Harold's Going Stiff
Dir: Keith Wright
2011
***
Harold's Going Stiff is a unique take on the Zombie genre and for that it should be congratulated. If I was going to base my rating on the idea and the performances by Stan Rowe and Sarah Spencer, and for what they achieved on such a small budget, I would give it 4 maybe maybe even 5 stars. Unfortunately, Keith Wright is a better writer than he is a director. The problem is that the film jumps from documentary style to normal without continuity or reason. The actors that play News readers, Doctors and Scientists play the roles perfectly, you could believe that they are real people. The same can't be said for the 'vigilante' group. The vigilante group is basically three idiots driving around endlessly, telling jokes and being 'funny'. All the 'comedy' moments seem to revolve around them, the humour never really working with the overall serious theme. For every tender and brilliant moment, there are about 5 pointless and unfunny ones, basically every scene involving the pointless vigilante group which totally spoils the whole film. A huge wasted opportunity but worth watching for the good bits which are quite wonderful in places.