The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Since George A. Romero’s 1968 Night of the Living Dead, flesh-eating Hollows – aka Zombies, Lurkers, Biters or the Undead – have become a part of a phenomenon that is still dominating the horror-scene today.

However, with the release of Nick Lyon’s Rise of the Zombies, one can’t help but wonder: who in their right mind would allow for this TV movie travesty to be released in cinemas in Egypt?

Set in a run-down and abandoned San Francisco, Rise of the Zombie’s opening scenes show a group of panic-stricken folks trying to escape from the hungry hands of the infected monsters.  Their mission, unfortunately, soon fails and – thanks to a badly executed CGI car crash – everyone, apart from one young pregnant woman who manages to escape, is left behind as food.

The film then shifts focus to a different group of people who have taken refuge in the infamous Alcatraz Prison. The troop is led by the sturdy Dr. Lynn Snyder (Hemingway), fellow scientist Dr. Dan Helpern (Burton) and the barmy-looking Caspian (Trejo). While Dr. Helpern continues to do his research and find a cure to kill the ‘virus’ which has been spreading like wildfire, Dr. Snyder believes that it’s the peculiar researcher, Dr. Arnold – who has been sending in video transmits from the mainland – has all the answers.

However, it’s not long before the zombies – who have apparently learned how to swim over the years – infiltrate the prison, forcing its refugees to flee and search for another safe-house and quite possibly the cure for the fast-spreading ‘infection’.

The producers and the distributors for this film – The Asylum – are known for their exclusively B-list, straight-to-DVD productions, and Rise of the Zombies is a complete mockery of a film from minute one. Apart from the plot being completely unoriginal, the characters – whose survival and well-being is imperative to drive the story – fail to register with the audience and the poorly scripted dialogue, and its flimsy delivery, only adds to the absurdity of it all, though the make-up isn’t entirely dreadful

Unfortunately, the cast – which includes a few recognisable faces – can’t rise above the shabby material.  Hemingway, an actress who has been seen in a good share of mindless action flicks, has never been worse. Failing to add an ounce of personality to her character, she is almost robotic in her delivery, while badass Trejo looks embarrassed the entire way through. 

Predictable, cheesy, and downright upsetting, Rise of the Zombies is definitely like no other zombie-fest you’ll ever see – and that is not a compliment.