OMG Horror.com

Writer/Director Steven C. Miller is bringing shoe string budgets back with a vengeance. In his blistering directorial debut film Automaton Transfusion, Miller has shown that passion and ingenuity exceeds all else when it comes to being truly creative. With a paltry $30,000 budget, Miller has tapped into a raw energy that offers a fresh spin on an otherwise tired, watered down staple of the horror community: the zombie picture! Here's an all out, balls to the wall blood bath shot in only nine days.

The Plot: A top secret military procedure goes awry, not unlike Return of the Living Dead; an undead plague infects the streets of a small settlement. According to Bloody Disgusting, "Miller's film follows three teens who find themselves in a town over run by zombies. Deciding to fight back, they go on a punch-you-in-the-throat, action packed, non-stop ride thru the city, woods and schools." The review goes on to add that "even with its low budget flaws, Automaton is the holy grail of 'true' independent horror films." High praise indeed!

The Scoop: Most of that praise has to do with how entertaining the movie his despite the extremely limited resources used to make it. Although it was produced in 2006, thedeadshallrule at horrormovies.ca claims the film to be "well worth the wait!! From the first scene, shot looking out into the room from a morgue slab, to the last shot of the film which impressed me. Every inch of this film is enjoyable from a fan point of view, from a critic's point of view, from a film maker's point of view." He continues, adding the movie is "Fast, furious, gore drenched, what every horror and zombie genre fan long for." Not too bad, huh?!?

The Poop: Apparently not everyone is enamored with the creative spirit and special FX work alone to push the movie towards greatness. Take Michael Gingold's remarks on the film: "Once the inevitable horde of ravenous, blood-streaked ghouls makes an appearance and charges after our heroes, the movie quickly settles into a run-fight-zombies-run-some-more scenario that keeps moving (it runs only about 70 minutes plus credits), but never really goes anywhere." Guess you're going to have to watch it and decide for yourself!

Final Word: Even though I've sifted thru a litany of reviews for this film, I can still say I'm genuinely excited to see it. I know most people are lauding what a break thru achievement this flick has been, particularly given it's below modest budget, but the film does have its detractors as well. There's always going to be people on each side of the aisle, but compared to what is released in theaters these days, I certainly welcome new, challenging takes on a subgenre that's, let's face it, has been over saturated the last few years. I even like the title; bound to turn off some illiterate red staters but hey, this movie seems to be atypical all around.

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