst of a zombie outbreak. In a twist on the flower girl turn lady verdict of the infamous My Fair Lady, here, it’s the professor attempting to teach a zombie social etiquette with the hopes of turning her into a proper English lady. Professor of phonetics Henry Higgins (played by Lawrence Evenchick), wagers a bet with a colleague Colonel Pickering (Barry Caiger) that within a short period of time he’ll be able to teach Eliza Dolittle, a recently turned zombie (played by Sacha Gabriel), the in’s and out’s of lady protocol – humor and gore ensue. The film also stars Jennifer Vallance, Jason Redmond, Gabrielle MacKenzie, and Penelope Goranson.

Canadian-based Brett Kelly Entertainment has become synonymous with their DIY approach to independent filmmaking. Kelly has been working in the industry in one fashion or another for almost twenty years, writing and directing all types of films. From creature feature b-movie’s like “Raiders Of The Lost Shark” and “Attack Of The Giant Leeches”, to western’s such as “The Last Outlaw” and “Jesse James: Lawman”, he’s even ventured into exploitation and comedy over the journey. In addition, My Fair Zombie now serves to add “musical” to his repertoire, and whilst I haven’t exactly been a fan of all that I’ve seen from Kelly, I can still respect the ongoing grind in getting these projects off the ground. I think this period piece boasts the highest production value of any of Kelly’s other work (or at least what I’ve seen of it). Jeremy Kennedy’s camera work is simple in structure but consistently good, utilizing tripod still shots for the bulk of the character interaction. Moreover, audio levels are as clear as they’ve ever been, and Stephen John Tippet’s musical numbers are surprisingly colorful with hooky lyrical content to boot.

The minimalistic set design (on a budget) and authentic costumes both help sell the state of play, and the performances, by and large, are reliable and entertaining. In her first on-screen appearance, Sacha Gabriel exhibits an assurance of her surroundings and appears to know when and where Eliza’s theatrics are called for. However, it’s really the copious amounts of quickfire delivery between Evenchick and Caiger’s well-to-do gentlemen that make My Fair Zombie a pretty fun watch. The former has been a long-serving go-to for Kelly, having collaborated with him on a number of projects. I was most impressed by Lawrence’s ability to stay in character with his British accent, and the older Barry Caiger nails the colonel’s diction faultlessly. I’d wager that both of these actors have spent time in the theatre. As far as action goes, there isn’t a lot to be found here. There’s only really one extended moment involving some practical blood spray with Mrs. Pearce (Vallance), the caretaker. There’s a handful of gunshots that occur in the beginning and there’s a couple of frames showing a brain that looks suspiciously like red jello (haha).

My Fair Zombie is light on character and simple by design, and therefore even an 80-minute run-time feels like it’s been padded out a bit. The film lacks attention to detail in unusual places not necessarily gauged by budget constraints e.g the makeup fx and some of the set dressings. The zombie makeup is far too soft and the application looks to barely consist of contact lenses, eye shadow, and some foundation. Those who know their zombie content may be disappointed with the absence of cornerstones like prominent veins, discoloration, and the blood. There’s also no attempt made to age Eliza as she inevitably decomposes (or one would think). Forgotten specifics aren’t always a good look, such as no tea in the teacups when actors are supposed to be drinking. Some of the discourse feels a touch repetitive and the editing techniques are lacking a bit of dare that would have better suited this musical. Accents do waver from some of the secondary players at times, but that’s probably to be expected when the cast isn’t English. Unfortunately, the horror flavor is scarce because it ultimately takes a backseat to the comedy, which doesn’t hit home all that hard either.

I had no idea what to expect from My Fair Zombie, and if I’m honest, musicals as a whole have never really been my thing. Much to my surprise, I enjoyed this one and I think it’s probably Kelly’s most polished film. The cinematography is solid, the audio is sharp, and both the sets and costumes appear to be period accurate. Where the film is its strongest is in the three lead performances. I found the pairing of Higgins and Pickering quite entertaining with both actors possess good timing, and Gabriel turns in a fun physical performance. I think the below-par makeup fx and the forgotten particulars concerning several facets do hurt the film, so to some of the inconsistent acting from secondary characters. The pacing and edit are both guilty of being a bit casual and neither the horror or the comedy rise to any great heights. Still, if you’re a big fan of musicals or have a better knowledge of My Fair Lady than I, you’ll likely get even more out of the film. My Fair Zombie is now available to purchase online and you can check out the official trailer below!

My Fair Zombie – 6/10