Dead Snow (2009)

There are two things you need to know about Dead Snow.  First, it is a great zombie movie.  Second, it reinforces the importance of positive product placement marketing in films.

Let’s start with the first point.  Dead Snow is hands down the best zombie movie of 2009.  I would go so far as to say it is arguably the best zombie movie since 28 weeks Later.  It is scary, gory and never takes itself too seriously.  Dead Snow makes no attempt to reinvent the zombie genre.  In fact, its nod to widely revered zombie fare such as Evil Dead, Dawn of the Dead, and the many bad Nazi zombie movies of the 70’s and 80’s is done without reservation.   The key to Dead Snow’s success is its ability to tell a familiar story in a way that balances homage with plenty of gore, exciting action and a wink to the audience.

The story is simple, a group of medical students head to a cabin in the Norwegian mountains seeking a weekend of drinking, snowmobiling and a little sexy time.  Character introductions are handled in similar fashion to Friday the 13th part 4 sans Crispin Glover.   If he was in this movie it would be amazing.   You have the typical “teens heading to a cabin in the woods” character types – the jocks, would-be models, nerds, hippies and one very important horror movie geek.  More on that later.

If Crispin Glover was in the back seat this would be the perfect scene.

On the first night of their stay, a stranger visits the cabin to warn them of the evil that lurks in the area.  He explains how the torture and pillaging of the local people by the Nazis ultimate lead to the citizens seeking revenge and how this lead to some of the soldiers heading to the mountains never to be seen again.  It isn’t long before the skeptical medical students learn just how evil the pristine Norwegian mountains can be.

Dead Snow is able to fast forward through the traditional “what are they?”, “I got bit, now what?”, “how do I kill them?” process thanks to the trusty horror movie geek character who, by the time the zombies show up, is brandishing a Braindead t-shirt.  Thanks to his intimate knowledge of Braindead (or Dead Alive in the US), he is able to immediately identify the foes as zombies.  He is also able to quickly inform the team that getting bit is a bad idea and brain related injuries are the way to take them down.  Though certainly intended as a nod to Peter Jackson’s  1992 zombie epic, Dead Snow also makes Braindead the initial hero of the movie.  Ignorance is certainly not bliss when it comes to a zombie invasion and, thanks to Braindead, the medical students are able to assess their circumstances and make lightning fast decisions.   Plus, it should be noted that the only person to get laid in the movie is Braindead guy.

Braindead guy makes a surprise discovery!

Who gets to have sex mid-poop?  Braindead guy!

Who is trying to ruin our cabin fun time?  Braindead guy knows.

Marketing professionals take note; this is how to revitalize a forgotten brand.  A quick Google search of the keywords “Dead Snow Braindead” turned up 5 Dead Snow reviews on page one that mentioned Braindead.  IMDB shows Braindead’s popularity was up 12% last week.  There are 5 mentions of Braindead in the user reviews section of IMDB  for Dead Snow.  All this because of a well placed t-shirt.

Smart product placement isn’t new.  Reese’s Pieces became a household name thanks to ET.  We’d like to think many dead brands could have been saved through the same means.  Imagine if Pepsi Clear had been as important as body piercing in Return of the Living Dead Part 3.  We’d be sipping that sweet, clear cola flavor today.

"Pepsi Clear and body piercing help keep the brain lust at bay"

Showcasing the Braindead t-shirt does as much for that film’s brand as it does to legitimize the homage nature of Dead Snow.  While critics by and large have crticized Dead Snow for lacking originality, the same could be said for nearly every zombie movie made since Night of the Living Dead.  Fact is, Dead Snow delivers and does it well.