Here we go again, yet another zombie DVD to chomp on. Although All Souls Day poses no threat whatsoever to George Romero’s living-dead legacy, it’s not a completely substandard flick by any means, as I had heard from some friends. In fact, if you can see past the passel of clichés and narrative problems, some of the individual scenes and imagery are chilling enough to warrant a closer look. 

The story begins in 1892 where villain Vargas Diaz loots an Aztec tomb and causes havoc in the town of Santa Bonita, Mexico.  The slaughtered townsfolk are eternally unable to rest, and repeatedly demand new sacrifices. Fast-forward to the early 1960s, and a vacationing family led by Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator) and Ellie Cornell (Halloween 4 and 5) meet with their bloody demise. Cut to present day and we see couple Joss (Travis Wester) and Alicia (Marisa Ramirez) literally hit town, and rescue a nude, tongue-less woman covered in tribal artwork (a nice touch) that is apparently meant to be the next sacrifice. All goes awry when the unwitting couple interferes with the locals and their ravenous plans.

All Souls Day originally aired on the Sci-Fi Channel to not-so-hot reviews, and it’s easy to see why—the film is simply too disjointed for mass consumption. And although it features a clever premise, the story is often hard to follow. The special effects are decent, albeit low budget, the acting is average, and the film is riddled with clichés pinched from more-established zombie flicks. But aside from all that, there’s a homegrown, organic quality to the work that makes you want to like it more than you probably should.

The DVD on the other hand, is great for hardcore fans of the genre. Anchor Bay has packed this release with extras including featurettes Raising the Undead: The Making of All Souls Day", with interviews with cast and crew and behind-the-scenes footage, and Faces of Death: The Make-up Effects of All Souls Day. There’s also commentary from director Jeremy Kasten.