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DVD Review: AUTOMATION TRANSFUSION
By Dave Dreher

Mar 22, 2008, 22:14

If nothing else you have to like the way that the makers of AUTOMATON TRANSUSION approached their zombie film. They didn't let anything rattle them. It was certainly an arduous task making this film in the short amount of time with the little bit of pocket change that they had and you had to keep this in mind when watching it.

It's not that its a bad film cause it's not. But you sure can tell that they hurried it, it show in just about every aspect of the film with the notable exception being the special effects, they are all practical effects and they are all very good.

AUTOMATON TRANSUSION is another of the Dimension Extreme releases and the cover sleeve boasts a quote from Bloody Disgusting declaring this one to be on the the best zombie films in decades. Well, I'm afraid I am going to have to disagree with that statement. While not a completely horrible film it is far, far from the best in decades. First off and probably the thing that bothered me the most is the editing. Holy shit, this thing jumps around like a frog on cocaine. I was getting a headache watching this and it is almost impossible to keep track of just what the hell is going on as the camera is constantly cutting up, down, left, right, close up, far shot. AHHHHHHH!

Also, I don't know what kind of camera they used to film this but it is very “stop motion” looking. Kind of reminds me of the early days of web video where you could count the frames as they advanced. Very strange. I don't know if this was done on purpose (I would sure the hell hope not) or if it was just so low budget that the best they could afford was a shitty ass camera or what but it is very, very distracting and really took away from the viewing of the film for me.

The story itself is pretty standard zombie fare. Group of folks trapped by hordes of flesh eating beasties, blah, blah, blah. The zombies are fast movers in this one, very much like the Dawn reamke zombies. They are brutal and this is one bloody film, can't take that away from them.

As I stated above though the true star are the SFX. Good stuff and the only real reason I can find to recommmend you waste your time on this one. They are very good and very reminiscent of the Savini years in how they are staged and executed. Someone has been reading Grande Illusions.

Long story short, don't buy into the BS blurb on the front as you will be disappointed but do slip the disc in and settle in for some great low budget blood letting. I've seen better but I have also seen far worse. AUTOMATON TRANSFUSION is worth a look just don't look to hard.

Here are all the official specs:

The shockingly grisly zombie horror flick
AUTOMATON TRANSFUSION bleeds onto DVD March 4^th from
follows three teens brazen enough to fight back a town full of swarming zombies. Written and directed by Steven C. Miller, Genius Products and The Weinstein Company. The latest release under the company’s Dimension Extreme label, AUTOMATON TRANSFUSIONAUTOMATON TRANSFUSION received rave reviews at numerous horror film festivals including Screamfest 2006. Featuring suspenseful performances by Garrett Jones
(“In The Heat Of The Night”), Juliet Reeves (All Wrapped Up), William Howard Bowman and Rowan Bousaid, AUTOMATON TRANSFUSION reaches new and realistic extremes of gore and bloodshed. AUTOMATON TRANSFUSION will be available for the suggested retail price of $19.95.

Synopsis

The United States Army began developing a procedure to bring back the dead with the purpose of having them fight instead of the living. The testing takes a horrific turn and an experimental town quickly becomes overtaken by zombies. Three desperate high school students decide to fight back in a battle for survival.

DVD Special Features:

• Feature Commentary With Writer/Director Steven C. Miller And Producers William Clevinger And Mark Thalman

• Trials And Tribulations: The Making Of Automaton Transfusion

• Deleted Scenes (with optional Director's commentary)

• Suffer Or Sacrifice: A Short Film By Director Steven C. Miller

• "Can You Hear Me Now" Music Video By Blinded Black

• "Arsenaholic" Music Video By Dancefloor Tragedy