Ep. 84: Peter Jackson's "Dead Alive" (1992)

Peter Jackson's outrageously gory 1992 splatter comedy "Dead Alive" surprised us all with its impressive 89% Rotten Tomatoes score. While we initially struggled through the slow-paced first twenty minutes, the film quickly transforms into a wild, blood-soaked roller coaster that had us simultaneously laughing and gagging.

"Dead Alive" follows timid Lionel, whose controlling mother gets bitten by a Sumatran rat monkey at the zoo, turning her into a rapidly decomposing zombie who infects everyone she encounters. What follows is perhaps the goriest film ever made, featuring memorable scenes like a kung-fu priest who "kicks ass for the Lord," a zombie baby that becomes a twisted comedy device, and the legendary lawnmower sequence that pumped fake blood at five gallons per second.

We dive deep into what makes this film a cult classic, from its quotable one-liners ("Your mother ate my dog!" "Not all of it...") to its practical effects that still hold up remarkably well today. The film's excessive gore - using an estimated 300 liters of fake blood in the final scene alone - established it as the benchmark for splatter films and showcased Peter Jackson's creative vision long before his Lord of the Rings success.

Despite some dated elements that don't quite hold up (particularly stereotypical characters and an unnecessarily slow opening), we all agreed "Dead Alive" deserves its place in horror history. Whether you're a fan of splatter films like "Reanimator" and "Evil Dead" or just curious to see where Peter Jackson began his film-making journey, this blood-drenched zombie comedy delivers a uniquely entertaining experience that's worth seeking out. Check out our full breakdown and discover why this New Zealand cult classic outperformed Batman Returns on its home turf back in 1992.

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