Corona Zombies

Corona Zombies is a 2020 film that remarkably manages to blend elements of comedy, horror, and social commentary into a truly unique viewing experience. Directed by the relentless Charles Band and laden with pop art aesthetics, the film offers a riotous and satirical take on the global Coronavirus pandemic, adding a zany zombie twist to the unfortunate reality of the moment.

In the bizarre world of Corona Zombies, the plot centers on Barbie (portrayed by Cody Renee Cameron), a ditsy blonde party girl who is totally oblivious to the viral outbreak decimating humanity outside her little bubble. Her day consists of afternoon naps, bunking with Ken in her pink apartment, and, of course, assuming there will always be toilet paper available at the supermarket.

However, in this universe, the deadly COVID-19 virus doesn't just make people sick in the traditional sense. Instead, it transmutes them into hoard of famished zombies. This twist uniquely overlays the fear and horror associated with a zombie apocalypse onto the existing dread of the real-world pandemic. Yet, even in the face of such horrors, the movie relies on Band's signature dark humor to capture the absurdity of the situation.

Playing through in virtually real-time, the catastrophic events unfurl on Barbie's television screen as she transitions from carefree to panic-stricken. A seasoned horror scream queen, Cody Renee Cameron as Barbie brings a captivating, hilarious, and at times, endearing performance which drives the narrative.

One of the most intriguing facets of Corona Zombies is how it lampoons and leverages actual footage from classic Italian exploitation zombie cinema — primarily 1980's cult classic 'Hell of the Living Dead' and Bruno Mattei's virus-themed 'Zombie Creeping Flesh.' The filmmakers cleverly interject these scenes of shambling zombies and corona chaos in the backdrop of Barbie's evolving understanding of the pandemic.

Robin Sydney provides excellent voice-over work, both for the dubbed classic Italian zombie film footage and also as Corona Zombies' recurring character, alongside Russell Coker. Their combined voice acting imbued the film with an homage-like feel to the classic tradition of dubbing foreign films, resulting in the vintage comedic-horror vibe of the B-movies of the yesteryears.

Notably, Donald Trump figures prominently as a character within the film, not physically but via real-life soundbites that are interspersed throughout the narrative. The creative inclusion of actual media appearances by Trump, addressing the global pandemic, provides a biting satire on the response of the leadership. The choice acts as a commentary on reality, blending the lines between fiction and the real world, and infusing Corona Zombies with a degree of biting political and social commentary.

The film's brisk runtime at a lean 60 minutes ensures the gags don’t overstay their welcome. Keeping the narrative compact, Corona Zombies plays out like a madcap fever dream induced by 24/7 news cycle overload, a phenomenon only too familiar for audiences today.

The production values of Corona Zombies are very much in line with what fans of Charles Band's work have come to expect. Strong use of bright, contrasting colors, and comic style gives the film a very vibrant and campy look. The soundtrack moves between kitschy electronica and droning horror synths, the switch-ups always accompanying an appropriately comic or tense shift in action. Though made on a shoe-string budget, the movie doesn't lack a sense of style or purpose.

In conclusion, Corona Zombies is a surreal, offbeat movie that adopts a timely subject matter and spins it into an audacious slice of grindhouse cinema, replete with campy humor, vintage horror homages, and societal satire. It's a fun riff on a serious situation. This outrageous parody is perhaps the first of its kind to directly link to the worldwide distress created by the COVID-19 crisis. Corona Zombies serves up a timely, tongue-in-cheek distraction that entertains as it critiques, all with the backdrop of a zombie-infested apocalypse, of course.