Oc-Terror/No(show)vember: Dead Alive

    When life hits you, it'll be either one of two things. The first one is a pillow thrown by a topless cheerleader during a slumber party. The second is the Hulk kicking you so hard in the groin you accidentally knock heads with the Watcher.

    Guess which one of those two caused the delay of this recommendation?

    But enough about topless She Hulks kicking people in the groin. This is supposed to be about Dead Alive, and how you can dress up for... Halloween. DAMN IT!! How can I make this fit, considering Halloween is long over? Hm...

I GOT IT!! Instead of Halloween, use this film as inspiration for CHRISTMAS!!

 SYNOPSIS: Lionel is a good boy. He dotes on his mother, stays away from strangers, and tries to forget about the dream he has every night of some lady drowning in a bathtub. But things take a turn for the strange when Lionel's mom gets bit by some Sumatran Rat-Monkey-thing, and she falls gravely ill, and becomes a zombie. Not to mention the gypsy girl that falls in love with him at a glance, the growing amount of shamblers living in his basement, and that his uncle is trying to shoehorn himself into the family estate. It's hard to keep up appearances when you've got things that want to tear you to pieces in your own home.

WHAT MAKES THIS FILM WORK?

    This film is a true landmark in terms of pure appeal. Considered by many horror fans to be his best, Peter Jackson really elevated the bar when it comes to gore, comedy and horror in one complete package. The acting is well done, the gore is over the top, the humor is perfectly paced, and the film never lets up for a minute. Music, effects, and camera work are all top notch, and well worth multiple sittings to figure out just where everything was edited and how they did certain shots. Put it all together, and this film automatically gets placed in the "MUST OWN" pile of movies for any fan of horror movies.

THEME RECOMMENDATION: More for friends rather than family, unless you have one of those families, die hard Halloween fans, and those who just want to make random people confused and/or entertained.

    This set is possibly the EASIEST to pull off. Cardigans, dresses, pompadours, and the like are available everywhere, no matter where you live. The idea is "50's/60's retro", so be imaginative with it. Also, it's not a good idea to carry around REAL lawnmowers strapped to your chest, so toy ones are ideal. Plus, it's not a good idea to have a fruitcake toss while having one actively moving on your torso. Lawnmower plus fruitcake tossing plus slippery floor equals re-enacting a scene from the movie. Make sure to enjoy the art, not copy it.

    As for the decorations, pull out the Halloween stuff kiddies! Some fake blood here and there (and pretty much everywhere else, for that matter), some fake guts on the tree and dismembered limbs strewn about, and you have a good start! The whole trick is to be imaginative! Take the final bits of the movie as a starting point and extrapolate with some personal touches. Keeping with the retro theme, have some classic 50's and 60's party tunes (Christmas tunes included). Also, you CAN do some research about when brands came about so you can keep the authenticity, but it's not necessary. The cutoff time for things should be around 1964, so if you want to go authentic, keep that year in mind.

    Well, that does it for me! I hope you enjoyed my recommendations! Keep in mind you don't have to follow everything I brought forth. The point is to have fun, and fly your freak flag, no matter what time of the year it is!

    Take care, enjoy your holidays, and make sure that your celebrations (and whatever else) don't bite!