Reel Zombies

Reel Zombies is a 2008 Canadian zombie film directed by David J. Francis and Mike Masters.[2] It is the third film in a loose trilogy that includes Zombie Night and Zombie Night 2: Awakening. Shot in documentary style, it depicts a film crew that attempts to follow up on their low budget zombie films during an outbreak of a real zombie apocalypse.

When a zombie outbreak erupts, zombie films are made illegal. Undeterred, a low budget film crew set out to create the sequel to their two previous, unsuccessful zombie films, reasoning that once the zombie plague ends, there will once again be a market. The filmmakers attempt to film around the hostile zombies, while also using them as extras in their film.

Reel Zombies premiered at the 2008 Lisbon International Horror Film Festival.[1] Synapse Films released it on DVD on 11 February 2014.[3]

Michael Gingold of Fangoria wrote, "Reel Zombies is a mix of big laughs and smiles of recognition, and will likely be most appreciated by anyone who’s spent time in the indie filmmaking trenches themselves."[4] Dave Murray of JoBlo.com rated it 3/4 stars and wrote that it "couldn't be funnier".[5] HorrorNews.Net wrote that the film is very funny and offers many surprises.[6] Geoff Bough of Revenant Magazine wrote that the film "is honestly one of my favorite films of the year and provides an explosive dose of hilarity to the zombie subgenre."[7] Olie Coen of DVD Talk rated it 3.5/5 stars and wrote, "If you like the genre check this out; it's a refreshing take on an old storyline that's surprisingly entertaining and smart."[3] Gordon Sullivan of DVD Verdict wrote, "Though it has some good ideas—having actors play themselves, tying the film into the real world, making zombies slightly less threatening, and making a zombie film with "real" zombies—these additions to the formula aren't utilized effectively."[8]