David O'ConnellDead Set
November 24th 2009 04:34
Melding satirical barbs aimed at reality television with the horrifically heightened drama of Zack Snyder's 2004 Dawn of the Dead revision, this little known British production, a no-holds-barred zombie fright-fest, is one to savour and champion in the years ahead. It’s a gloriously undiluted romp, a viciously funny, tense drama, and one marked by its appreciation of the virtues of plentiful gore.
Using the English version of the ubiquitous Big Brother as its central setting, an unexplained viral outbreak spreads across the nation before worming its way into the show’s complex. Here, all hell breaks loose - as well as destroying what should be prime ratings material: Eviction Night. The show’s contestants are temporarily in the safest place possible as, unbeknownst to them, the outside world devolves into a playground for brain-munching, undead savages. They’re an impressively diverse bunch, including slightly creepy outsider Joplin (Kevin Eldon), feisty blonde bombshell Veronica (Beth Cordingly), and preening cross-dresser Grayson (Raj Ghatak).
The other two central figures are network lackey Kelly (Jaime Winstone) who is first to seek shelter in the BB house, and the show’s unconscionably arrogant director Patrick (Andy Nyman) whose constant stream of expletive-laden insults is Dead Set’s primary source of caustic amusement.
Spanning five episodes and nearly 140 minutes, Dead Set brings the revered survival-horror mode of console games such as Silent Hill and Resident Evil to roving, spectacular life; it makes for an immersive, blood-drenched experience, a full-frontal assault in which pacing is never an issue thanks to the slick direction of Yann Demange and brilliant, biting teleplay from Charlie Brooker.
The narrative switches perspective from those inside the house to other parts of the complex and the outside world where Kelly’s boyfriend Riq (Riz Ahmed) is trying to navigate a path to safety. The scale of the infection ensures an ultimate futility, but there's morbid pleasure to be had from watching the slaughter unfold on both sides. These zombies may be fast and relentless but they do lack intuitive skills such as swimming and jumping, leaving holes in their defenses that the survivors are able to exploit.
In visual terms, Dead Set pulls out all the stops, cinematographer Tat Radcliffe’s kinetic, flailing handheld work heightening the hysteria of tense moments; in other circumstances it might be more likely to induce seizures, but here it works to perfection, dropping you into the fray to an extent where any stylistic choices fade into the background, becoming redundant in terms of their potential to distract.
Dead Set manages to channel the fierce independent spirit of the Godfather of zombie films, George Romero, whilst paraphrasing some of the more esteemed genre offerings of recent years too; besides the superb Dawn of the Dead re-imagining, there are moments inspired by 28 Weeks Later (2007) and Gaspar Noe’s Irreversible (2002), whilst the sardonic Shaun of the Dead (2004) is another obvious influence. A classic line that best sums up the show's tone comes from Veronica who, surveying the carnage of a world turning to crap, can only wonder, “Does this mean we’re not on telly anymore?”
Much of the ghoulish pleasure of the magnificent Dead Set is derived from the lengths Brooker and Demange go in allowing this audacious, jarring beast of a production to stray across the boundaries of good taste; a couple of scenes in the latter stages cut deliriously close to the mark, such as when Patrick sets about preparing bait for the ravenous undead hordes to use as a diversion.
The final scenes take the action to new heights of gore and suspense, layering a sense of bleak formality over the fates of these cornered mice. Frantic and paced like a suspense thriller, it becomes an over-the-top delight for horror fans; the hilarious but contemptible Patrick gets his comeuppance in a scene sure to be regarded as a classic horror moment for years to come.
This is one of the most impressive entries into the overpopulated field of zombie-centric works ever produced for cinema or TV. Ambitious and bold, it tosses what appears superficially to be well-worn clichés into a blender, but from which emerges something tantalizingly tasty, subversive, and dripping with bloody glee.
Dead Set is now out on SBS DVD.
Using the English version of the ubiquitous Big Brother as its central setting, an unexplained viral outbreak spreads across the nation before worming its way into the show’s complex. Here, all hell breaks loose - as well as destroying what should be prime ratings material: Eviction Night. The show’s contestants are temporarily in the safest place possible as, unbeknownst to them, the outside world devolves into a playground for brain-munching, undead savages. They’re an impressively diverse bunch, including slightly creepy outsider Joplin (Kevin Eldon), feisty blonde bombshell Veronica (Beth Cordingly), and preening cross-dresser Grayson (Raj Ghatak).
The other two central figures are network lackey Kelly (Jaime Winstone) who is first to seek shelter in the BB house, and the show’s unconscionably arrogant director Patrick (Andy Nyman) whose constant stream of expletive-laden insults is Dead Set’s primary source of caustic amusement.
Spanning five episodes and nearly 140 minutes, Dead Set brings the revered survival-horror mode of console games such as Silent Hill and Resident Evil to roving, spectacular life; it makes for an immersive, blood-drenched experience, a full-frontal assault in which pacing is never an issue thanks to the slick direction of Yann Demange and brilliant, biting teleplay from Charlie Brooker.
The narrative switches perspective from those inside the house to other parts of the complex and the outside world where Kelly’s boyfriend Riq (Riz Ahmed) is trying to navigate a path to safety. The scale of the infection ensures an ultimate futility, but there's morbid pleasure to be had from watching the slaughter unfold on both sides. These zombies may be fast and relentless but they do lack intuitive skills such as swimming and jumping, leaving holes in their defenses that the survivors are able to exploit.
In visual terms, Dead Set pulls out all the stops, cinematographer Tat Radcliffe’s kinetic, flailing handheld work heightening the hysteria of tense moments; in other circumstances it might be more likely to induce seizures, but here it works to perfection, dropping you into the fray to an extent where any stylistic choices fade into the background, becoming redundant in terms of their potential to distract.
Dead Set manages to channel the fierce independent spirit of the Godfather of zombie films, George Romero, whilst paraphrasing some of the more esteemed genre offerings of recent years too; besides the superb Dawn of the Dead re-imagining, there are moments inspired by 28 Weeks Later (2007) and Gaspar Noe’s Irreversible (2002), whilst the sardonic Shaun of the Dead (2004) is another obvious influence. A classic line that best sums up the show's tone comes from Veronica who, surveying the carnage of a world turning to crap, can only wonder, “Does this mean we’re not on telly anymore?”
Much of the ghoulish pleasure of the magnificent Dead Set is derived from the lengths Brooker and Demange go in allowing this audacious, jarring beast of a production to stray across the boundaries of good taste; a couple of scenes in the latter stages cut deliriously close to the mark, such as when Patrick sets about preparing bait for the ravenous undead hordes to use as a diversion.
The final scenes take the action to new heights of gore and suspense, layering a sense of bleak formality over the fates of these cornered mice. Frantic and paced like a suspense thriller, it becomes an over-the-top delight for horror fans; the hilarious but contemptible Patrick gets his comeuppance in a scene sure to be regarded as a classic horror moment for years to come.
This is one of the most impressive entries into the overpopulated field of zombie-centric works ever produced for cinema or TV. Ambitious and bold, it tosses what appears superficially to be well-worn clichés into a blender, but from which emerges something tantalizingly tasty, subversive, and dripping with bloody glee.
Dead Set is now out on SBS DVD.
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Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by Matt Shea
20/20 Filmsight
Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic
Matt, don't hesitate to check it out mate, if Bryn and I haven't been convincing enough then there's no hope for you!
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
Screen Trek
QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
I saw the first episode, and missed the rest dammit!!
I loved it! Sooo cool, particularly brilliant was the idea of setting it in a BB household!! HA!!
I'll just have to wait for the re-run.
cheers
fog
Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic
The final one is the real star attraction though and if you like real gory stuff, you'll see a scene that could've been lifted straight out of Day of the Dead!!
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
This is so up my undead alley that I must somehow get it from the UK due to unavailability in the US.
Thanks for bringing to my attention...i am now a deer in headlights!
Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic