I happen to be a huge fan of the documentary genre and so I was glad when I heard about Zombie Girl. A documentary crew following a twelve year old girl who writes and directs her own zombie movie. Ever since I saw The King of Kong I realized how interesting a documentary that doesn’t sound interesting can really be.
Initially the concept of this really got me thinking, either this could be really funny, or this could be really boring. When I was told that Harry Knowles and Peter Jackson were somehow involved, I decided it must be somewhat interesting and so I gave it a chance. It turns out it falls right in the middle of my expectation.
Mostly what I liked was the production of the film, and the ‘Real World’ like gossip of mother and daughter talking behind each others backs in on-camera interviews. It was genuinely heart warming to see just how supportive her parents were, and how much help they gave her with the production of her film.
Looking back, it is pretty impressive for a twelve year old kid to make a movie that actually gets completed. Even if it looks god awful. It seems to me that it was more professionally done than some of the crap that gets made today. (I am of course referring to Opie Gets Laid. You can read my review here!) She had auditions, script readings, green screen effects, plenty of extras in make-up. That takes dedication, and I personally hope that’s not all it takes to make it in the film business, but its still nice to see. If you are hoping to see a documentary about a kid that’s going to turn into a superstar in a few years, I don’t think that’s what you’ll find here. I think its just about dedication, and the shock value of a twelve year old that is dedicated to blood and guts.
It would be hard to say this is a must see film, or anything of the sort. I think some people might really enjoy watching this once, and it tells a charming story that is capably put together. If you’re lucky you will turn off the television yelling, “If she can make a film so can I.” But I don’t think everyone will take that from it. I’ll just end by saying, if you find yourself really interested by the concept of a twelve year old making a movie, then you might as well give this a try.
You can find out more at www.zombiegirlthemovie.com, and if the film the little girl made is more interesting to you than a documentary about it, you can buy it from her web site, which I don’t know off the top of my head.