It should be said that the approach to the zombie genre seen in "Portrait of a Zombie" is indeed new and innovative. However, that doesn't necessarily make it great.The movie had potential, and if it had a bigger budget the movie would indeed have been so much more than it was. I must say that "Portrait of a Zombie" turned out to be a rather ambitious amateurish project. But it was still enjoyable enough for what it was - and for what it turned out to be.The storyline in "Portrait of a Zombie" is about a family that have a zombie at home, their son Billy. The neighborhood is in uproar and the family still treats him as being alive and still being their son.Story-wise, then there were aspects to the story that were alright, but in overall, it wasn't memorable.What really needed more detail, work and better execution was the make-up and effects of the zombies. It was basically just make-up added to people's faces, and of course they committed the ultimate flaw here; forgetting about the neck and ears. So the face had make-up and special effects applied, while the neck and ears were left in proper skin tones. It is just such a bad mistake to make.The gun effects in the movie were just atrocious, and the movie would have fared so much better if they had opted not to have guns in the movie at all. If you are going to do guns, at least have them done right.And the way that Billy was moving just didn't go well with me, it looked like a crippled duck trying to dance break-dance. It was just awful.The acting in the movie was actually good, given what the actors and actresses had to work with.But for a movie of this production value, I will still applaud director Bing Bailey for managing to get this on its feet and turn it into what it was. If you enjoy zombie movies, then "Portrait of a Zombie" is definitely worth watching a single time, because of its unique approach to the zombie genre. However, just don't get your hopes up for a next Romero movie in the making.

The screenplay, documentary-style, and earnest delivery bring out the absurdity and bleak humor of the situation... parents defending and caring for their zombie son. No doubt some will object to the fatalistic Irish stereotype or the over-the-top narcissistic American stereotype, but for a genre film, these parts are written with cleverness and acted with depth. Especially the mother and father, with very solid performances. I don't want to get too deep myself here (it's a zombie flick), but the overall look and design are well-thought-out and accomplished too. While it's funny in parts, it is definitely darker than Shaun of the Dead - particularly at the end. The last 20 minutes or so are increasingly desperate and bloody, and less ha-ha funny (unless you're the kind of fan who laughs at these things). If you're looking for gore and the "oh no, not him too, not her too!" moments, the end will certainly satisfy. Recommended.

I am not usually a big fan of zombie movies. I did, however, really like this one, which I saw at the Newport Beach Film Festival. This is not your traditional zombie movie. It is intelligent, well-acted, has depth and just a bit of satire and the undercurrent of social commentary. This is mainly due to the excellent script, the wonderful Irish actors and the deft direction/editing by Bing Bailey (and his wife Laura, who co-wrote the script). I met Bing at the Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, but wasn't able to see it there, so I traveled down to the Newport Festival and was really glad I did. Can't wait for Bing's next film.

I saw this film at CineQuest film festival last week. I'm not much of a horror/zombie fan - but I found this film really worked for me. It's a clever take on the genre.(spoiler) The use of the documentary crew enabled the filmmaker to examine various cultural issues in the film. It's this angle that elevates it above a mere 'meat eating frenzy'. It was clever, funny, relevant and yes - horrifying in turns. The production values were above average for a small indie-budget. You can tell every penny they had went up on the screen.If you are a fan of horror, zombie or 'mocumentary' films - don't miss "Portrait of a Zombie".