The Dead and the Damned

The Dead and the Damned (also known as Cowboys & Zombies) is a 2010 American Western horror film directed by Rene Perez, written by Perez and Barry Massoni, and starring David Lockhart, Camille Montgomery, Rick Mora, and Robert Amstler. The film depicts a meteorite that unleashes a zombie virus in the American Old West.

The Dead and the Damned
Film poster
Directed byRene Perez
Produced byMattia Borrani
Written by
  • Rene Perez
  • Barry Massoni
Starring
  • David Lockhart
  • Camille Montgomery
  • Rick Mora
  • Robert Amstler
Music by
  • Mattia Borrani
  • Rene Perez
CinematographyPaul Nordin
Edited byRene Perez
Production
company
Mattia Borrani Productions
Release date
  • July 17, 2010 (2010-07-17) (Another Hole In the Head Film Festival)
Running time
85 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plot

During the California Gold Rush, in the 1840s, Mortimer receives a bounty for Brother Wolf, a Native American accused of rape. Mortimer recruits a prostitute, Rhiannon, as bait to lure out Wolf. However, Mortimer becomes dubious of the charges once he meets Wolf. Meanwhile, a group of prospectors unleash a zombie virus when they attempt to mine a meteorite. Mortimer, Rhiannon, and Wolf must band together to stop the zombies.

Cast
  • David Lockhart as Mortimer
  • Camille Montgomery as Rhiannon
  • Rick Mora as Brother Wolf
  • Robert Amstler as The German

Production

Filming took place near Yosemite National Park.[1]

Release

The Dead and the Damned premiered at the Another Hole In the Head Film Festival on July 17, 2010.[2][3] It was released on DVD in the US on July 26, 2011,[4] and in the UK on August 1, 2011.[5]

Reception

Jim Harrington of the San Jose Mercury News called the plot "as ludicrous as it is fun".[2] Rod Lott of the Oklahoma Gazette called it "proof that bargain-basement zombie flicks, which are dime-a-dozen these days, shouldn't be made".[6] Gareth Jones of Dread Central rated it 1.5/5 stars and wrote, "With too little plot and too little visual imagination to justify a feature runtime, we're left with plodding scenes of predictable exposition, poorly executed action and lingering gazes at bare breasts peppered with occasional minutes of something approaching genuine entertainment."[7] Ben Bussey of Brutal as Hell wrote that despite its amateurishness the film "remains a reasonable bit of fun so long as your expectations aren't too high".[8] HorrorTalk rated it 2.5/5 stars and wrote, "The Dead and the Damned had a lot of potential, on both sides of the camera, and it could have succeeded with a bit more experience."[9] Alex DiVincenzo of HorrorNews.Net wrote, "If there's not a gun fight or a zombie chase on screen, the movie is boring."[10] Writing in The Zombie Movie Encyclopedia, Volume 2, academic Peter Dendle called it "mostly a zombie shooting gallery".[1]

Sequel

A loosely connected sequel, The Dead and the Damned 2, was released in October 2014.[11]

References
  1. Dendle, Peter (2012). The Zombie Movie Encyclopedia, Volume 2: 2000–2010. McFarland & Company. p. 62. ISBN 978-0-7864-6163-9.
  2. Harttington, Jim (2010-07-02). "Another Hole In the Head film fest returns to San Francisco". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
  3. Miska, Brad (2010-06-16). "The Undead Head West in 'The Dead and the Damned'". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
  4. Barton, Steve (2011-06-10). "Artwork and More Details on the US DVD Release of The Dead and the Damned". Dread Central. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
  5. Jones, Gareth (2011-06-07). "Cowboys and Zombies Saddle Up for UK DVD Release". Dread Central. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
  6. Lott, Rod (2011-07-15). "Within / The Dead and the Damned". Oklahoma Gazette. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
  7. Jones, Gareth (2011-07-29). "Cowboys & Zombies (UK DVD)". Dread Central. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
  8. Bussey, Ben (2011-08-12). "DVD Review: Cowboys & Zombies". Brutal as Hell. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
  9. "The Dead and the Damned DVD Review". HorrorTalk. 2011-09-01. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
  10. DiVincenzo, Alex (2011-08-03). "Film Review: The Dead and the Damned (2010)". HorrorNews.Net. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
  11. Condit, Jon (2014-09-11). "The Dead and the Damned Gets a Sequel". Dread Central. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
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