In Review: A Zombie Movie made in Disney World’s Backyard Automaton Transfusion
Written by Nicholas Yanes on October 13, 2009 – 12:00 pm -
The Most Significant Indie Zombie Movie In The Past Decade?
I moved into a new apartment a few months back and found that I needed to buy a bunch of stuff one needs for a new place (shower curtain, trash can, trash bags and so forth). While walking around Wal-Mart (don’t hate me, I’m on a budget) I noticed the DVD cover for Automaton Transfusion; which depicts an enraged zombie dragging itself (it’s legs are implied to have been violently removed) and letting the consumer know that it was a fast paced zombie film. The back explained that was independently made. I personally love zombie movies and I’m always interested to see what independent film producers are doing so I picked it up. It also didn’t hurt that it was being sold for ten bucks.
Overall, Automaton Transfusion has been one of the smartest movie purchases I’ve made in a while. Written and directed by Steven C. Miller, Automaton was not only made in my home state of Florida, but made on a budget of only thirty thousand dollars. That’s right, only $30,000. Thirty thousand is probably about how much money is spent on food during the production of a music video for a big name musician.
In addition, to this movie being an example of how much can be accomplished when on a short budget, Miller is also an example of the talent that is coming out of Full Sail University ( HYPERLINK “http://www.fullsail.edu/” http://www.fullsail.edu/), a school that is dedicated to preparing its students for a career in the entertainment industry.
Beyond these issues of production and Miller’s background, it is important to note that Automaton is not worth seeing just because of its production value, it should be seen because it is a unique addition to the Zombie genre. Miller manages to simultaneously pay homage to many of the clichés in zombie films, while subverting them. For instance, in using high school aged characters, Miller presents the audience with some standard characters/caricatures: the cocky/bully jock, the sweet popular girls, the tough and independent outsiders. However, unlike other movies, the jock not only dies at the hand of a zombie, but so does his somewhat nicer girlfriend. Typical B movies tend to allow somewhat decent people to survive, regardless of the chances against them. Additionally, one of the strongest characters in the film, the one you assume is psychologically able to handle a zombie outbreak, breaks down and decides to end his life.
It also uses the military in an interesting manner. Though it is not as common as it use to be, many zombie movies use to have a military presence in the narrative. While many show the military actively attempting to stop the spread of a disaster that they created, the military men presented in Automaton all but acknowledge that futility of the situation.
Miller is also able to make great use of central Florida’s landscape (in particular, Orlando, FL.). While many zombie films either take place in a city or in the woods, Automaton benefits from the fact that in Florida a person is always a half hour drive from a downtown area or house in the middle of the Everglades.
The aspect of this film that I felt was key to its success is simply the gore factor. Yes the movie provides those moments of classic suspense, but it provides some of the most hardcore gore scenes ever. With no intent on ruining the movie for you, but I have yet to see a mainstream movie feature a zombie punching a pregnant woman and ripping out the fetus. It is a moment of sheer horror and gore that I hope that Miller will one day top.
This movie came out in 2006 and made it to DVD by 2007. So while I’m coming to this movie two to three years after it came out, not many people have heard about it and I truly believe that this is a zombie movie worth experiencing. On top of this, rumor has it that a sequel is in the works and that the Weinstein Company may provide miller with a larger budget. So before you see or begin to hear about Automaton Transfusion: Contingency (rumored title for the sequel), pick up Automaton Transfusion. If you are a zombie film aficionado, you will want this to be part of your collection. And if you are an aspiring film maker, then you will want to see this movie just so that you can experience just how much a person can get done with thirty grand and nine days.
Steven Miller, best luck on all of your future endeavors.
To learn more about Automaton Transfusion check out the following sites:
http://www.myspace.com/atransfusion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuUfo7G-lOE
- Automaton Transfusion
- Director: Steven C. Miller
- Writer: Steven C. Miller
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Tags: Automaton Transfusion, Dimension Extreme, Steven C. Miller, Zombies
Posted in DVD, Merchandise, Reviews/Editorials, SF-TV & Movie News | 1 Comment »
By Gile on Oct 22, 2009 | Reply
Another low budget Florida Zombie flick is Storm of the Dead, shot in 2006, directed by Bob Cook with B.C.Entertainment in Orlando.
The location shooting was done in swamp and woods with gators and Voodoo priestesses.