Horror Movie Review: Bong of the Dead (2011)

Happy 4/20 ya’ll. Fire up the smoke, it’s time to get high with Bong of the Dead. A comedy horror movie written and directed by Thomas Newman, starring Simone Bailly, Mark Sweatman, Jy Harris and Barry Nerling.

Do you like idiotic stoner jokes, iffy acting, low-budget visuals, and a stupid amount of blood and guts? Bong of the Dead has what you need even if it is likely to give you the munchies.

It’s the zombie apocalypse but Edwin and Tommy didn’t really notice. Staying well out of the chaos to chill at home and get high. Getting involved would mean having to move and that just isn’t their jam. At least until they discover they are running out of weed, and that somehow, zombie brains make the perfect fertiliser to grow their own.

They need a lot of zombie brains if they’re going to be high enough to not notice the end of the world so decide to go to the Danger Zone. An off-limit area that is packed with the walking dead. Though actually getting there alive for this pair is the biggest challenge of all.

A stupid movie that gets stupider the longer it goes on. One with a lot of ambition, plenty of passion, and impressive gross and gory imagery. The opening sequence is so extreme, it will delight those thirsty for blood. Yet, unfortunately, it is the high point of this movie and it is all downhill from there.

It has several major problems and they are hard to overlook. The first being that it’s just not funny. The childish stoner jokes and fart gags are constant and miss almost every single time. It’s not just because of poor delivery, it’s poor writing. This stuff just isn’t clever enough to entertain. Unless you’re high while watching it. Then you might get a chuckle or two from the idiocy.

Though you’re going to have to be sky high to like the main characters, which is another big problem. They’re both quite intolerable, and then when they’re joined by love-interest Leah, she is just as annoying. That there is no chemistry between the cast really doesn’t help matters either.

Then there is the over-stretched story that can’t sustain the 90+ minute runtime. If anyone is still awake come the final 20-odd minutes when the gore goes into overdrive, it will be quite a miracle. Though, the latter portion of the movie is sort of worth it as the slapstick violence is at least entertaining.

Having a pot party this 4/20? This might suffice as a background watch but don’t expect to remember it the day after.