Review: Home Dir. Cameron McCulloch, Starring Jamie McDowell, 2010 Deep in the Australian bush, a lone young woman emerges periodically from her rickety shack to thin the hordes of encroaching zombies. But is she truly alone? And will the dark secret she keeps ultimately be the cause of her undoing? Home is a short film, written and directed by Cameron McCulloch, and shot on a budget of just AU$2,000, which took out first prize at the Made in Melbourne film festival last month. Zombies have always lent themselves to low-budget film-making, but rarely are such films so polished and gripping as Home. The simple plot is taut and engrossing, despite dealing with themes familiar to most zomfans, and McDowell's dialogue-free performance as the sole living character is excellent. The backdrop of the inhospitable Australian bush is used to great effect, with some stunning cinematography, minimal and effective use of music, and understated SFX similarly underscoring the 'mundane' horror of the piece. Home is an absolute gem among zombie shorts, and one I'd urge zomfans to track down and see if possible. The film will be doing the rounds of various festivals in the near future, and of course NecroScope will keep our readers posted on forthcoming screenings. In the meantime, to whet your appetites, here's the official Home trailer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89rSMNVhrvs&feature=player_embedded

Home (2010) Fear 3/5 Gore 3/5 Entertainment 5/5 Creepiness 2/5 Home is a short film that serves as a complete testament to what you can do with minimal setting, sound and absolutely no dialogue (unless you count zombie moans and groans). Set in the countryside, the short focuses on a young woman struggling to survive against a growing zombie force. She's rigged her house, mapped out the area well, all in the efforts of self-preservation. One morning, after being awakened by a member of the undead shuffling about on her front porch (and subsequently taking care of her pesky problem), she ventures out to check the area in greater detail. A daily task that becomes more apparent by the heavily marked map of the area that she keeps with her. Seeing an advancing horde in the distance, it's obvious from her facial expressions that all hope is lost. That she cannot put up a front and offensive against such a large group. After returning home, we see her reflect briefly on the life she used to have. She cleans herself up, puts on her wedding gown and in our closing moments, we learn that she's not exactly alone. That the human life we thought she lost is a lot closer than expected. But it's not any normal being, of course. As our film concludes and a touching moment between them occurs, we wonder what fate she has chosen: ending it all with one shot, giving into the complete hopelessness of the situation or continuing on with her life and succumbing to the new world around her. I was absolutely amazed at just how much emotion could be conveyed in an 11 minute short, through no dialogue and an intermittent soundtrack. The film is also beautifully shot and wonderfully produced. Be on the lookout for this one folks as well as future offerings from filmmaker Cameron McCulloch. This guy has got the goods. Note: I'll be posting more news about the short once it gets rolling in the festival circuit. Keep your peepers peeled. Cortez the Killer No embed codes exist for the trailer but you can view it via the direct link below: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89rSMNVhrvs

Review: Bringing the Zombies Home Posted on Sunday, January 23, 2011 by Robert Hood Home (Australia-2010; short [approx. 11 min.]; dir. Cameron McCulloch) Aussie filmmaker Cameron McCulloch has produced a damn fine short zombie film in Home. Made for AUS$2,000, it is, as it were, but a moment in the Romeroesque, post-Night of the Living Dead apocalypse, almost a vignette, though with the help of actress Jamie Mcdowell it achieves an emotionally epic quality. With no dialogue (“apart from zombie moans”), but powerful imagery, beautiful cinematography, an evocative soundscape, effective music and leisurely pacing, it offers up a story that — like a breath of fresh air in a genre that is too often careless and derivative — takes its subject seriously, filling its meagre 11 minutes with enough atmospheric suspense, thrills and pathos to guarantee it will stay in the memory long after its wrenching final moments. If you get a chance to see it when it comes to a festival near you, make sure you do.

Home was made in 3 1/2 days in rural Victoria Australia.
We shot on 2 Cannon 7ds and One 5D MK 2.
Home was shot over 2 weekends.