Blood Quantum

When you look back at your past, do you remember anything specific that you especially remember ? I am sure that most of you do. Some of you might remember your first Traci Lords VHS film, where you did not care about the title, and you just wanted to watch her in action. And some of you might remember that Falcon Crest actor Lorenzo Lamas actually recorded an album called Fingerprints, released in 1984. 

Wait, none of you remember that ? 

Oh man, i thought everyone remember how good that album was. I guess i better play that more often in my car from now on, so more fans can discover one of the greatest albums of all time. Anyway, one of my memories that i cherish is from 1991, when my school friend Jonas managed to get his hands on a VHS tape from England, with the film Day Of The Dead. This was not my first zombie film ( i believe Zombie Flesh Eaters was my first ), but it was one of the best films i have seen in this genre during that time. Directed by legendary director George A. Romero, this film offered some really gory practical effects, a lot of zombies, and even some comedy scenes as well. I remember seeing this film for the first time, and i was shocked of how brutal this film was. And i loved it of course, and i ended up borrowing this film from Jonas several times. Day Of The Dead is one of those films i can still Watch today, and enjoy for a number of reasons. Considering that this film was released in 1985, i think the practical effects still look pretty good. Another detail is that the cast of this film also does a good job, especially legendary actor Joseph Pilato as the bad dude Rhodes. A must buy on Blu Ray, and get the Arrow Video release, and you get some really nice special features. Speaking of zombies, every year we get different kinds of films in the genre. Some are actually pretty good, while some feels pretty boring. And as i was going through a list of horror films that looked interesting, i came across the title of Blood Quantum. I have read some Reviews online, and this seemed to be an interesting zombie film, especially considering what time period this film takes place. Is it possible that Blood Quantum is one of the better zombie films in recent years, or is it as bad as Cuba Gooding Jr´s 2007 comedy Daddy Day Camp ?

In 1981, on the Red Crow Indian Reservation in Quebec, Canada, fisherman Gisigu ( Stonehorse Lone Goeman ) catches a number of Salmon, and observes that they move after they are gutted. Elsewhere that morning, Gisigu´s son, sheriff Traylor ( Michael Greyeyes ) gets a call of a dying dog that belongs to his ex-wife, nurse Joss ( Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers ) and kill the dog. Traylor goes to visit Joss, and learn that their son Joseph ( Forrest Goodluck ) have been arrested for vandalism. Traylor then visits Gisigu, who show him the gutted yet moving salmon. Joss dead dog wakes up back to life suddenly, and Traylor shoots it. Something very strange is clearly going on in town, and as Traylor and Joss heads to town to free Joseph from jail, chaos breaks loose as one of the violent men in jail attacks Joseph and bites in his arm. This is just the beginning of the real hell that awaits everyone.

One of the things that caught my attention with Blood Quantum, is that this film is supposed to be in the early 80´s. And for those who know me, you know i love horror films that tries to capture this time period in new films. And i have to say, they have managed to capture that 80´s feeling with the police cars, costume design and some of the characters as well. I also think the music score fits well with the time period, that gives you a feeling of the 80´s. The biggest highlight of Blood Quantum is without a doubt the practical effects. There are some really gory scenes in here, where the zombies feed on body parts, limbs and much more, and you see it pretty close. This is exactly what a film like this needed to work, since if you are going to make a zombie film, make sure you have some fun practical effects included to please the fans of this genre. My biggest problem with Blood Quantum is that this film has a lot of characters, but only a few of them are interesting. You don´t really get to know some of the characters that well, when you know they are stuck in an impossible situation of a zombie invasion. But let´s get into the characters that i do feel work. Joss, played by wonderful actress Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, is a woman who clearly had a rough life, and she´s trying to do her best to deal with this difficult moment. Lysol ( played by actor Kiowa Gordon, who i guarantee you will recognize from the Twilight franchise ) is a character who clearly don´t take shit from anyone, and Kiowa delivers a performance that fits well with the character. Actress Devery Jacobs is really cool as the character James, who is clearly a survivor with a big heart. As a zombie film, Blood Quantum does not bring anything new to the table, but that´s ok. The construction of this film, set in the 80´s, makes it feel like a cool nostalgic trip to a different version of Day Of The Dead, in an odd way. Director Jeff Barnaby knows how to show respect for this genre, and he does hit the right spot with this effort to make a practical effect feast. If you got no plans this week, give Blood Quantum a chance on VOD, and who knows, you might feel inspired to try your own zombie battle.

Rating: DDD