BURYING THE EX (2014)

Genre: Comedy/Horror
Director: Joe Dante
Cast: Anton Yelchin, Ashley Greene, Alexandra Daddario, Oliver Cooper
Runtime: 1 hr 30 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Some Violence and Sexual References)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 9 July 2015

Synopsis: In Burying the Ex, a new film from visionary director Joe Dante, a twenty-something's romance with his dream girl takes an unexpected turn when his dead ex-girlfriend rises from the grave and thinks they're still dating. Seamlessly merging classic horror with screwball comedy and a poignant romance, Burying the Ex is a radically unique spin on the zombie genre.

Movie Review:

If there was one person whose name was synonymous with horror comedy in Hollywood, that would be Joe Dante. Yes, Dante is the man behind such 80s classics like ‘The Howling’, ‘Piranha’ and ‘Gremlins’, which in turn spawned a whole subgenre that counts other icons like ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘Child’s Play’. His latest has a lot in common with these earlier films, so those who loved them will immediately recognise the same loopy blend of romance, screwball comedy and shlocky elements. In fact, that’s precisely the disposition we’d advise that you approach this piece of throwback entertainment, which is perfect viewing with a group of like-minded aficionados.

Scripted by first-time writer Alan Trezza from his eponymous 2008 short, it is efficiently constructed in three basic acts. The first tells of the relationship between Max (Anton Yelchin), who works in a horror novelty store named Bloody Mary’s, and Evelyn (Twilight’s Ashley Greene), a high-maintenance Type-A control freak. Despite the great sex, their relationship isn’t quite working out. Not only does she object to Max’s oafish half-brother Travis (Oliver Cooper) in his apartment – although Travis arguably does himself no favours by using Max’s place as a humping ground for his threesomes – Evelyn tries to force Max to embrace her vegan diet and environmental conscious lifestyle.

When Evelyn freaks out after Max bonds with an ice-cream seller Olivia (San Andreas’ Alexandra Daddario) over horror pop culture that she has zero interest in, Max decides to break up with her, but not before she is hit by a bus and laid in the grave. Unfortunately for Max, a little Satanic tchotchke in his store cements her promise of undying love to him, such that Evelyn literally rises from the grave as a zombie to resume their relationship. And so, Max spends pretty much the second act throwing off Evelyn’s suspicions while kindling a potential romance with Olivia, which turns out surprisingly amusing thanks to Trezza’s witty scripting.

As is de rigueur for the genre, most of the humour comes from death-related puns that would be especially meaningful for those steeped in pop culture, many of which are delivered with perfect timing by Travis. “There’s a freaking Tim Burton movie in your living room!” he exclaims when he meets Evelyn in Max’s living room for the first time since her funeral. There are also plenty of screwball situations, most of which derive from Max’s efforts to kill Evelyn all over them, like ordering three double absinthes for her. “Your funeral,” says the bartender. “Been there baby, done that,” Evelyn retorts. Yes, if that sort of humour tickles your funny bone, there are many other such chuckles to be had.

Needless to say, Evelyn isn’t quite so good-natured when she finds out about Olivia, and the first to encounter her wrath is unfortunately Travis, after he arrives at Max’s house to behead her. Dante knows a fair number of his fans are gore hounds, and he reserves the bloodletting for the last third where Evelyn goes on a murderous rampage after both Max and Olivia. True to the nostalgic spirit of the movie, Dante aims for over-the-top rather than down-to-earth, so unlike modern horror films which try to out-do each other in realism, there is never any doubt that humour is the order of the day. Dante knows exactly the right note to hit for this zom-rom-com, and the cast gamely embrace the quirkiness of the proceedings.  

It isn’t wickedly inventive if you’re asking, but ‘Burying the Ex’ is an entertaining enough blend of horror and humour that should do well for an undemanding audience. Sure, Dante has done much better stuff in his heyday, but the times since would probably have built up enough nostalgic goodwill for this good-hearted retro comedy horror. As long as you are in a generous mood for some old-school B-movie entertainment, you’ll enjoy his latest as much as we did. 

Movie Rating:

(One of Joe Dante's slightest, this zom-rom-com nevertheless offers some low-key retro pleasures for an undemanding audience)

Review by Gabriel Chong