NYAFF 09 Review: YOROI SAMURAI ZOMBIE

I didn’t know what to expect when I popped in this screener. Would it be a horror film with touches of comedy, a zany horror spoof? Gladly it was neither. I say gladly because Yorio Samurai Zombie was something a lot more rare. It had plenty of the above but in the end it emerged as something that sent a genuine chill. Part monster movie, part passle of jump scenes and shoot 'em ups, and enough gushing blood to make anyone giggle, it also gave me no real idea where it was headed until it was too late. And by then it was forcing questions about the nature of cosmic justice Vs. revenge in my head. A family is kidnapped by a pair of runaway thieves only to end up near an old burial ground where a zombie samurai warrior has been set loose. The plot, and the number of monsters, thickens as the bodies pile up until an ancient but obscure bit of history blurs the lines between guilt and innocence .There’s really nothing else you need to know here. Special effects range from passable to really good and the monsters are brought off in a sort of man in suit glory that is rare these days. My guess is you’ll have a blast and come out with a creepy chill. This has already played the fest once but Fri June 26, 9:45pm at the IFC Center boasts appearances by director/actor Tak Sakaguchi and top stuntman Isao Karasawa.