Braindead (1992)

Country of Origin: New Zealand
Year of Production: 1992
Running Times: 85 mins (USA - R rated version)     94 mins (Germany)     97 mins (USA - unrated version)     99 mins (Argentina)     99 mins 23 sec (UK - video)     100 mins (Australia - video; Sweden - theatrical)     103 mins 33 secs (Australia - theatrical; Hong Kong - theatrical; New Zealand - theatrical; Norway - theatrical; Japan - laserdisc; UK - theatrical)
Format: colour     35mm
Ratio: 1.66:1
Sound: Dolby

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: WingNut Films / New Zealand Film Commission
Producer: Jim Booth
Associate Producer: Jamie Selkirk
Production Manager: Nicola Olsen
Production Co-Ordinator: Michelle Turner

SCRIPT
Script: Stephen Sinclair, Frances Walsh, Peter Jackson
Story: Stephen Sinclair

DIRECTION
Director: Peter Jackson
1st Assistant Director: Chris Short
2nd Assistant Director: Witemara Rakete

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Murray Milne
Additional Photographer: Steve Latty
Camera Operator: Mark Olsen
Steadicam Operators: Rick Allender, Richard Bluck
Assistant Camera: Gerry Vasbenter
Lighting Assistant: Ian McCarroll
Gaffer: Thad Lawrence
Electricians: Alan Woodfield, Solomon Bollinger
Grip: Hamish McIntyre
Assistant Grip: Linda Halle
Clapper Loader: Amanda Clark
Stills: Pierre Vinet
Video Assist Operator: Nicola Wong
Camera Equipment: Film Facilities Ltd
Labs: Film Unit, Avalon, New Zealand

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Jamie Selkirk
Assistant Editor: Eric De Beus
Editing Assistant: Emma Haughton
Negative Matching: Upper Deck Film Services

MUSIC
Music: Peter Dasent
Additional Music: Arthur Wood (Barwick Green (Theme from The Archers)); A. Amarau (Maori Battalion, performed by the Maori Battalion)
Songs: Peter Dasent, Jane Lindsay (The Stars and Moon); Fane Flaws, Stephen Winderwel (29 Steps); Tony Backhouse (Heat of My Thoughts)
Songs Performed By: Kate Swadling (The Stars and Moon); Tony Backhouse (29 Steps; Heat of My Thoughts)
Music Co-Ordinator: Chris Gough
Music Producer / Musician: Peter Dasent
Music Performed By: Jim Lawrie (drums); Fane Flaws, John O'Connor, Jonathon Zwartz (guitar); Tony Backhouse, Jane Lindsay, Kate Swadling, Lisa Spence (backing vocals)
Music Co-Ordination: Mana Music
Music Recorded At: Radio New Zealand

SOUND
Sound Designer: Mike Hopkins, Sam Negri
Sound Recording: Tony Johnson
Recording Engineer: Neil Maddever
Sound Mixer: Michael Hedges
Sound Mixing: Avalon / NFU
Executives For Avalon: David Arnell, Maureen Zust, Reg Russ, Sue Thompson
Additional Sound: Alexander Paton, Beth Tredray
Boom Operator: Alexander Paton
Sound Post Production: Pacific Sound Services

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Debra East, Bob McCarron
Assistant Make Up: Damian D'Cruz, Susan Davis, Kareen Donaldson
Wig Designer: Debra East
Costume Designer: Chris Elliott
Stand-By Wardrobe: Tina Harris
Wardrobe Assistants: Hilary Niederer, Paul Sayers

SPECIAL EFFECTS MAKE UP
Prosthetics Make Up Supervisor: Marjory Hamlin
Prosthetics: Bob McCarron
Prosthetics Make Up Assistant: Clifford Hughes

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Co-Ordinator: Steve Ingram
Creature and Gore Effects Technicians: Allan Burne, Stuart Conran, Clifford Hughes, Alex Kennedy, Christian Rivers, Dominic Taylor, Bill Tompson, Grant Wallis, Richard Taylor
Creature and Gore Effects Administrator: Tania Rodger
Stop Motion Animators: Richard Taylor, Peter Jackson
Supervising Puppeteer: Ramon Aguilar
Pupeeters: Jeff Addison, John Gifford, Mandy Lowe, George Port
Miniatures: Michael Eastwood, Glen Henderson, Anna Hill, Peter Jackson, Jarrad Linton, Paul Noble-Campbell, Grant Wallis
Model Makers: Peter Frahm, Simon Jones, Tich Rowney
Main Title Animation: Gnome Productions Inc

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Kevin Leonard-Jones
Art Director: Ed Mulholand
Property Buyer / Set Dresser: Brad Mill
Standby Props: Nick Weir
Set Finisher: Karen Baker
Scenic Artist: Dave Cleary
Storyboard Artist: Christian Rivers
Art Department Researcher: Denise Kennedy
Art Department Runner: James Dickson
Construction Manager: Norman Willerton
Construction Foreman: Mike Heffernan
Carpenters: Tony Arnolo, Tony Eversen, Colin Pacey, Bryan Wakelin
Standby Carpenter: John Morton
Trainee Carpenter: Shaun Jacobs
Title Designer: Sue Rogers

MISCELLANEOUS
Continuity: Jenny Vial
Accountant: Linda Klein-Nixon
Legal Service: USA: Peter Martin Nelson
Production Assistants: Fiona Bartlett, Suzannah Morrison
Production Assistant Trainee: Bryn Tilly
Runner: Simon Rayner
Caterer: Ross Townsend
Publicity: Graphitti
Completion Guarantor: First Australian Completion Bond Company

LOCATIONS
Location Manager: Anna Cahill

STUNTS
Stunt Co-Ordinator: Peter Hassall
Stunts: Damon DeBerry, Peter Hassall, Mark Taylor, Tony Wolf
Fight Choreographer: Damon DeBerry
Action Vehicle Coordinator: Rob Jones

CASTING
Casting: Frances Walsh

CAST
Timothy Balme (Lionel Cosgrove)
Diana Peñalver (Paquita Maria Sanchez)
Elizabeth Moody (Vera Cosgrove)
Ian Watkin (Uncle Les)
Brenda Kendall (Nurse McTavish)
Stuart Devenie (Father McGruder)
Elizabeth Brimilcombe (zombie's mother)
Jed Brophy (Void)
Stephen Papps (zombie McGruder)
Murray Keane (Scroat)
Glenis Levesiam (Mrs Matheson)
Lewis Rowe (Mr Matheson)
Elizabeth Mulfaxe (Rita)
Harry Sinclair (Roger)
Davina Whitehouse (Paquita's grandmother)
Silvio Fumularo (Paquita's father)
Brian Sergent (vet)
Peter Vere-Jones (undertaker)
Tina Regtien (Mandy)
Bill Ralston (Stewart)
Tony Hopkins (Winston)
Tony Hiles (zoo keeper)
Duncan Smith (drunk)
Tich Rowney (Barry)
George Port (Lawrence)
Stephen Andrews (Spike)
Nick Ward (Spud)
Kenny McFadden (Gladstone)
Angela Robinson (Courtney)
Johnny Chico (head chief)
Peter Jackson (undertaker's assistant)
James Grant (tram driver)
Michelle Turner (blonde woman)
Jim Booth (Lionel's father)
Sam Dallimore (young Lionel)
Anna Cahill, Kate Jason-Smith, Frances Walsh (mothers at park)
Norman Willerton (tramp)
Robert Ericson (boy on bike)
Morgan Rowe, Sean Hay (baby Selwyn)
Vicki Walker (voice of Selwyn)
Chris Short (customs official)
Jamie Selkirk (father at zoo)
Brad Selkirk (son at zoo)
Forrest J Ackerman (Forry)
Gim Bon, Sarah Scott Davis, Anthony Donaldson, Jo Edgecombe, Mel Edgecombe, Melody French, Ken Hammon, Michael Helms, Mary O'Leary, Simon Perkins, Annie Prior, Vanessa Redmond, Chris Ryan, Tim Saywell, Paul Shannon, Belinda Todd (featured party zombie)
Jonathan Dugan (child at zoo - uncredited)

Lionel is constantly hen-pecked by his overbearing mother who even tries to end his budding romance with local shop girl Paquita. On a trip to the zoo, his mother is bitten by a "rat monkey" that infects her with a virus that slowly mutates her into a zombie. Lionel refuses to let his undead mother go, even when she starts infecting other people and before he knows it he's up to his neck in zombies.

Often juvenile but frequently very funny gore fest that saw Jackson going as far as was possible with his earlier blood- drenched style. The 50s New Zealand ambience gives it a refreshingly different look and the numerous deaths are both unusual and excessively bloody. The climactic battle between dozens of zombies and Lionel armed only with a lawnmower is both the goriest and also one of the funniest things you'll ever see in the genre. Great fun for those who can stomach the gore.

Germany
Theatrical Distributor: Senator Film

Hong Kong
Laserdisc Distributor: Ocean Shores (TL-1100)

Portugal
Theatrical Distributor: Vitoria Filme

Spain
Theatrical Distributor: Oro Films S.A.

UK
Theatrical Distributors: Polygram Video (Film Distributors)
Video Distributor: Polygram Video; 4 Front Video (0565443)

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Trimark Pictures
Video Distributor: Vidmark Entertainment
Laserdisc Distributors: Astro Records (LD 1964-2); Vidmark (LDCVM 5631)
DVD Distributor: Trimark Home Video (VM 6841D)

Argentina
Rating: 18

Australia
Rating: R

Chile
Rating: 18

Finland
Rating: K-18

Germany
Rating: 18

Norway
Rating: 18

Portugal
Rating: M/16

Spain
Rating: 18

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: 18

USA
Rating: unrated; R
The film exists in two versions in the States, an uncut unrated version and an R rated version that has been cut down to 85 mins.

1992
Catalonian International Film Festival, Sitges, Spain
Best Special Effects (Bob McCarron, Richard Taylor) - winner

Fantafestival
Best Actor (Timothy Balme) - winner
Best Special Effects - winner

1993
Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival
Grand Prize (Peter Jackson) - winner

1997
Fantasporto
International Fantasy Film Award: Best Film (Peter Jackson) - winner
Best Special Effects (Steve Ingram) - winner

1992
September
17: Canada - shown at the Toronto Film Festival

November
10: UK - rated 18 by the BBFC (for theatrical release)

1993
March
12: Finland - theatrical release

May
14: UK - theatrical release

June
3: Netherlands - theatrical release
29: UK - rated 18 by the BBFC (for video release)

July
16: Sweden - theatrical release

August
12: Germany - theatrical release

1994
April
28: Argentina - theatrical release

June
30: Spain - theatrical release

1995
August
17: Italy - theatrical release

1997
February
15: Portugal - shown at the Fantasporto Film Festival

March
17: Portugal - theatrical release

1998
June
8: UK - video release (4 Front Video (0565443))

September
15: USA - DVD release (Trimark Home Video (VM 6841D))

2000
November
10: Iceland - theatrical release

There's something nasty in Lionel's cellar - His family!

Some things won't stay down... even after they've died.

You'll laugh yourself sick!

Dead Alive - US title

SEE ALSO
Aliens (1986)
Dellamorte Dellamore (1994)
The Evil Dead (1982)
The Frighteners (1996)
From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money (1999)
Gremlins (1984)
Idle Hands (1999)
King Kong (1933)
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Psycho (1960)
The Return of the Living Dead (1985)

MAGAZINES

A Capital 25 April 1997
review (by Antonio Rodrigues)

A Capital, Guia TV 24 October 1997
review (by Rui Brazuna)

Cinema (Germany) 29 July 1993
review (by Bert Buellmann)

The Dark Side April 1993 p.46
review

Diario de Noticias 9 March 1997
review (by Eurico De Barros)

Diario de Noticias, Programas 25 April 1997
review (by Joao Antunes)

Expresso, Cartaz 8 March 1997
review (by Manuel Cintra Ferreira)

Expresso, Cartaz 25 April 1997
review (by Joao Lopes)

Sight and Sound June 1993
review

Studio February 1993 p.18
review (Christophe D'Yvoire)

Svenska Dagbladet 16 July 1993
review (Äckelfilmen Braindead mer död än sjuk by Elisabeth Sörenson)

rats, viruses, zombies, splatter, gore, babies, mutant babies, mutilation, zoos

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008