Zombie Strippers (2008)

On the surface, you would think this was a film about strippers who happen to be zombies.

You would be most emphatically right.

And still, there is more to this little B-movie beast than you would expect. But hear me out on this one.

There are no two ways about it: this is B-movie schlock, hands down. But it is a lot more clever and funny than you may conclude about a little project with a - let's be honest - rather silly title.

Also, why does the coverversion in the US hide Jenna Jameson's sideboob? It is only sideboob, after all and the Photoshopped bra looks awful.

But I digress.

Storywise, it is kept plain and simple: soldiers have to take out a zombie threat in a 'medical centre', one of the troopers gets bitten and escapes next door, which happens to be a stripclub that is highly illegal. He bites the main star and it turns out that the audience is going completely gaga over undead strippers. That is in fact the whole gist of the movie. Sounds ridiculous? Of course it does.

But then there are the points that make this a rather unexpectedly enjoyable watch.

First off, a lot of this script is based on a rather lofty source, being the play 'Rhinoceros' by Ionesco, a playwright. They even go so far as to include verbatim lines of the play into this movie. You will instantly pick them out because they sound out of place in all their literary garishness and become all the more hilarious for it. It is so blatantly done on purpose that you have to applaud the makers for getting the joke. The club is also called 'Rhino's' and the manager is Ian Essko.

Laying it all on a little thick? You betcha!

All the actors are in on the joke and even though some of the acting can be a little uneven (I am looking at you, Paco!), you can tell everyone had fun with their roles. Robert Englund is hamming it up as far as he can go and it is enjoyable in its over-the-top-ness and maybe surprisingly, former porn queen Jenna Jameson is really good in the role. She plays it deadpan straight, but you can still tell she is in on the joke and that makes her character work. The rest does not shy away from clichés, but they are all played for laughs and mostly work. I did say mostly, because some jokes (like the goth girl who has a rather unhealthy obsession with death) do fall flat, but you can not win them all.

Of course this film has a lot of T&A thrown in because it can, but it does not really detract from a zombie story that is, in all its silliness, well thought out. Everything is also kept inside of the club (well, mostly), so that must have been a nice budget cut that also allowed the makers to go a little nuts on the zombie effects and gore, which are done really well. Some of the CG is a little iffy, but the practical effects are rather impressive for their budget. Again: time to tip the hat again.

There is no one who will claim this is high art, but the film is a fun and entertaining zombieromp and it is a lot smarter and better than you would expect. So if you want something different, this might be an idea to watch.

My favourite joke is probably that Kat (Jenna Jameson) reads Nietschze, but is clearly puzzled by it all. Until she becomes a zombie, rereads it and exclaims: "Now I get it!"

Well, I though that was funny. But I suppose you all would rather laugh at the scene where she shoots billiard balls out of a certain part of her anatomy.

Figures, you Philistines.