‘Juan Of The Dead’ Brings The Zombacalypse To Havana

Juan of the Dead is one of the funniest films I've seen in a while. Maybe it's because my family is from Cuba or because I've visited the island. I think it's because the movie is just plain funny. Juan of the Dead shows what happens when the zombacalypse goes down in Havana. Why not? If rednecks can kill zombies in Georgia, why not Cubans? Zombies don't care about communism. A capitalist brain and a commie brain are just as tasty, (I think. I've never tasted either).

I heard about Juan of the Dead a year ago when it was still under production. I wondered when I would be able to see this film. That's because it's a joint Cuban-Spanish production. In the same way that it's not easy to get Cuban cigars, it's not a simple task to watch Cuban films. That's because of the whole trade embargo thing. Neither Fidel Castro, his beard, or the U.S. government is going to keep me from watching this film. I saw it at a film fest recently but now you can see it too. Luckily, Focus Features in England has taken up distribution. It's going to be out on iTunes in August.

The film is about a lazy dude named Juan who finds himself in the middle of the zombacalypse in modern day Havana. The Cuban government claims that the zombies are dissidents paid by the U.S. So, Juan decides to go into business killing zombies for profit. A dude has to eat. Though you may think from the title that it's just a rip-off of Shaun of the Dead, it's not. It's much more of a social and political commentary than Shaun of the Dead. It takes the familiar story of the zombie plague but examines how Cuba would deal with it. The government probably would blame it on the CIA, like they do everything else. It's funny, biting, and sweet. Plus Juan decapitates lots of zombies with a machete. That's entertainment.

Article By Jack Tomas
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